Faith Vs. Religion

 

    People tested Jesus.  The people that knew their religion and thought that they were superior to Jesus' ways wanted to trip him up, make him look stupid, or reveal him as a fraud.  The problem is that could never happen.  They felt that he was a mockery to their way of life and how they believed things should be for hundreds of years.  Religion is tradition.  It is frigid.  It is unyielding.  They thought they were right and were unbudging in their hearts to learn a new way.

    Jesus never fell into their traps.  He handled each situation perfectly.  He handled it better than anyone else could, which means that anyone paying attention should be able to see there was something more to him than a miracle worker and gifted teacher.  He was living a life that revealed how to walk in faith.  It depends on listening to that small, quiet voice of the Holy Spirit that can affect your entire body and or mind.

    Jesus warned his apostles to be careful around the religious people.  They would be willing to die for their religion, but have little to no faith.  These 12 men had been with Jesus the longest.  They knew him better than anyone, but they still did not understand.  He got frustrated with them at times for their lack of faith or lack of understanding which was proven by their responses or lack there of.  

    Jesus was trying to prepare them for what had to come.  It would not be easy on them, but Jesus did try to prepare them, so that they would not be led astray from all he was teaching them.

    People misunderstand Jesus.  They always have and always will.  Peter was a special apostle.  Many of us can identify with him and his blatant mistakes, but he had faith and heart.  That mattered more to Jesus. Jesus doesn't have favorites, but I think Peter was one of his best friends.  Peter would become the rock of the church.  He would become unbreakable in his faith in Jesus (the true foundation of the church).  He was just in his growing pains at this point and Jesus was already promising Heaven to him.

    Jesus told his apostles that when he went to Jerusalem that he would suffer and die, but in three days he would live again.  I am sure that was a shock and very confusing to everyone there.  He seemed so untouchable and why would you go to a place when you know horrible things will happen?  It didn't make any logical sense.  

    Peter impetuously insisted that he would not allow that to happen.  Jesus's response was revealing: "Get behind me Satan!  You are a hinderance to me because you're not thinking about God's concerns but human concerns."  He was not calling Perter "Satan".  

    Jesus recognized how Satan still had influence.  That Satan has the ability to block a clear picture.  Peter was trying to be supportive, but he was being a stumbling block because he did not understand and could not accept Jesus's death as a fact.  Satan was manipulated that fact to use Peter to try to tempt Jesus from doing what he came to do.  Peter was not even aware of it.

    To live a life of faith instead of religion, we must die to our own personal wants and desires.  That means picking up the cross laid before you and carrying it on your own, like Jesus did, but unlike Jesus we will have spiritual help.  We have to embrace pain and suffering of the world to obey at times.  

    Some people even lose their lives, but they have eternity in heaven which makes it a small price.  We are investing into our eternity, not the here and now.  Jesus came to taste death, so that we would not have to be consumed by it.  The difference between the faithful and the religious dying for beliefs is simple.  The faithful will die for the cause, but no logical reason: faith, hope, life, holy love.  The religious will die to enforce their rules and regulations.

Matthew 16