Good Morning Friends,
Today we explore the thought that everything good we have in this life is a gift of God so that we can enjoy God in our life. It brings us to the reality that we do not really own anything but would like to think we do. If fact most people would like to own just enough God in their lives to bring ecstasy but no responsibility. Most people have been inoculated with a slight case of Christianity so that they do not get the real thing. People get tradition and the law and religion confused. You see, Jesus makes sin a matter of the heart. As we delve into today’s gospel reading, what we find is the Pharisees and scribes following Jesus around looking for any means of criticizing Him or accusing Him of violating Jewish law. As always, remember that Jesus was Himself a Jew. Here, Jesus and His disciples were accused of eating bread with defiled hands. They didn’t wash their hands before coming to the table. So, to understand fully the reason for this message, do not get confused about the prudence and common sense of washing hands but rather see the message that Jesus conveys. Now having done that let’s turn our attention to a passage and question from Matthew and hopefully answer it, in part, with a passage from James that is related to understanding the concept of being clean. We ask, Where Did Jesus Get All This Wisdom and Power?
Scripture: but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.
Genesis 2:17 (NRSV)
Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.’ You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.” Then he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.” For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23 (NRSV)
He came to his hometown and began to teach the people in their synagogue, so that they were astounded and said, “Where did this man get this wisdom and these deeds of power? Is not this the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And are not his brothers James and Joseph and Simon and Judas? And are not all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all this?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “Prophets are not without honor except in their own country and in their own house.” And he did not do many deeds of power there, because of their unbelief.
Matthew 13:54-58 (NRSV)
Every generous act of giving, with every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. In fulfillment of his own purpose he gave us birth by the word of truth, so that we would become a kind of first fruits of his creatures. You must understand this, my beloved: let everyone be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God’s righteousness. Therefore rid yourselves of all sordidness and rank growth of wickedness, and welcome with meekness the implanted word that has the power to save your souls. But be doers of the word, and not merely hearers who deceive themselves. For if any are hearers of the word and not doers, they are like those who look at themselves in a mirror; for they look at themselves and, on going away, immediately forget what they were like. But those who look into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and persevere, being not hearers who forget but doers who act—they will be blessed in their doing. If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless. Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to care for orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.
James 1:17-27 (NRSV)
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
Colossians 3:2-3 (NRSV)
So now, Israel, give heed to the statutes and ordinances that I am teaching you to observe, so that you may live to enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. You must neither add anything to what I command you nor take away anything from it, but keep the commandments of the Lord your God with which I am charging you. You have seen for yourselves what the Lord did with regard to the Baal of Peor—how the Lord your God destroyed from among you everyone who followed the Baal of Peor, while those of you who held fast to the Lord your God are all alive today. See, just as the Lord my God has charged me, I now teach you statutes and ordinances for you to observe in the land that you are about to enter and occupy. You must observe them diligently, for this will show your wisdom and discernment to the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and discerning people!” For what other great nation has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is whenever we call to him? And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this entire law that I am setting before you today?
Deuteronomy 4:1-8 (NRSV)
Message: Here is the thing, the knowledge of good and evil is a troubling thing, and it is a difficult thing for humans to handle… I find it especially difficult when it comes to the conflict of cultures and a desire to be kind. Since there is both good and bad in just about everything including us, it makes it almost impossible to benefit a person to know what God asked Adam and Eve to avoid. From just about the very foundation of creation, it was clear that there’s good and bad in the world. But only GOD can handle that knowledge and that is why it is forbidden knowledge to His creation. Only GOD deserves that knowledge. When we set up a false dichotomy of what is good and bad and, in a way, separate people from God, things turn out poorly. People feel provoked by this separation, and it upsets them. The reality is that people want something that makes them comfortable with who they already are and how they already are. They want acceptance as they are, and God gives them that but also a conviction to repent so they can be who they ought to be, for a practical belief in God must manifest itself in good works, not just a mere profession of faith. We must believe but also act. Maybe we cannot own the good works, but we can share in the experience of them with God.
And So, the purpose of this message and the purpose of today’s scripture is to challenge believers to possess an active faith which will produce real changes in their conduct and character discovering their best and true self. Friends, God loves us. Those of us who are kind do not have to become cynical. There is an alternative to anger but it means going deeper with God so we might abound in the love of a suffering servant who realized that tradition is not bad, but it is not the law nor doctrine. The history of Israel tells the story of a rebellious relationship with God that can only be reconciled in Christ. We should not waiver when it comes to this basic Bible doctrine. You see, Jesus received from our Father in heaven the power and wisdom to set the stage for this to happen in the history of Israel as well as our own history. This same power of severe love is offered to us as well. We have it as well as scripture. And the Holy Spirit moves us to cherish that word and hold it dear in our hearts. And this happens when we seek God in scripture. And cling to scripture as the best part of life and draw others to the wisdom in scripture. Friends, Jesus know your heart and loves anyway. We must learn the law of love.
Pray if we are kind, and we should be, that we not become pessimistic. Pray
we have souls that explode with love in the face of conflicts. Pray our sleep is disturbed when others are in pain. Pray we are willing to suffer though transformation. Pray we are willing to choose a new birth over the warmth of a womb. Pray we produce fruit and give the best to God. Pray we gain the wisdom of scripture and share its precious gift of love. Pray we know what it really means to be washed clean.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 