Day 276, Year 1

Beware of Wrong Segmentation

… “Therefore, whoever swears by the altar, swears both by the altar and by everything on it. And whoever swears by the temple, swears both by the temple and by Him who dwells within it. And whoever swears by heaven, swears both by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.” (Matthew 23:20-22 NASB)

In the first two verses, the author offered a detailed account of Jesus’ description of how the Israelites swore by things in the temple at that time. Bible scholars generally believe that less than two decades after the Gospel of Matthew was written, the temple and everything inside were demolished. Then why did Matthew explain the spiritual principles behind these things in such detail? Perhaps, just as some Christian books may only provide help at a certain stage, everything that can contain God’s truth is worthy of us to take seriously, even if it is fleeting.

Furthermore, Jesus made it clear that the Pharisees, etc., were hypocritical because they could not see God’s work and teachings. They separated the temple and the gold within, as well as the altar and the gifts on it. These fragmentations are actually wrong. They are putting the cart before the horse by placing too much emphasis on human effort or wealth while belittling God. Similarly, some people today have the problem of wrong segmentation, which often causes them to lose focus and drift away from God. Conversely, Jesus emphasized God’s work, calling us to believe in Him and value the results of working with God. The altar is a design of God, and on the altar is the offering of man. The temple is a human construction, but the one who dwells within is the Most High God.

Today’s verse states: If anyone swears by heaven, he or she swears by God. The Israelites used to settle arguments or pledges by an oath. It was their habit at that time. Although the practice of taking oaths still exists in some cultures or countries, it has disappeared completely in others. At the time of writing, the habit of swearing by Heaven still exists in some places in southern China. This serves as a way for a person to assure others that something is true and to guarantee that his or her promises will be fulfilled. This is somewhat similar to the practice of the ancient Israelites. In fact, whether in ancient Chinese texts and in passages such as the First Maccabees, Heaven can be viewed as equated with God. Finally, in today’s passage, it is worth noting that in a world where God is invisible, Jesus points to places or things that can represent Him. If heaven is God’s throne and dwelling place, how can humans not honestly believe in the God who is in heaven above?

Reflection questions:

1) Do you particularly cherish things of spiritual value and learn about God through them? Why?

2) Have you ever incorrectly separated something in your life, thus distancing yourself from God? If so, how are you going to correct it?