I remember back in high school hearing about the Exxon oil spill in Alaska and feeling so bad for all of the wildlife that was hurt as a result. In fact, I was so affected by what had happened that I decided I would never get gas from an Exxon gas station again.

One day, I came home bragging to my dad about how much I cared for the environment. I told him that, in my effort to avoid going to an Exxon station, I had driven around for almost an hour until I finally found a gas station I thought was good enough for my environmental convictions.

I remember my dad saying, “I want to make sure I understand this. You avoided Exxon and other gas stations because you care about the environment, right?”

I proudly responded, “Yep!”

To which my father said, “What about the harm you do to the environment by wasting an hour’s worth of gas to find a gas station that’s really not that different from the ones you were trying to avoid?”

Yeah… I hadn’t thought about that. In my effort to do the right thing, I had actually worked against my original goal. Today, I just use whatever station is closest, but I often think back on that moment as a reminder of how easy it is to get caught up in the details and lose sight of the bigger picture.

Why do you think it is so easy to focus on rules or appearances instead of the real purpose behind them?

This Sunday, we will be looking at some verses where Jesus is confronted by Pharisees who interpret the law of rest in a way that actually causes more work. Matthew presents a contrast between the heart of the law that Jesus shows us and the rigid religious structures the Pharisees worked so hard to keep in place.

As we read Matthew 12:1-21 together, think about what differences you notice between the Pharisees’ approach and Jesus’ teaching. What might it look like for us to live by the heart of God’s law rather than getting caught up in rigid structures?

I invite you to join us this Sunday at 10:00AM as we read and reflect together on how this passage might apply to us today.