A lot of us are disenchanted with religion. There’s so much hypocrisy and abuse and scandal. No wonder so many people are checking out of organized religion, even if they still find Jesus to be compelling. Here at the end of Luke 11 and into 12 Jesus himself railed against the dangers of religion. It turns out that God isn’t actually interested in religion after all. He’s always been after a relationship with his children.
If you find yourself disenchanted with religion, I want to invite you to hear what Jesus has to say. I think you’ll find that Jesus is even more upset with the dangers of religion than you are, and that his call is far more compelling than you might imagine.
1. The Danger of Hypocrisy
- God desires integrated lives.
- The Pharisees focused on outward rituals while their hearts were far from God. God wants our inner devotion and outward actions to be in harmony, avoiding the pretense of righteousness without true transformation.
2. The Danger of Elitism
- God desires earnest pursuit.
- Elitism fosters spiritual superiority, but God desires that all people seek Him sincerely. The kingdom is open to anyone with a humble heart, not just the “spiritually elite.”
3. The Danger of Coercion
- God desires faithful dependency.
- Coercion forces compliance, but God seeks willing trust. True faith grows from a place of dependence on God’s goodness, not human pressure.
Takeaway: God desires a genuine relationship with us, not empty religious practices.
