1 Kings 8:22-23,27-30 / Mk 7:1-13
Habits can be real blessings. They can get us through the most boring parts of life, like our early morning routines, with barely a thought or a strain. With their help we just plow forward. Habits can carry us along when we’re tired, and they can keep us going in the right direction when we could easily wander off. Good habits of living and thinking can do us the favor of setting off alarm bells when we’re tempted to do something stupid. Habits can be real blessings — but only some of them are in fact.
The other side of habits is that they can blind us to the most obvious of evils and the most ridiculous of life patterns. This is especially true when a habit of thinking and acting is a part of the culture we live in. It’s always just been there and we’ve never thought about whether it’s right or makes sense or not.
That’s where the Pharisees in Jesus’ time were caught, inside their own inherited habits of thinking and being. It led them to do and say a lot that made no sense. And it left them floating along on the surface of life, never seeing or finding its real purpose or meaning.
All of this leaves us with a crucial question: What are we taking for granted and just not looking at? Has habit blinded our hearts to the needs of others or to the consequences of our daily choices? Take time to look at the things you take for granted. There are almost certainly some surprises waiting for you!
Loading ...
Comments