Last night, we finished the Drivers Ed series of messages with Rules of the Road, a message from Mark 12:28-34. (Can he do that, ending the Proverbs series in Mark?) Yes, I can! Because I don’t want anyone to come away from the Drivers Ed series thinking that if they just do certain things and don’t do other things, then they are making it in the Christian life.

We looked at how a scribe (one of the religious experts of the day) asked Jesus a simple question: “Which commandment is the most important of all?” In other words, “what are the rules I need to keep to get to heaven?” Jesus doesn’t even really answer his question, pointing him instead to this simple (but hard) idea: “Living for Christ is not about living by rules but loving Jesus Christ.”

Christianity doesn’t start with rules, it starts with Jesus Christ. Being a Christian isn’t about a long list of things you don’t do, but it is about what you do: love Jesus Christ with all your heart, with all your soul, with all mind, and with all your strength.

I told a story about two different approaches to the Christian life. In Greek mythology, the Sirens were deadly cannibals whose irresistibly seductive song lured many hapless sailors to their death. To safely pass their island, Ulysses (aka Odysseus) decided to take a defensive approach: stopping his men’s ears with beeswax and having himself strapped to the mast. He clearly heard the Sirens’ song and begged to be cut free, but the lashes held, and they safely passed the island.

Another Greek adventurer took a more offensive approach. Jason had a guy in his boat named Orpheus, whose skill with the flute and lyre produced the most captivating, enchanting, delightful, irresistible music in the world. As they approached the Sirens’ island, Jason had Orpheus light it up. No beeswax, no tying anyone to the mast. The sailors were so delighted by Orpheus’ song that they were not even tempted to jump ship to their deaths.

Some people go through the Christian life like Ulysses: they really want what the world has to offer: it is irresistibly beautiful to them. But they know it will kill them, so they go through life tied to the mast with an extensive series of rules about what they may or may not do.

But others go through the Christian life so delighted by Christ that the world’s draw doesn’t pull them out of the boat. They enjoy the freedom of not being tied to the mast, but they don’t want to leave the boat. In other words, they are willing and eager to find “rules” that will help them obey Jesus Christ.

How does this work on in real life? Take this with you: if you ask question like this…

• “What’s wrong with FILL-IN-THE-BLANK?”
• “Why can’t I FILL-IN-THE BLANK?”

…then you are asking the wrong question. The question Jesus leads us to ask is: “How will this (movie, music, friend, hobby, clothes, etc.) help me to love Jesus Christ more?” If you’re not sure, ask your parents. If you disagree, be humble. This is the most important question: “How will this help me love Jesus Christ will all my heart, and with all my soul, and with all my mind, and with all my strength?“

Categories: Drivers Ed, five15 blog