We who are Jews by birth and not “Gentile sinners” know that a man is not justified by observing the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ (Galatians 2:15-16).

The Jews, of all people, should have known better.

For hundreds of years, the Jews had gone the “Earn your way to Heaven” route.  The pattern they had grown up with–sin, feel guilty, sacrifice, feel better, work hard, fail, sin–it didn’t work, and the Jews who had come to Christ knew it didn’t work.  If it had, they wouldn’t have needed Christ.  And yet here they were, trying to stuff the endless grace of the Father into a musty sack of old traditions.

Why would they do that?

I dunno, Beloved.  Why do we?

Happy Tuesday, Beloved.