Daily Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:7–18
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. (2 Cor. 3:17)
A bee in our home was attempting the notorious insect escape plan of brute force—rapidly smashing his tiny body into the double-layer window. I opened the top of the window to facilitate his escape but he just continued to pound away at the glass. He was attempting to accomplish something that had never been done and never will be. He would have met his doom without further assistance.
Paul saw the Christians of his day in the same light. They’d reverted to relating to God through the legalism of the Old Testament. Nobody has ever been freed from sin that way. Jesus is our new high priest and mediates a new, greater covenant. It isn’t about our striving; it’s about His grace. Moses’ way involved demonstrating that everyone falls short of the glory of God. Jesus’ way shows that we don’t have to stay that way. And we never have to go back to the old way because Jesus’ way is permanent.
When the bee had sufficiently weakened himself, I used two CD covers to guide him to freedom in the way he’d been incapable of seeing. If he got trapped again he would do the same thing because he is a bee and doesn’t know better. In your quest to follow Jesus, don’t take your cue from a bee. There’s a much easier way.
Choose a Christian practice you follow that is legalistic and avoid it this week.
Dave Knickerbocker and his family live in Ohio. He has been pastor of three churches, two as church plants.
