Loopholes
September 3, 2010
READ:
Mark 7:1-13
Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not
sin against You. —Psalm 119:11
Five-year-old Jenna was not having a good start to her
day. Every attempt to arrange the world according to her
liking was having the opposite result. Arguing didn’t
work. Pouting didn’t work. Crying didn’t work. Finally
her mother reminded her of the Bible verse she had been
learning: “Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I
might not sin against You” (Ps. 119:11).
Apparently Jenna had been thinking about this verse,
because she was quick to answer: “But Mom, it doesn’t
say that I won’t sin; it says that I might not sin.”
Her words are all too familiar. I often hear similar
arguments in my own mind. There’s something very
appealing about loopholes, and we look for them wherever
there’s a command we don’t want to obey.
Jesus addressed this problem with religious leaders who
thought they had found a loophole in their religious
laws (Mark 7:1-13). Instead of honoring their parents
with financial or material support, they dedicated all
their possessions to God, thereby limiting their use.
Although their disobedience was not blatant, Jesus said
their behavior was unacceptable.
Whenever we start looking for loopholes, we stop being
obedient. —Julie Ackerman Link
Lord, help us to submit to You,
To follow and obey,
Instead of finding loopholes to
Defend our sinful
way. —Sper
Even
though we make excuses for not obeying God, He still
calls it disobedience.
