"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanliness. Even so you also appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness."
Matthew 23: 27 - 28 NKJV
I was reminded recently of Jesus' distaste for the organized religion of His day. I'm assuming that the organized religion of Jesus' time was pretty much the same as we have today. Nothing much has changed. So, why would Jesus dislike organized religion? Why would He dislike something which taught of righteous men and of the Father? Well, I think I'll jump out on another shaky limb here and say that perhaps the reason that Jesus thought so badly about mans organized religion (that's right, we did it) was because of the fact of what it did to those who followed it. Indeed, Jesus had a huge issue with the religious authorities of the day. His "Woes to the Pharisees" we find in Matthew 23 pretty much lay out the issues which Jesus had not only with organized religion, but with those who presided over it. Jesus proclaimed never to do anything according to the works of the religious Pharisees {Matthew 23:3}. Why? I'm assuming that these Pharisees were big on telling others what to do while not practicing it themselves. Jesus was also not fond of the burdens which Organized religion placed upon Gods children {Matthew 23:4}. Of course, I have seen this in practice in my own experience in the mainstream church. Of pastors who lay down a gauntlet of guilt and shame, all the while not allowing their congregations to break through into the love and acceptance we will find in Christ Jesus. Jesus also warned those of His day of the motivation of many of these Pharisees {Matthew 23:5-7}. Indeed, how many of us have been witness to pastors and leaders of church congregations placing themselves above the people which God has placed them to serve? I believe that this is exactly why Jesus claimed the virtue of being humble {Matthew 23:12}. I firmly believe that someone who chooses to go into the ministry can do so for the right motives yet still have the wrong motivation. If your goal is financial gain or personal advancement, you'll be better off as a car mechanic than as a pastor. Jesus was also not a big fan of those religious leaders who forsook tradition over helping those around them {Matthew 23:14-15}. Again, I've been witness to this in the mainstream church. There is something to be said of a pastor who not only offers prayers but also any help which he is able to someone who is in need. However, I was never a big fan of those preachers who, when faced with someone who was hurting, simply offered the standard Pharisee school authorized prayer then quickly moved on to their post service golf game. Then again, maybe it's just me.
Who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshipped and served the creature rather than the creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
Romans 1: 25 NKJV
If Jesus has never been a big fan of organized religion, then the apostle Paul was even less of a fan. Remember, Paul was raised in the predominant Jewish faith of the day {Galatians 1:14}. It was his blind devotion to this religion which led Saul to persecute the early church of the followers of Christ Jesus. Yet, at the Fathers appointed time, Christ was revealed in Paul on the Damascus road {Galatians 1:15-16}. Notice that Paul did not obtain this knowledge of Christ in him through organized religion. For it was organized religion through which Paul sought to destroy the early church and the followers of Jesus. I have heard it said that Paul's experience on that Damascus road was simply that, a experience unique to Paul. That's a good story if you can sell it. The truth is, the revelation of Christ Jesus in him which the Father gave to Paul is open to all who know and love Jesus. Like Paul, the timing of this revelation is not by our own choosing.
I have often been amazed by some of the brick and mortar churches I have walked into by all of the shiny ornaments and statues within. Tell me, when we divert our worship away from God to these idols of gold and metal, how much different are we from the Israelites who created idols for themselves to worship? I know that I'll get some pushback here from those of the catholic faith, but I have always had a distaste for a religion that upholds Mary in the same regard as Jesus and the Father. We do well to remember that is only by the work of the Father that Mary became pregnant with the Son of God. Indeed, Mary was blessed, but to place her on the same plane as Jesus is, well, blasphemous. It's no surprise that Jesus ministered to people wherever He found them. In the temple, at the well and even as a adulterous woman was about to be stoned to death. To Jesus, the brick and mortar churches and traditions we are so proud of are not as important as the realization of who we are in Him.
"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."
Galatians 2: 20 NKJV
~Scott~
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