Matthew 15:1-20, June 25

     Jesus is teaching and has the Pharisees and scribes question Him. Their motive was not really to gain information but it was a question that was intended to catch, judge, and shame Jesus.  Rather than directly responding to this question, Jesus points to their failure to obey God’s commandments. While they obey the letter of the Law, they violate it in their hearts. Jesus then refers to Isaiah 29:13, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.” This is the background for his teaching on the heart.  

     Matthew 15:12-20 is where we find Jesus giving another parable and then interpreting the meaning to his disciples. In essence, Jesus is teaching that what comes into our body does not spoil us, spiritually. Rather, our words and our actions are evidence of what is already spoiled in our hearts. I was again reminded of the physical aspects of a damaged heart. It cannot be repaired except by someone skilled and trained, and appointed, to cut into us and repair that heart. Likewise, Jesus reveals that an untreated heart is spoiled. What we think, how we perceive and interpret things, and all of our behaviors come from the heart of us. God is the only One that can repair that heart, and he made that way through his Son, Jesus. Right now it is popular to refer to Jesus as the “Way-Maker,” and that he is. He made it possible for us to be in a relationship with a Holy God and be restored as children of God. But it is also he that is the “Heart-Changer” and so he makes it possible for this spoiled heart to speak and act in ways that please God. The question for me is what kind of heart my actions reveal. Do I have a Pharisee's heart or a heart that has been surgically repaired by Jesus and so it reflects the heart of God?

Put on Love

My world today.....

48-58 F today
RAIN...rain...rain
But there is this:  4:16 AM sunrise  11:45 PM sunset
(It's all in the wording since it never actually gets dark!)


Reading in one of my favorite passages this morning, which is most definitely needed in our world today.

"Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge, according to the image of the One who created him- a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all and in all. SO, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father." Colossians 3:9-17

We cannot make sense of anything that is happening without looking back, because history matters. But we can't just look back to the '40s or the 1800s.  We have to look back to Genesis 1-3.  Genesis 1 & 2- God was, He created, He called everything good, He gave man purpose, He set a boundary.
Genesis 3 - man decided to run out of bounds, everything changes and it is not good. God promises to repair it - by making the way Himself.  And He did. But...now we live between two realities. The current world is filled with sin and pain, death, and destruction. The final destination in heaven with God. So what's God doing now?

We can't know the specifics. But we DO know that God is involved, loves His creation and His world and the people, and is doing whatever He chooses to DRAW OUR ATTENTION TO HIM.
God has a plan to bring unity and for us to enjoy diversity within that unity. That plan has always been by repenting of our sinful heart and doing things God's way, through Jesus Who made the pathway to God. Then we have His power and His Advocacy to live out these passages.

How do we create a unified and kind and gentle world? Only in God's way. It is by putting on His love, which is God's perfect bond of unity. God's purposes aren't thwarted by anything that happens here on this earth. He is involved in all that happens on this earth. And He uses everything that happens on this earth to shout to His Creation-  "I AM."

If you are one of His adopted children, "put on love" because it IS the perfect bond of unity.

#COVID19 #LettheNationsKnow

When...nobody with two legs comes to call!  

I guess three years is long enough between posts!  I always have a thought or two as I sit reading each morning, but does anyone else want to know those thoughts? Who knows. So, as they say, I am sending this out to the digital abyss.  If it blesses anyone, then that is a wonderful thing!

Like everyone, we've daily pondered this whole virus.  Is it real? Is it dangerous? Contagious? Like the flu? Not like that? Worth a global destruction of anything? What does God think about this virus.  Is it from Him to get out attention? Is it a consequence of living in a world filled with sin? Are we responding wrongly? Rightly? Everyone comes at this with a conclusion, and many of them differ in what they believe is the truth in this pandemic.  Regardless of which track you take in making sense of this all, there is one thing that is solidly True among all the truth or half-truths or outright lies and deception.  God does want our attention.

Today I was reading through Psalm 9.  It begins by framing our attention squarely on God.  Not only that, but it says what David will do- it is actually his spiritual discipline.  How he does this is with all of his heart.  What he does: (Verses 1,2)

Give thanks to God

Tells of God's wonders

Glad (joyful) in God

Exalts or is lifted up in rejoicing who God is

Sings praises to God

Then in verses 3-6 we see the circumstances David finds himself in, and this is even more relevant.  Things were difficult for David at this time.  He had enemies. And yet he was praising God, and thankful, that God was acting on his behalf.  

Much of the Psalm is talking about God's action and His judgment.  He reminds us over and over that He does not just let sin go without punishment.  In this Psalm He also talks about entire nations.  Verse 15 talks about nations that have gone so far from God's righteous desire for them that they are caught in the very net they placed!  But it is God that will catch them and execute judgment.  Verse 17 reminds us that all the nations that forget God will be punished.  

Finally, I really was taken by the last several verses (19-20). David calls on God to be Who He is, and not let man prevail.  He is God and man is not. David agrees with God that nations should be judged. But there is a way out, and that is through relationship with God, through respect and reverence for God rather than an individual, or national, that usurps the place of God.

How does this short Psalm connect with Covid-19?  If nothing else, God has allowed our world to be shaken to the very core.  Nothing we have trusted in is reliable.  Our economy, our travel, our relationships, our comfort, and our health are all impacted.  Each one was taken away in a cosmic moment.  While God calls each of us to relationship with Him, I wonder if this isn't His message in a more global way.  Psalm 9 really captures this in the last verse. "Let the nations know that they are but men."  If nothing else, Covid-19 has reminded all of us (collectively) that we ARE but men.  

The God reminder- we are but men.

God's hope- He is in control, He is still God, He wants us to turn to Him.

Just like Theodore coming visiting without an invitation, this Virus has done the same. It has barged into our lives like a moose trying to come in the front door.  The difference lies in how God wants to use this unwelcome visitor in each of our lives.

Blessings on this beautiful Spring day, from Alaska.