17th September

With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Micah 6, 6

These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Matthew 15, 8

Protocol

To approach the great men of this world there are rules, a protocol which has to be respected. The most democratical state will not accept that the one who is at power is submitted to a citizen.

In a more important way it belongs to God and not to man to decide how one can approach him.

Jesus warned them who listened to him against a vain religion made by ceremonies, rituals and observances of rules. Nothing of this can cleanse anybody for God's presence. "What does God expect from you, if not that you do what is righteous, that you love mercy and that you walk humbly with your God?" The prophet Micah said this to the Israelites who tired the Lord with their ceremonies but their heart was not touched. They added hypocrisy to disobedience (Micah 6, 8).

God looks at our heart and he challenges us. Do we love mercy? Do we always do what is righteous? Do we walk humbly with our God?

So how can we approach God? Let us start by recognizing that we are sinners. Then we will see a new and living way which is opened and cleared by Jesus, the perfect Saviour, in front of us. It is only by his merits that the access to God is now open. It is also with his help that we can live on earth in a way which pleases God.