I spent some extra time this week reading about the Pharisees. Honestly, I didn't know as much about them as I thought I did. One of my primary resources was a great Bible Dictionary I own called the New Interpreters' Bible Dictionary. At $80 for the whole set it's really a good deal. Even more interesting is to read up on the history of the Sabbath. Like much of early Jewish history, the concept of sabbath has roots in the Near Eastern world that the early Jews lived in. What made the Jewish people different was the way they interpreted sabbath in the context of their religious faith. This specific example of taking a cultural artifact and giving it new meaning was new to me, but there are lots of examples throughout history. Celebrating Christmas on December 25 is one good example. There's also nothing wrong with it. We can readily acknowledge that God gives truth to the world in a whole variety of ways. God's presence and grace is everywhere, after all.
Back on the subject at hand, though, here's the challenge from this week. What social norms (rules, laws) do you follow that God would want you to break? I'm sure there's at least one. Feel free to share some in the comments.
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