Nougat 3

Condolences and prayers to our Caribbean siblings facing the onslaught of hurricane Beryl at this time. Reports indicate that Barbados, Grenada, Cariacou, and the Grenadines have been severely affected, leaving at least three people dead. Up to last night, she was on track for Jamaica and expected to remain a category 4 hurricane.

Often, when disasters strike, there is a temptation to assume God’s wrath is being meted on the people. While it may be the case, we recognize that if all have sinned, we all are due God’s extreme wrath. And that isn’t the dispensation in which we now exist. Let’s pursue God for God’s same and not out of duty, as implied in Today’s Holy Nougat.

‭Matthew 8:19-20 NIV‬

[19] Then a teacher of the law came to him and said, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.”

[20] Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”

Why Will We Follow Him?

Perhaps the Teacher of the Law was convicted and was ready to go the Jesus Way. It was a big concession given that people of his ilk never seemed to align themselves to Jesus or His teachings. You see, a teacher of the Law then was a devout adherent of the Torah. They took the teachings of Moses very seriously and defended it as though the Law was a person.

One could partly understand their extremism, as some argue that it was a trauma-induced response to the Exile. Research and scripture (such as Palm 137) suggest that the Exile (i.e., Israel and Judah being taken captive by other kingdoms) was a traumatic experience for the Children of Israel. In their efforts to understand ‘how to sing the Lord’s song in a strange land’, many found solace in religious extremism. They believed that the Exile could have been averted if they’d observed all the commandments and sundry laws of Moses. The problem with their response wasn’t so much their devotion to the Law. Rather, it was rooted in their extremism that left little room for a relationship with God.

In that regard, unless that teacher of the Law was Jairus or Nicodemus, it is hard to see where the change in attitude came from. I mention Jairus as he might have sought to be Jesus’ disciple following his daughter’s miraculous recovery. That’s what happened with Naaman, remember? He converted to Judaism after being healed by Elijah (see 2 Kings 5). On the other hand, we don’t know what caused Nicodemus to seek Jesus, but he became a secret disciple of Jesus after their encounter (see John 3).

It is unlikely that the teacher in our Nougat was one of those two, but somehow, he desired a deeper walk with God. The question is, had he counted the cost? He would have had to give up the familiarity of his religious affiliation. He would most likely be separated from his religious fraternity. How would he cope with the separation?

Of course, pre-judging him allows us to say he shouldn’t be tied to religion. Yet, are we not distracted by our own religious ideals that run counter to the Gospel, i.e., having a form of godliness but denying the fulness of God’s power (see 2 Timothy 3)? And that’s the rub. For even as we judge that teacher of the Law, we realize that religiosity might be a deterrent to our worship. Is it time for us to lose the excesses so that we might follow Jesus?

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May all we seek be found in Christ