My Daily Journal:
There is a very simple axiom. Right thinking leads to right living, while wrong thinking leads to wrong living. Athletes recognize this. Nutritionists, psychologists, sociologists, scientists, business executives, all recognize this.
The question is “where does right thinking come from?”
If I wanted to learn to be a brain surgeon, I would not turn to my co-leader (an engineer) to teach me, and if I did, you would not want to be my patient. He is a wonderful and knowledgeable man, who is great with his hands and very careful and methodical. In other words, he has the characteristics of a brain surgeon, but he doesn’t have the specific knowledge and experience.
Jesus pointed out the same thing in the Sadduccees. They learned from each other, like someone reading every self-help book ever written. It wasn’t that all of their education was wrong, but they did not know the scriptures or the power of God. They were so focused on the messiness of human life, that they plugged in to their own interpretations which were built on taking that messiness down a “logical path”. Their roots were in legalism built to try to organize messiness, but at heart, it was just that, organized messiness. In that process, they had unplugged from the scriptures and the power of God and veered off into the weeds.
There is only one source for Right Thinking and Right Living and that is to open the text of the creator and turn to the experience of the only man to have ever lived a perfect life, Jesus.
My Answers:
3.
a.
The people lived under the protection and economy of Rome, but wanted to be exempt from taxes
b.
taxation, equality, sovereignty of other nations
c.
earthly authority, submission, taxes, governance to Caesar, To God: heart, soul, mind, strength
4.
a.
They did not know the Scriptures or the power of God
b.
People do what is right in their own eyes, trusting their wisdom/judgment and that of others
5.
a.
God is the God of the living – Abraham, Isaac and Jacob lived
b.
The dead will rise and live like the angels in heaven
The Notes are Good 