October 10, 2021
Morning Service

In last week’s study of the account of Jesus and Peter walking on the water we were able to learn many lessons.  We first learned that sometimes Jesus directs us into a storm of life but it always has a purpose.  We know that it takes faith and courage to step outside of the boat and into the water; leaving our comfort zone can be scary but rewarding.  We can do all things through Christ Jesus as long as we keep our eyes on Him and don’t focus on the circumstances (storms) around us.  When the purpose of the storm is completed it ends.  As the 13^th disciple, digesting all that just happened would be extremely difficult in the moment.  One thing that did stand out to them was this; “Truly You are the Son of God!”  All the storms of life and all that was seen and we now read from these living words is designed to bring us to that point as well.  John wrote this about his gospel and it is true for the entire New Testament.

Joh 20:30-31 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; (31) but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

            John takes us to the basic core of what the scriptures are all about.  They are written for the purpose of bringing us to a point that we “believe that Jesus is the Christ.”  Then by believing and confessing Him as our Lord we “have life in His name.” The Bible is the roadmap God has designed to lead us to Him and eternal life.  Believing that Jesus is the Christ is the beginning of the journey for us.  According the Roman letter, we must believe with our heart and confess with our mouth to accept Him as our Lord and Savior.  Jesus must become real to us, not just a story in a book.  We can’t just “go through the motions” but we must believe with our heart; the deepest core of who we really are.  Our study in Matthew today deals with that basic foundation that must be understood.

 

Mat 15:1-6 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, (2) "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."  (3)  He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?  (4)  For God commanded, saying, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER'; and, 'HE WHO CURSES FATHER OR MOTHER, LET HIM BE PUT TO DEATH.'  (5)  But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God"— (6) then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.

            These religious leaders were very legalistic when it came to the Law of Moses and prided themselves to keep every detail to the fullest, up to a point.  Over the centuries that the Law was in place, leaders like this had added hundreds of religious traditions to the God given Law.  They placed the same weight of importance on these traditions as they did the very commands from God Himself.  Some traditions can add a richness and meaning to our faith, but they cannot be elevated to a sacred status.  Our celebration of Christmas and the birth of Jesus is a prime example.  Nowhere in the scriptures are we told to celebrate it, but done right the tradition can bring a richness to our faith.  Done wrong, the tradition can shift us totally away from its’ originally designed motive.   

            The Pharisees here mention one of these such traditions.  According to the law if you had touched a dead body or ate certain things you were considered ceremonially “unclean” and could not enter the temple until you had gone through a process of “cleansing.”  The leaders had expanded this “cleansing” to include washing your hands before you ate in an elaborate fashion that included washing your arms all the way up to your elbow.  It was the breaking of this tradition that they accused the disciples of.  Jesus answers them with a revelation of the hypocrisy in which they were accusing.  One of the Ten Commandments states that He states here is “honor our father and mother” but these leaders practiced what they called “Corban” meaning offering.  This meant that you could take the money that you would have used to support (honor) your parents and make a Corban vow to give it acceptably to the temple instead.  Giving to the temple is great, but not at the expense of withholding needed funds from your parents.  Man’s traditions circumvented the God’s clear command to honor your parents.  Jesus now gets to the root of the whole problem.

 

Mat 15:7-9Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: (8) 'THESE PEOPLE DRAW NEAR TO ME WITH THEIR MOUTH, AND HONOR ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME.  (9)  AND IN VAIN THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.' "

            Notice the position of their heart; “far from Me.”  These religious leaders looked religious and acted religious, but inside were not at all seeking God but “worshipped in vain.”  Jesus later compares these leaders to “a whitewashed tomb, beautiful outwardly but inside full of dead man’s bones and all uncleanliness.”  Jesus goes on to explain further.

 

Mat 15:10-20 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand: (11) Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."  (12)  Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"  (13)  But He answered and said, "Every plant which My Heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.  (14)  Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."  (15)  Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain this parable to us."  (16)  So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding?  (17)  Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?  (18)  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.  (19)  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.  (20)  These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

            Jesus explains this to us very well.  The food we eat or how we wash our hands does in no way defile us before God.  Those things are made from a personal choice with no judgement from God (except in the case of a weaker brother).  The Pharisees “majored in minors” overlooking the matters of real importance.  It is not what a person puts into his mouth that defiles him, but what comes out.  Our words along with our actions reveal the true self which is our heart.  Jesus tells us that it is from the heart that comes the defiling sins of “evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies.”  It is the inside “cleanliness” that truly matters not the outer.  To fix the sin problem it is not about changing our outer lifestyle and actions, it is about changing the inside, our heart.  True change comes only from the heart which is the deepest form of motivation for doing what we do.

            Where is your heart this morning?  Are you following Jesus with your heart or only with your actions (going through the motions)?  Return to the basics of faith; you must believe with your heart that Jesus is the Christ as the motivating factor in your life.  To be pleasing to God, have a relationship with Him, and enjoy His many blessing we must believe that He is and He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6).  You can’t just go through the motions of looking and acting religious, like the Pharisees, and be pleasing to God without giving Him your heart.  Jesus called them “Hypocrites” for that very reason.  Does Jesus own your heart; all of it?  If there is a turmoil in your life it is very likely caused by the lack of surrender to Him on your part.  Bringing you to a point of believing is the intent of the scriptures we study, pray that the HS reveals to you through the scriptures that we too can proclaim to Jesus; “truly you are the Son of God.”  It is that belief (faith) that allows Him to change our heart, changing our life.

 

Heavenly Father use the scriptures to build our faith in You.  Help us to begin our walk with You by fully surrendering our heart which will make our faith sincere and not just “what we do” but “who we are.”