Exclusivity

Moses is quite literally laying the law down for Israel. He is also outlining the results of their obedience or disobedience in the blessings and curses. But there is a bit of prophecy laid out here as well...

In the future, when you experience all these blessings and curses I have listed for you, and when you are living among the nations to which the Lord your God has exiled you... [Deuteronomy 30.1a]

Exiled? They haven't even completely entered in yet! That's like praying and praying for a house only to be told you're going to be evicted! Wow! But wait, there's hope... God will bring them back again! One has to wonder, "What's the use?"

In the NT today, it appears Jesus was perhaps on the verge of being asked into the "club". He had been invited to a Pharisee's house for dinner but He thoroughly blew it by offending His host and fellow guests. And what a lesson one may derive from this!

Jesus went on (recorded in the twelfth chapter of Luke) to warn His men to beware of the yeast of the Pharisees... I always though this was allegorical... But today, maybe we are to see that literally Jesus was warning about eating real food with the Pharisees because it is in that setting they dream and scheme up more ways to burden and beat down others with the law. Jesus was, in all likelihood, saying all this on an empty stomach! Perhaps over the fellowship of food - behind closed doors - is where the Pharisees concocted the impossible details of the law simply to keep others from attaining to their "status." Perhaps?

Father, I want my "fellowship" to be open to all. I don't want to build my religion behind closed doors with an elite few... I want my devotion to be one that is attainable by all people - open to all - simple and inviting. Please help me to avoid "higher knowledge" and exclusivity.