I’m walking in a shopping mall at the moment, waiting for my wife, and I’ve noticed something: there is absolutely nowhere to sit. No chairs. The reason is simple, the mall wants to keep you walking, because only if you’re walking, are you shopping. In Jesus’ day there was a group of religious leaders called the Sanhedrin, the seated council. They sat and deliberated on the Torah. The result of all that sitting was a lot of rules and regulations that became burdensome for the people (Matthew 23:4). Are we like the malls or the Sanhedrin in our faith journey? Do we spend our time talking or walking? Are we hearers or doers? “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22). It’s too easy to find places to sit, places where we are comfortable to talk, debate, and theorise. But what if we removed the “chairs”? What if we were out seeking those in need, walking God’s earth, sharing his gospel? If malls are successful because they have no sitting, imagine the impact we could have advancing God’s Kingdom? (Craig B) https://bit.ly/jam1v22-24
