Why Did Jesus Do It?
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. (Luke 4:16)
Why do you think Jesus went to the synagogue? Was it because:
1. His mother made him go.
2. He wanted to see friends back in Nazareth.
3. He had nothing else to do, the stores were all closed.
No. He went because it was his custom to go, his habit. “But wait,” you say, “habits are almost done mechanically, without thought. Preacher, Do you think Jesus went to worship at the synagogue without any real thought given to it?”
No. I don’t. Did you ever hear the phrase, “I just fell into a good habit?” No you haven’t. Good habits take work. But bad habits result from neglect of the very things that produce good habits. That’s why it is hard to maintain a good golf swing, but easy to slip into a bad one.
Good habits are intentional, bad habits are without thought. Good habits don’t rob you of intent, bad habits dismiss the intent as not worthy of further effort.
Jesus had formed an intentional habit to worship God. So on the Sabbath day he was at the synagogue. There was no need to decide that day if he would worship God – that had been decided long ago.
It is when we neglect things that keep us strong spiritually that we slip into the bad habit of missing worship.
And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read. (Luke 4:16)
Why do you think Jesus went to the synagogue? Was it because:
1. His mother made him go.
2. He wanted to see friends back in Nazareth.
3. He had nothing else to do, the stores were all closed.
No. He went because it was his custom to go, his habit. “But wait,” you say, “habits are almost done mechanically, without thought. Preacher, Do you think Jesus went to worship at the synagogue without any real thought given to it?”
No. I don’t. Did you ever hear the phrase, “I just fell into a good habit?” No you haven’t. Good habits take work. But bad habits result from neglect of the very things that produce good habits. That’s why it is hard to maintain a good golf swing, but easy to slip into a bad one.
Good habits are intentional, bad habits are without thought. Good habits don’t rob you of intent, bad habits dismiss the intent as not worthy of further effort.
Jesus had formed an intentional habit to worship God. So on the Sabbath day he was at the synagogue. There was no need to decide that day if he would worship God – that had been decided long ago.
It is when we neglect things that keep us strong spiritually that we slip into the bad habit of missing worship.
Bill
