Why did the Jewish people stumble over Jesus? Why was it so hard for them to see the promised Messiah when He arrived? What caused their misdirected zeal and led to their spiritual blindness? And how can we avoid having the same response?
Paul understood the spiritual blindness of his people because he had experienced it himself. He had once been just as zealous about the law as they were, convinced that his resume was the key to his righteousness. And his misplaced zealousness sent him on a seek-and-destroy mission against followers of Jesus. That is, until Jesus interrupted his life and opened his eyes!
After Paul encountered Jesus on his way to Damascus, he realized he had been zealous for the wrong thing. God’s Law is important, but unless it’s followed perfectly, it can’t make you righteous. And even the top student of a renowned rabbi couldn’t achieve perfection. Only Jesus had done that. And salvation was available only through faith in Him.
Misdirected Zeal
Zeal is important! Jesus is not impressed by lukewarm faith. We must be zealous for God and the things of God. Our spirit should be alive for the kingdom. The kind of discipleship Jesus talked about requires zeal. Renounce everything for Him and expect persecution.
Unfortunately, the Jews had dug their heels in with misdirected zeal, completely convinced that their bloodline would save them. They had devoted their life to obtaining righteousness on their own terms and refused to see God’s way because they were clinging so tightly to their own. Sadly, that still describes many people today. They cling to their good deeds, self-righteousness, false gods, and even counterfeit caricatures of Jesus, convinced they’re on the right path. They fail to realize that their misdirected zeal is leading them away from the One True God and His only means of righteousness, Jesus Christ.
Rightly directed zeal recognizes our need for a Savior and acknowledges the fact that true righteousness can only be found in Christ. That there is nothing we can do on our own to meet God’s righteous standard. It’s not about struggling and striving in our own strength to be good enough. Rather, it’s a trust fall of faith into the arms of Jesus, and a passionate desire to know God and make Him known.
