Both Jeremiah (from today’s first reading) and Jesus were persecuted because they upset those who placed rituals and rules over people. These people were not bad but were deeply mistaken. They knew their laws, but these had become so rigid and so primary that they no longer expressed God’s mercy.
When applied rigidly, religious rules become like idols. They can be misused as God’s judgment upon every action. Sometimes religious people find false security in fixed rules that are unchangeable.
Jesus tells us that the two greatest commandments are the love of God and the love of neighbor. It is in following these commandments that we are most like Christ and most assured that our lives are what God created them to be.+
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free