Sunday Shorts: Where Would Jesus Go? - Mark 1:21

Mark 1:21 They went to Capernaum; and when the sabbath came, Jesus entered the synagogue and taught. (NRSV)

Occasionally, I see a post or a meme on Facebook that states something like: “You don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.” It’s a common understanding among some people that church is no longer relevant, so we should all just follow our own individual spiritual path to get closer to God. Unfortunately, most folks think that this means they can believe anything, go anywhere, and do everything they want, and somehow God will understand. That’s exactly what the forces in opposition to God want us to believe; that’s a blind spiritual path that leads to nowhere.

            So, what would Jesus have us do to be Christians and what example did He show us to follow?

            Today’s verse provides the answer: Jesus attended weekly worship and taught in the synagogue. Now, out of all people on the Earth, Jesus could have stayed away from weekly worship because He knew God intimately and obeyed God completely. He could have been given a first-class exemption from weekly worship to go and pursue His own spiritual path, but instead, Jesus chooses to worship with the people of God in their local holy place. We can make as many excuses as we like, but if we claim to be Christians and to follow Jesus, then weekly worship with the people of God needs to be a priority.

            For some folks this can be hard because of infirmity, illness, or issues. For others, they may have been burned out by the church or broken by church folks. But here’s the thing: there are millions of Christian congregations throughout the world, and in our local communities, there are different worshiping centers. There are also many more congregations who provide online services, either live or pre-recorded, for those who cannot leave their homes. In other words, there are plenty of places where we can follow Christ into Christian worship, so what’s keeping us back? It’s certainly not Jesus because He is providing us with many holy places to join Him in worship, fellowship, and discipleship.

            So, if we want to, or even believe that we do follow Jesus, then which church are we going to attend on Sundays?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, help us to overcome our indifference or reluctance to worship You with Your people. Open our hearts and minds to the blessings of faith that we can encounter and receive together. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is a retired Scottish pastor living in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Two Points - Luke 20:1-2

Luke 20:1-2 One day, as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple and telling the good news, the chief priests and the scribes came with the elders 2 and said to him, “Tell us, by what authority are you doing these things? Who is it who gave you this authority?” (NRSV)

I like today’s passage from the Gospel because it reveals to us the respect that Jesus had for the Jewish faith He grew up in. That may seem strange because He experiences a fierce confrontation with the religious authorities, but if we focus on the conflict and ponder over the parable Christ tells, we miss the first couple of points that Luke makes in his description of this event.

You see Jesus was teaching in the Temple. He was at the very center of His Jewish faith and He chose to teach the people and pilgrims, bystanders and passers-by there. In other words, Christ embraced the idea of a structured religious center where people could assemble to worship God, say their prayers, and bring their gifts. If Jesus was totally against any of that, He would never have taught there. Instead, He teaches us the importance of religious places as being centers of discipleship and worship, wisdom and knowledge for spiritual people.

The second point is that He preached the good news – the gospel – inside the temple courts, too. If this was a sacred and holy house where God’s presence resided, then what better place to preach about God’s grace and love, mercy and forgiveness? Christ could have rejected all of this and taken His ministry back into the hills where He came from, but instead, He treats the temple – after clearing out the money-changers – as a place of blessing, teaching, and faith; a spiritual oasis for weary pilgrims and a house of learning for seekers.

All over the world, people still gather in churches to praise God, say their prayers, and bring their gifts. The churches are also learning centers for the Christian faith we now embrace. In other words, we follow in Christ’s footsteps by being part of a religious process that He initiated – to be among His people in a sacred house of God – teaching the truth and preaching the Gospel.

Point to ponder

How is Christ’s ministry continued in the church I attend?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You teach the Gospel through Your words and deeds. You show us how to respect and revere God. You also offer us grace and mercy, hope and love. Encourage us to be with Your people and receive the blessings of Your teaching in the sacred places called church. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sundays at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s new Holy Week drawings called ‘Passion.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Passion.