You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. (John 5:39-42)
These verses really hit me this morning…sort of like a 2×4. It was a good reminder that “diligently studying the Scriptures” means nothing if it is not done out of love for God. I knew this. The Great Commandment makes it clear. The chief command I am to follow is to love God with all my heart, mind, and strength and love my neighbor as myself. If I miss that, I miss everything. But I needed the reminder this morning. It is so easy to read Scripture out of duty or to get some good thought out of it or to teach a Bible lesson or to find some verse to correct a friend or even to impress others with my spiritual knowledge. But all these reasons are inadequate and perhaps even detrimental if the love of God does not abide in my heart. I am to read Scripture to grow deeper in love with God and to allow His Word to transform this sickened, selfish heart into a heart that is increasingly able to love others also. Apart from that, His Word simply becomes a tool for my own selfish ends.
The Pharisees show this attitude clearly in this chapter. Here is man who has been lame all his life and Jesus miraculously heals him…..on the sabbath. When the Jewish leaders see the man walking around with his mat, they rebuke him, “Hey, stop carrying your mat on the sabbath!” Wow. They look right past the miracle, right past the man himself, and see their legalistic rules being violated. They knew the words of Scripture but they missed their spirit. They knew the laws of Scripture but they didn’t know the love of God. And their lack of love for God was immediately evidenced in their lack of faith in Jesus and their lack of compassion toward others.
The Spirit seemed to whisper to me this morning….”be careful, Steve, you call fall into the same trap.” I can know the stories, the verses, the principles, and the theology and still miss the Father. Lord, deliver me from a self-righteous spirit. Forgive me for approaching Your Word as a subject to be mastered rather than as a love letter from You.