Good evening, everyone!
Today I read Matthew 15-17.
In today's reading, the Pharisees complained to Jesus that the disciples had broken tradition by eating bread without washing their hands.
Jesus rebuked them, saying that what comes out of your mouth is worse than the food you put into it.
Matthew 15:11 - It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.
The disciples approached Jesus after this, and said something like "Um, Jesus, you totally offended them by what you said."
Jesus replies that it is of no concern, because the Pharisees will see what they want to see, hear what they want to hear, and believe what they want to believe.
When the disciples question Him about what the parable meant, He replies,
Matthew 15:17-20 - "Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man."
Sometimes people are so concerned with the "proper" way to do things, that they forget the whole point. Sometimes churches get so caught up with "religion" that they forget the whole point.
Jesus was very much concerned about the Law. He did not come to break it, after all, only to teach people the truth about the law.
Jesus' point was, so often, that the religious leaders of the time were so focused on being "proper" in the eyes of others, that they had missed the whole point. They were focused on the wrong things. Instead of teaching God's people, reaching God's people, helping God's people, they were only concerned with how many people "broke" the law.
And pointing fingers was their specialty. Just not at themselves.
Oh, the disciples didn't wash their hands before they ate the bread! Oh, Jesus is eating with sinners! Oh, Jesus healed someone on the Sabbath!
Totally missing the point.
Going back to our last few posts: God said "I desire compassion, and not sacrifice."
Those who will see, will see. Those who will hear, will hear. And those who will understand, will understand.
Don't stress if someone in your life seems to be missing the point. Just keep praying for them. God can move hearts, after all.
And let's all try not to miss the point. The law is important, but we shouldn't get so bogged down with the law that we forget what God really wants.
He's not a tyrant with a whip just watching for people to mess up. He is loving and compassionate and merciful.
He wants obedience, yes. But He also wants all people to hear the Truth. Even if that means we need to eat with sinners, without washing our hands, or to help people even during our time of rest.
I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read Matthew 18-19.
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