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.