‘Attention to the details’ is a common phrase we use in managing a situation. When we organize something we always see to the minute points so that everything will be fine and perfect. But attention to the details by forgetting the center is dangerous. That was the mistake of Pharisees and Scholars.
Once a party was prepared to celebrate the first birth day of a baby. The parents booked a hall in an expensive hotel and looked all the minute things so that the celebration would be a marvelous one. The moment of cutting the cake arrived and everybody was searching for the baby. Suddenly the parents realized that the baby is still in their home with the servants. Nobody was entrusted to bring the baby to the ceremony. They missed the center of celebration.
Pharisees were observing all the laws and regulations but missed the center that is ‘love of God and neighbor’. They were very strict in observing prayers, Sabbath, the law of tithes etc, but forgot the purpose of all that.
The center being that our righeousness is a gift. Everything we do in a "religious" capacity is a memorial of that and has no power of sacrament as some today have made it. The Pharacees denied the atonment and became self-righteous (denied truth). The Saducees denied the resurection and the power of God (denied the Holy Spirit). Jesus said that His father saught worshipers that would worship Him in Spirit and in Truth. Let us, in our haste to exposit spiritual metaphore to always remember to drill it all the way down and leave nothing open for mis-interpretation. ;-) Trading metaphores is like putting a doll into the basket instead of going back to the house and getting the baby from the nurse. Afterall Susie loved the doll, what's the difference?
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