Mis-prioritizing the Bible

You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life. - Jesus, in John 5:39-40

Jesus seemed to think that the scriptures were secondary in authority to him. After all, time and time again he said things like, “You have heard it said in scripture… but I say to you…” (See Matthew 5:21, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43). And he highlighted that studying the Bible wasn’t particularly helpful unless it led to Jesus himself. Rich Villodos, who pastors a large multiethnic church in NYC, put it this way:

“Christians can read the Bible every day and still have our hearts firmly against the ways of the kingdom of God. Unless we read scripture through the lens of the crucified Christ, our exegesis is dangerously subject to personal preferences and political allegiances.” - Rich Villodas

So here are two honest questions to ponder today:

• Why do Christians often prioritize the Bible over Jesus?

• Do you find yourself sometimes preferring to access the Bible as a way of bringing comfort, telling the future, or finding some guidance while subtly trying NOT to connect with Jesus? If so, why do you think that is?