#11 TRUTH BY ASSOCIATION

Americans are both blessed and cursed by their individualism and curious definition of freedom. On the whole, Americans don’t want to be told what to do. They think they want to do anything they want as long as it doesn’t directly hurt others. Americans see commandments as a burden, something to be obeyed to the minimum, if obeyed at all. (Think of speed limits!) Jesus and the Jews of his time had a different approach. They understood the commands of God to be good things. They were both opportunities to be taken advantage of, as well as fences to protect people and keep them on the right path. One of the characteristics of many of the Jewish people, especially the Pharisees, was their desire to understand the commands of God and follow them precisely. This desire led them to have detailed instruction and traditions about how to follow the commands of God. They became experts in using primary scriptures, secondary scriptures and allegories in order to exactly define what the commands of God are and how to follow them. Unfortunately, these practices often became unnecessarily burdensome and caused many to follow the traditions precisely without having the right attitude and love for God.