10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years!
Let’s have a birthday party! I love a good get together, don’t you? Can you imagine having to observe certain religious festivals as something necessary for your relationship with God? And if you miss the date on your calendar, you get coal in your stocking at Christmas. Paul has been outlining the contrast between the Old Covenant and what we have in Jesus. Some of those in the city of Galatia we convinced that they had to keep observing all the laws and rituals of the Old Testament. They thought it was required to be a good Christian. Grace had come in Jesus, but they had to do their part. But for the Jesus-follower, everyday is a “Sunday”, a day of rest. We have arrived at the destination. Nothing we do can bring us any closer than we already are in Christ. When my granddaughter wraps her arms around my neck and cuddles, there is nothing more she can do to get closer. She has already arrived at closeness. Keeping a religious calendar of events will not bring us closer to the Lord. We are already close in Jesus. The events like Christmas and Easter are there simply as reminders of the history of God’s work on our behalf. Going to church on those days, or any other day for that matter, does not earn us heavenly brownie points. In Jesus we already have all the points available. So let’s get together to just celebrate that fact. Let’s share and encourage each other.
The Arnold Journey 