The Empty Cup and the Living Stream

Matthew 9:14–15

Sunday Morning, September 21

  This morning I’m sitting with the words of Jesus in Matthew 9:14–15, and something stirs deep within me. John the Baptist had the courage to leave behind the old religious system and begin his ministry in the wilderness—outside the walls, outside the rituals, outside the expectations. His mission was pure: to introduce people to Christ, not to build another system around himself.

But even in that short span, some of his disciples drifted. They took the practices meant to point toward Christ and turned them into a new religion—one that, like the old, distracted people from the joy of simply being with Him. It’s sobering to realize how quickly we can turn sacred preparation into sacred performance.

Religion, I’m learning, is anything I do for God without Christ. Even if it’s scriptural, even if it’s noble—if Christ isn’t present, it becomes hollow. The Pharisees fasted. John’s disciples fasted. But they missed the Bridegroom standing in their midst. They condemned those who feasted with Jesus, not realizing that presence is greater than practice.

I don’t want to build anything—ministry, devotion, service—that lacks the Spirit. I don’t want to fast without Christ, pray without Christ, serve without Christ. I don’t want to create forms that forget the Person. The danger isn’t just in old religion—it’s in new religion too. Even good things can become barriers if they replace intimacy with structure.

So today, I ask: Am I doing anything for God without Christ? Am I clinging to forms that once pointed to Him but now stand in His place? I want to live in His presence, not just perform in His name.

Let my ministry, my counseling, my writing, my worship—all of it—be filled with the Spirit, rooted in Christ, and free from the weight of religion. Let it be a sanctuary, not a system.