A Fence Or A Gate?

Matthew 23:1-4

They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. (Matthew 23:4)

THE PHARISAICAL SPIRIT, regardless of which religion or denomination it has shown up in, has always sought limits. Its highest priority is discovering and enforcing the restrictions God has placed on us. Rather than asking what is permitted, it focuses on what is forbidden. The result is a constant emphasis on sin and failure.

Unfortunately, this is one of the most common takeaway points many people have seen in Christianity throughout history—that it is a legal code of unpermitted thoughts and behaviors given by God to help us avoid hell. In part, our religious instinct interprets everything in legal terms, and the church has played into that mind-set far too well. Throughout the ages, plenty of Christian teachers have expounded on religious demands and tried to enforce them. And even today, it’s often said that Christians are known for what we are against more than what we are for.

This attitude highlights a profound dividing line between true and false spirituality. It’s true that God forbids some things; he wants us to reflect his image and conform to his character. But his emphasis is on freedom, not restriction. He loves his children and gave us his Word not to put a fence around our lives but to open a gateway into an eternal adventure with him. The entrance into the Kingdom is as narrow as a single Savior, but the fields within are vast and open. Of all the messages the world needs to hear, this is the most important. God is not the giver of false burdens; he is the liberator.

That does not mean you can live without responsibility, of course. It means, however, that your responsibilities will bring rest and freedom to you and others. When you read Scripture, you are to see it as an invitation into unexplored realms. Carry that openness into the world, and invite others in. God does not quench the human heart. He sets it free.

{Father, forgive us for focusing on limitations. Lift our eyes to see your opportunities. Take us on adventures with you and draw many—even multitudes—into your delights. Amen.