Perhaps the most obvious effect that these teachings have on most modern day
Christians is prayer. Christians should pray everyday in order to show worship by giving thanks and making requests. Christians should also make sacrifices, in Jesus’ time these would be in the form of an animal. I believe that today we should make sacrifices for the good of others rather than God as it will be more productive for society. When a Christian asks God for forgiveness they show their worship by recognising that he has the power to do this. In the Lord’s prayer we say ‘hallowed be your name’, literally meaning to worship it. Prayer was said to be worthless if it is for your own gain, those who pray so people can see them will not receive their wish, also those who try to impress God by using intelligent words will not be given any credit fir it. Jesus was shown to reward the gratitude of one of the ten lepers who he healed. In the same way a Christian who thanks God for what they have, so that God can hear- not anyone else, will be rewarded for their worship. Similarly, just having the faith to be a Christian, letting the laws set effect the way you live your life in the belief of the afterlife, is a form of worship.
A form of worship that is still carried out to an extent is the obeying of the Sabbath laws. Perhaps because religion has become second to business it is hard to stop work on a Sunday. However, as a society we respect that Sunday is a day of rest and do recognise its importance, the more relaxed attitude towards it is not really frowned upon. Matt 5 tells us that it probably should be frowned, it says that whoever disobeys one of the lesser laws and influences others in this way will be the least in the kingdom of heaven. Jesus however seemed to disagree with the Pharisees’ strict teaching of this rule. This can be seen from when Jesus’ disciples picked corn to eat on the Sabbath, the Pharisees were unhappy with this and Jesus argued with them. Jesus was also condemned for healing on the Sabbath when he healed a man’s hand, today doctors and nurses work every day of the year and it seems strange that respecting this law should be worth someone’s life. Even the most religious of doctors would not refuse to work on a Sunday.
With this argument it brings the question whether the Pharisees were right to be preaching on this day. It seems that they were being hypocritical as they were telling Jesus of his crimes. Today even priests and vicars work on Sundays, it would be impossible for this type of worship to be shown today as the specifics of the law are unclear and there are too many circumstances where not utilising your knowledge or skill merely due to the date would seem ridiculous.
Christians can learn about the generosity that they should show from reading the birth stories, the wise men worship Jesus as a baby by bringing him expensive gifts. We can see generosity like this again when Mary Magdalene, a poor prostitute washes Jesus’ feet with perfume. There is no longer a method of giving gifts like this to Jesus, so today this should effect Christians by making them more generous to other humans who are in need. Stories of giving in the Bible are probably a major cause of Christian charities and the overall charitable image that is given to the Church.
