By Allen White
Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you
hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have
neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and
faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the
former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.
Matthew
23:23-24
Most of us would prefer not to know what goes on in the
cockpit of a commercial airplane. We would like to assume that the pilots are
capable, well-trained, alert, well-rested tea-totalers who will get us there
safely. Once that cockpit door is shut, we prefer to imagine Captain Sully
Sullenberger at the controls (just as Bob Moore did on USAir Flight 1549).
Ignorance is bliss.
The failsafe of aviation is auto-pilot. I’m not a pilot.
I’ve never played one on TV, but I do know that when our tray tables are in the
upright and locked position, the pilot is running the show. But, between the
takeoff and the landing, the plane is on autopilot. If something needs
attention, the plane will alert the pilot. Otherwise, they just sit back,
relax, and enjoy the flight with the rest of us.
While on autopilot, there’s time to nap or play Soduku or
watch Airplane the Movie. As long as the pilot doesn’t need to ditch the plane
into the Hudson, it’s blue skies all of the way.
The religious leaders of Jesus’ day lived their spiritual
lives on autopilot. Ten percent went to God. Ninety percent was kept for them.
It was a no-brainer. The only problem is that no-brainers don’t require any
thinking.
Justice, mercy and faithfulness require thought. The first
time I heard Gary Haugen from the International Justice Mission talk about
slavery and human trafficking in the world today, it was a bit overwhelming. It
was both hard to believe and horrifying at the same time.
I wanted to retreat back into the comfort and safety of my
spiritual life. I pray, read my Bible, tithe, serve God and His people. Isn’t
that enough? Now, I had to think about millions of men, women and children
enslaved throughout the world including the United States of America. Could I
just write a check and then sit back, relax and enjoy the flight?
What would you rather not think about? When are you tempted
to change the channel on your TV or in your mind? How are you seeking out the
safety of autopilot? God put you and me on this planet to make a difference.
What do you feel compelled to do?
It’s easy to attend church every Sunday, and then retreat to
our suburban homes. There’s nothing wrong with that. Unless we’re like the
priest and the Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan who would rather
cross over to the other side of the road and not get involved. Jesus’ mission
is to seek and save the lost. What could be more fulfilling than being
on-mission with Jesus?
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