Is really important. Perhaps that goes without saying, but we don’t always do it. We skim. We try to get the gist of it. We scan for keywords. But there’s nothing like reading the whole thing.
Take this single sentence from Jesus as a case study.
“Do not work.” This might be just the kind of good news you’ve been looking for if you’ve wanted an excuse to quit your job and sleep in more.
“Do not work for food.” Of course not! We also work for shelter and clothing and taxes and all the fancy amenities of modern life. Some of us even work because the work itself is gratifying. If we get all of the above, we’re the real winners.
“Do not work for food that spoils.” Good point. Prepackaged frozen meals are way more convenient. And we’ve been thinking about buying a deep freezer for the garage, so I’ll take this as confirmation of that purchase.
“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life.” Scratch all that former stuff. Turns out Jesus is thinking much more long-term. And probably not at all about real food.
“Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.” This is an invitation to work for Jesus. No one else pays like he does. Working for Jesus doesn’t mean just working for real food (which is also good and necessary), but for spiritual food, the kind that enriches your life and sustains you not just for today, but for much, much longer. He doesn’t just give spiritual handouts it seems. There’s clearly some participation and effort involved on our part if we want the life of heaven.
Read the whole thing. Of course, what Jesus has to say, (and how we are invited to live), is much larger than this one sentence. Just keep on reading, and reading, and reading…
