They (hypocrites) crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden. Matthew 23:4 (NLT)
New Testament religious leaders knew God’s law. They knew everything that people were supposed to do and the things they were not supposed to do. But it wasn’t enough to remind people of the laws passed down from Moses, but they would add more to make it even harder for people to be able to follow them all. Instead of finding ways to live God’s way, things were made even harder.
As Christians, many of us know or are familiar with God’s laws in the Old Testament. We may be familiar with the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament. We can easily fall into the trap of comparing each person to the Bible and point out their faults. We can get trapped in focusing on where they are missing the mark. But we have a choice to make. We can look at them through God’s eyes of grace. We can view them as sinners that can be saved by God’s grace, just like us. We can lift a finger and help ease their burden.
Prayer:
God, thank you for your grace. I want to look at the people around me through your eyes. Help me to ease the burden on those around me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.