Questions and Denials

Friends,

Bernard Ebbers is probably a name you do not know.  As the founder and CEO telecommunications giant, WorldCom, Ebbers was sitting pretty – until he brought down his own company thanks to his own corrupt practices and was sentenced to 25 years in prison.  WorldCom went deeply into debt after the company made a series of acquisitions that made it financially insolvent.  Ebbers was convicted of committing accounting fraud to the tune of $11 billion dollars, lying to his investors to keep the struggling company afloat. He also had the distinction of making TIME’s list of crooked CEOs…not exactly a glorious designation.  TIME also stated that the Securities Exchange Commission investigated $400 million that WorldCom had loaned to Ebbers.  This is a sad story, and it just goes to show that there are people in this world who are willing to get rich, get popular, and get status through any means necessary.  It would be nice if this was some late-breaking news story concerning something that just doesn’t happen very often…unfortunately, there are a dozen former CEOs just like Ebbers who tried to swindle the public.  But, as Solomon says, there is nothing new under the sun, and so we come to another corrupt CEO from the time of Christ…and this person was worse, because he was also a religious leader.  And we could just as easily pull up a list of corrupt religious leaders from recent to distant history as well, but we will save it for another day…you’re welcome.  Annas is probably the most respected and powerful of the Jewish authorities at this time, even though he is no longer high priest. He had been the high priest (A.D. 6-15) until he was removed from office by the Romans…and now, his son-in-law, Caiaphas, is the high priest.  God had originally ordained that one man serve as high priest for a lifetime, so it easy to see that the Jewish religious establishment is a mess to say the least. We will talk more about this as we go.

As we noted in a previous message, Jesus deliberately gives Himself over to the enemy.  Now, they bind Him and lead Him to the house of Annas, the former high priest who still has political and religious clout (John 18:12-27) .  The “trial” before Annas is more like an informal hearing.  It is plainly illegal and brutal.  It is hard to imagine a guard today being allowed to strike a prisoner, or a man who does not hold any kind of office interrogating a prisoner.  Annas is looking for some kind of evidence on which to base an accusation that would lead to a verdict of capital punishment.  What kind of teaching has Jesus been doing?  What about His disciples…what are they up to? Didn’t one of them use a sword to cut off Caiaphas’ servant’s ear? 

Jewish law demands that witnesses be called before a prisoner is questioned. Annas defies the law on several fronts.  At least a half-dozen points of order are ignored in the proceedings…among them -- the trial takes place at night, during the week of Passover, behind closed doors, and away from the temple, and so on.  Jesus knows His rights, but He does not insist on them.  He is an example to us when we suffer unjustly. (1 Peter 2:19-25) 

At the same time that this is taking place, there is drama concerning Peter that is unfolding.  Jesus has already predicted that his close disciple would deny Him three times (John 13:38, etc.)  He also shares that Peter will be restored to fellowship and service. (Luke 22:32)  Peter follows the crowd when he should have been taking a flight on SW Airlines and getting away (18:8).  Had he done so, he…in all likelihood…would not have denied the Lord.  While we certainly admire Peter’s love and courage, we cannot agree with his actions…for he walks right into the temptation that Jesus warned him about while they were in the Garden.  “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak," Jesus said. (Matthew 16:41) 

We do not know who the other disciple is that is with Peter in the courtyard of the home of the high priest.  And, we don’t really even know how they have access to be there.  Nonetheless, the other disciple is likely John.  Peter gradually moves into the place of temptation and sin.  He is already in the courtyard, but he comes to stand with the enemy by the fire, and before long, he sits down with them.  It is now too late…and within a short period of time, he will deny that he has known Jesus three times.  A servant girl is the first to ask him if he is one of Jesus’ disciples. The original Greek text indicates that she expects a negative answer, and this is precisely what she receives – Peter tells her “no”.  Peter stays by the fire…which is amazing, and ironic, given the cold that is entering his heart. And another servant girl asks him the same question.  The pronoun “they” suggests that others are getting on board with the line of questioning. Once again, Peter denies knowing Jesus.  The third question comes from one of Malchus’ relatives.  As we remember, Malchus is the guy whose ear Peter lopped off – so, this is surely an awkward situation.  Here the original Greek indicates that he expects an affirmative answer.  This guy would probably know the guy who wielded the ear removing sword, as he was likely standing near Malchus when Peter did it.  At this point, Peter’s resistance breaks down completely, and he begins to curse and swear. (Matthew 26:74)  This doesn’t mean that Peter lets loose a bunch of expletives like a sailor (or a fisherman), but that he put himself under a curse in order to emphasize his statement.  He is on trial, so to speak, and so he puts himself under an oath to convince his accusers that he is telling the truth.  It is at this point that the rooster begins to crow, just as Jesus had predicted. The crowing of the rooster reminds Peter of the Lord’s words, and he goes out and weeps bitterly.  The crowing rooster also indicates, once again, that Jesus is in control.  It will also serve as an invitation for Peter to come to repentance, which we will come back to later.

Chuck Swindoll shares this -- Jesus was the only person to live His entire life without doing anything wrong. Yet, He was arrested, tried, convicted, and condemned to suffer a punishment normally reserved for the Roman Empire’s worst criminals. His arrest was a betrayal and His trials a farce, His convictions illegal and His punishment a travesty of justice. Yet through it all, He remained calm, He answered questions honestly, He spoke the truth with dignity, and He calmly resolved to allow the Father to vindicate Him at the proper time. We would do well to imitate Christ in our response to the injustices we experience in our lives.

How do we respond when we are under fire?  How do we deal with stress and difficulties?  It is certainly a growth process. I know from my own life that there have been times when I did not deal with such matters as well as I would have liked, and this is primarily because I was not in the spiritual place that I should have been at the time.  Peter certainly made a number of mistakes, because he was not in a proper spiritual place, nor was he thinking clearly…so, when temptation came knocking on the door of his heart, he gave in and sinned.  We all have choices to make…usually every day…as to how we are going to process matters, as it relates to trials and temptations.  I hope and pray that we continue to grow in how it is that we respond to negative situations and circumstances, and that we will not give in to pride, but seek to do the Lord’s will.  To quote the inimitable Mr. Rogers -- “In times of stress, the best thing we can do for each other is to listen with our ears and our hearts and to be assured that our questions are just as important as our answers.” (Fred Rogers, The World According to Mister Rogers: Important Things to Remember)  Good words to live by.

Blessings, Don

No Match for the Lord

Friends,

Bret Toman offers this -- Braveheart is the story of Scotland’s pursuit of freedom from the tyranny of the English under the leadership of William Wallace, played by Mel Gibson. There is a scene where Wallace and his men were fighting the English. Wallace thought he had the backing of the Scottish nobles, but they had been bought off by the King and betrayed him on the battlefield, leaving Wallace and his men to be routed by the English. The leader of the nobles, Robert the Bruce, takes his act of betrayal particularly hard. He owns his betrayal but doesn’t let it define him…consider what he has to say --Robert Bruce, Sr.: I’m the one who’s rotting, but I think your face looks graver than mine. Son, we must have alliance with England to prevail here. You achieved that. You saved your family, increased your land. In time, you will have all the power in Scotland. Robert the Bruce: Lands, titles, men, power...mean nothing. Robert Bruce, Sr.: Nothing? Robert the Bruce: I have nothing. Men fight for me because if they do not, I throw them off my land and I starve their wives and children. Those men who bled…at Falkirk fought for William Wallace. He fights for something that I never had. And I took it from him when I betrayed him. I saw it in his face on the battlefield, and it’s tearing me apart. Robert Bruce, Sr.: All men betray. All lose heart. Robert the Bruce: I don’t want to lose heart!!! I want to believe as he does. I will never be on the wrong side again.

Perhaps that is the cry of your heart this morning. You’ve chased after everything you thought would satisfy your soul, and it’s left you empty…with nothing. You and I have been idolaters in the past. We’ve built our own cisterns and they don’t hold water. They leave us empty-hearted. Maybe you're even saying to yourself, "I don’t want to lose heart. I want to believe. I will never be on the wrong side again." The prophet Elijah could relate.  In a sense, he was the William Wallace of his time.  Facing unbelievable odds, Elijah matches up against nearly 500 antagonists that oppose the will of God (1 Kings 18:17-40). He stands firm and challenges the false prophets of Ahab and Jezebel, as one of the greatest dramas in all of Scripture unfolds.

Elijah has had his meeting with King Ahab, and everything he has done has been according to the Word of the Lord…and this includes confronting the evil king and inviting his false priests to come meet with him on Mt. Carmel. In what is an amazing twist of irony, King Ahab calls Elijah the “troublemaker of Israel.” Yet, it is Ahab’s sin and defiance of the Lord that has brought significant trouble upon Israel. Mt. Carmel is located near the border of Israel and Phoenicia to the north, so it an appropriate place for the Phoenician god Baal to meet the God of Israel. Elijah tells Ahab not only to bring the 450 prophets of Baal, but also 400 prophets of Asherah.  This is to be one big happy family gathering of heathens. But, it appears only the prophets of Baal show up. Elijah addresses representatives of all ten tribes from the northern kingdom of Israel.  His purpose is not only to expose Baal as a false god, but also to bring the straying people back to the one true God. The Israelites have been “straying between two opinions”.  They are wanting to worship Baal as god and Yahweh as God, and this is obviously not going to work. Elijah weighs the contest in favor of the prophets of Baal as he allows them to build their altar, select their sacrifice and offer it to their god.  They could take all the time they needed in order to accomplish this. When Elijah says that he is the only prophet of the Lord, he is not discounting all those who have come before him, the prophets that Obadiah had hidden and protected…he is stating that he is the only one openly serving the Lord. Still, one prophet of God alongside the God of the universe is a majority.

Meanwhile, the prophets of Baal are dancing about, cutting themselves with swords and spears, and yet, nothing is happening. By noon, still nothing is happening for the prophets of Baal, and in one of the best scenes in the Bible, Elijah begins to taunt them. Elijah suggests that Baal cannot hear them because he is deep in thought (like the Thinker, perhaps), or that he has gone on a trip, or that he is asleep. Or…best of all…that he has “gone aside”, which translated literally means, “Perhaps Baal has gone to the bathroom.” At 3 o’clock…which, not so ironically, is the time of the evening sacrifice in Jerusalem, Elijah steps forward and takes charge. The altar that once stood there has been taken down, probably by the false prophets, so Elijah rebuilds it and sanctifies it. Elijah has already given the prophets of Baal some advantages, and now to prove his point further, he gives himself some disadvantages, handicaps. He has a trench dug around the altar and fills it with water.  He puts the sacrifice on the wood on the altar and has everything drenched in water. At the time of the sacrifice, he lifts up his voice in prayer to the Lord, and requests that God be glorified as the God of Israel, and make it known that Elijah is his servant. Even more, by sending fire from heaven, the Lord will tell his people that He forgives them, and would invite them back to worshipping Him. Suddenly, fire falls from heaven, totally devours the sacrifice, the altar, and the water -- the whole ball of wax. There is nothing left that anybody could turn into a relic or shrine.  The prophets of Baal are stunned, while the people of Israel fall on their faces and acknowledge that “the Lord, He is God!” But, the story is not over, for Elijah commands the people to pursue the prophets of Baal and slay them, which is what takes place according to the command of the Lord (Deuteronomy 13:13-18, 17:2-5).

Elijah was called to a huge task, but most of the time we are not called to such large activities.  Yet, we need to take care of the little things that matter in life…because they can be big things. Dr. Neil Anderson shared an important concept about the will of God with his seminary students, "Bloom where you are planted." Be the best you can be at your present assignment, and stay there until God calls you elsewhere. Why? “It is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy” (1 Corinthians 4:2). This is a good principle for Christians to understand and apply.  As we have seen, this is precisely how Elijah lived his life. Anderson goes on to say, “Often a student will say, ‘There are no openings to serve at my church!’ My response is, ‘Yes there are. They're probably begging for someone to teach third-graders.’ The momentary silence reveals this thought: ‘But anyone can teach third-grade boys. I had something bigger in mind.’ ‘Take the opportunity before you and teach those third-grade boys. Decide to be the best teacher they've ever had. You may start with only three little boys, but at the end of that year you've got 12 boys excited about God, Sunday school and church. Next year, when the personnel committee needs to fill leadership positions, they say, ‘We need some new life on the Christian education committee.’ Somebody aware of the fruit you are bearing says, ‘There's this guy doing a bang-up job with our third graders. Let's ask him to be on the committee.’” And so it goes. God guides those who bloom where they are planted. (Dr. Anderson, Freedom in Christ and Harvest House Publishers)

The test for the people of Elijah’s day was fair – the test for the prophets of Baal, who are exposed as idolaters, and pay the price...as well as for the people who are able to come back to the Lord. And the test for you and me is also fair – do we trust the Lord’s faithfulness to work in, with and through us to accomplish His will, as he did with Elijah, whether we are faced with great tasks, or the small ones from day to day?  We may be called upon to face significant challenges in life, and it is much easier to face challenges knowing that the Lord is on our side, fighting for us. 

Blessings, Don

Something from Nothing

Friends,

Elijah is instructed by the Lord in 1 Kings 17 to go to a certain place and wait.  But, his time is not spent in vain, the Lord continues to use him, providentially, to bless the lives of those around him.  After leaving King Ahab’s presence, Elijah…directed by the Lord…goes into hiding by the brook Cherith, where he lived for probably a year, and then God tells him to leave.  I am certain that the Lord’s instructions likely shock Elijah, but such should be the case when God is in the driver’s seat.  He commands Elijah to travel northwest about a hundred miles into Gentile territory to the Phoenician city of Zarephath.  Since Zarephath is not too far from Jezebel’s home city of Sidon, he will be living in enemy territory.  This would prove not to be too unusual for the Lord, as His own Son would travel to the same area to minister to a foreign woman.  Even more, Elijah is instructed to live with a widow whom God has selected to care for him, and widows are usually among the neediest people in the land.  And since Phoenicia depends upon Israel for much of its food supply, food would not be plentiful.  But, when God sends us, we must obey and leave the rest to Him.  As one has said, “We do not live on man’s explanations, but upon God’s promises.”  In accordance with this, when we consider the early days of the church in Jerusalem in Acts, the believers had all that they needed (Acts 4:34-35), as they all shared with one another in order that the blessings of the Lord could grow. 

It is likely that Elijah stays with her for two years (18:1).  The fact that this woman has been instructed by the Lord is by no means proof that she is a believer in the God of Israel -- this is not indicated.  In fact, the widow speaks of Jehovah as “the Lord your God.”  It is not the first time that God has used an outsider…as he used Rahab the harlot and Cyrus, king of Medo-Persia (among many others) in order to accomplish His purposes.  The woman has very few things of value – a little oil in a flask, a handful of barley in a large grain jar, and a few sticks to provide fuel for a fire.  But, Elijah’s resources are great, for the Lord Almighty has promised to take care of him, his hostess, and her son.  Elijah gives her God’s promise that neither the jar of grain nor the flask of oil will be used up before the end of the drought and famine.  This is sort of like winning gasoline for a year, but much better.  In our modern society with credit cards and convenience shopping, we need to remember that each meal that we eat is a blessing from the hand of God.  We may or may not live far from the farmers, orchardists who grow our food, but we cannot live without them.  “Give us this day our daily bread” should be more than just a line in a prayer.  Food for thought (no pun intended).

To help us to better understand the workings of the Lord in our everyday lives, Chris Appleby shares this -- It was Sunday morning and Harry was off. He pulled out of his driveway in his 2-seater convertible, with the roof closed because of typical Melbourne driving rain, and headed for church. But as he turned into the main road he saw ahead of him three bedraggled figures huddled under a single umbrella at the next bus stop. One was old Mrs. Fletcher. She still insisted on getting to church by herself, despite her arthritis which was always worse in wet weather. There was Dr. Jones, the local general practitioner. A year earlier Dr. Jones had diagnosed a rare and dangerous disease that Harry had contracted on an overseas holiday, so Harry virtually owed him his life. And the third person was Judith. Harry had had a crush on Judith for the past 6 months since she joined their church, but had never had the courage or the opportunity to ask her out. Harry had about 3 seconds to decide what to do. There was only one spare seat. Who should he offer a lift to? But 3 seconds was enough. He pulled to a halt, jumped out, passed the keys to Dr. Jones, helped Mrs. Fletcher into the passenger seat, and then modestly waved them good-bye as he huddled close to Judith under the umbrella. God’s sovereignty and our action so often go hand in hand. 

None of this really should be surprising, even though it still often does surprise us.  But, if the God of the universe could create the universe…something out of nothing…He really should be able to handle all of the matters in our daily lives that need to be taken care of -- and so He does.  I want to offer one final story to help us to understand that we really need to trust in Him.  James Brown shares this -- there is no situation I can get into that God cannot get me out of it. Some years ago when I was learning to fly, my instructor told me to put the plane into a steep and extended dive. I was totally unprepared for what was about to happen. After a brief time the engine stalled, and the plane began to plunge out-of-control. It soon became evident that the instructor was not going to help me at all. After a few seconds, which seemed like eternity, my mind began to function again. I quickly corrected the situation. Immediately I turned to the instructor and began to vent my fearful frustrations on him. He very calmly said to me, "There is no position you can get this airplane into that I cannot get you out of. If you want to learn to fly, go up there and do it again." At that moment God seemed to be saying to me, "Remember this. As you serve Me, there is no situation you can get yourself into that I cannot get you out of. If you trust me, you will be all right."  That lesson has been proven true in my ministry many times over the years.  And even better when we simply trust the Lord for His guidance first and foremost, as He will lead to where we need to be from day to day. 

Blessings, Don

The Journey of Joy

Friends,

We certainly do not have an understanding of what lies ahead of us on the journey of life.  This is why we seek to walk by faith and not by sight.  I believe that our friends, Eddy and Jenny, may understand this better than a lot of folks, given what their family has been through in this past week (and over the last several weeks).  They knew that their grandson, Paxton, was going to have surgery to fix a hole in his heart.  But, once again, as it is with surgery…and as it is with much of life…we often do not understand what is taking place on the journey, just that we must trust in Him who can and will guide us on the way.  As the doctors, nurses and surgeons prepared to do surgery on Paxton, they discovered that the little man had another small complication that needed to be repaired.  Thankfully, all of this was able to be accomplished, and without any difficulty.  And now Paxton and family are recovering from the ordeal. 

But, what do the Ross’, their kids, and others gain from such an experience…an increasing faith and trust in the Lord that brings joy.  Is it any different when we experience situations in our lives that do not go as we have planned?  (And most of us have been there).  The hope is the same, as we remain focused on the goal of living by faith.  And the experience can and should be the same…that we can experience the joy and peace that the Holy Spirit brings into our lives.  We may not always understand or have answers as to why or why not a certain situation or experience takes place the way that it does, but trusting in Him who is in control is what is able to unleash joy for us on our journey.  And this is precisely what Jesus wants His disciples to understand in this section of John’s gospel (16:16-22).  All of their cumulative experiences with Jesus…the good and the bad…are intended to teach and train them to be His servant-people so that they can experience joy on their journey with and for Him.

This section of John deals primarily with some of the emotional struggles that the disciples are enduring.  Some of them are sorrowful because of Jesus’ words that He will be leaving them…others of them are simply confused…and yet others are afraid.  These disciples were real people with real feelings, and yet, Jesus was able to use them…which gives all of us hope, doesn’t it?  All of God’s servants have been ordinary people tasked with living according to extraordinary faith, purpose.  One of the recurring themes in this section is “joy.”  The disciples are not experiencing a whole lot of joy at this point, but Jesus wants them to understand that “joy” does not come in spite of our circumstances, but because of them.  Jesus’ illustration of the woman giving birth to the child makes this clear.  The same baby that caused immense pain also is cause for great joy!   He uses whatever situations we are dealing with to transform us into being His people in a better way.  Much like the child that comes to expect a new toy if one is broken, we cannot mature spiritually if someone is always substituting things in our lives in order to make us or keep us happy.  Transformation is able to accomplish what substitution is unable to do.  God is able to take seemingly impossible situations, add the miracle of His grace, and transform trials into triumphs and sorrows into joys.  Joseph’s brothers sold him as a slave, and Potiphar put him into prison as a criminal…but, God transformed that hopeless situation into victory.  And there are dozens of others stories in the Word of God that we love, because we learn of the victory of grace and faith in people’s lives…including Jesus death on a cruel cross, burial and resurrection from the dead.

Jesus often uses figures of speech when He is making statements to the disciples, and verse 16 is such a case.  It has to be perplexing to them.  At the same time, He wants them to seek, to question…to grow.  He is likely speaking of His upcoming death, but also of the hope that they would experience in His resurrection.  It also could be that He is speaking of His ascension, and they would all soon give their lives for His kingdom, and they all will go to join Him.  Either way, the hope and joy of His disciples will be fulfilled by His presence.  This is the way it is intended to be.  The religious and the political leaders of that time expected that Christianity would die out, but such was not the case.  Jesus sends His Holy Spirit to them (and to us, His church), in order to continue to live and share the truth of the gospel.  There is no doubt that the world did not want Jesus then, and it does not want Him now. But, while the bridegroom is away, the bride longs for Him to return and take her home.  We who are in Christ await His return, as He shares with the disciples back in chapter 14:11…He goes away, only to return and bring those who belong to Him home with Him.  So, the immediate message He shares is with His sorrowing disciples, but the ultimate application is for all of God’s people…that there may be trials and tribulations that we face on the journey, but it is ultimately for “the joy set before us” as well.  While we work and wait, the process of transformation continues for each of us, that we become more like the Son.  And as we seek Him, we will grow and mature to be who it is that He wants us to be.

At first I saw God as my observer, my judge, keeping track of the things I did wrong, so as to know whether I merited heaven or hell when I die. He was out there sort of like the president. I recognized His picture when I saw it, but I didn’t really know Him. But later on when I recognized this Higher Power, It seemed as though life was rather like a bike ride, but it was a tandem bike, and I noticed that God was in the back helping me pedal. I don’t know just when it was that he suggested we change places, but life has not been the same since—life with my Higher Power, that is. God makes life exciting! But when He took the lead, it was all I could do to hang on! He knew delightful paths, up mountains and through rocky places—and at breakneck speeds. Even though it looked like madness, he said, “Pedal!” I worried and was anxious and asked, “Where are you taking me?” He laughed and didn’t answer, and I started to learn trust. I forgot my boring life and entered into adventure. When I’d say, “I’m scared,” He’d lean back and touch my hand. He took me to people with gifts that I needed, gifts of healing, acceptance, and joy. They gave me their gifts to take on my journey, our journey, God’s and mine. And we were off again. He said, “Give the gifts away; they’re extra baggage, too much weight”…so I did, to the people we met, and I found that in giving I received, and our burden became light. At first I did not trust Him in control of my life. I thought He’d wreck it. But He knows bike secrets—knows how to make it lean to take sharp corners, dodge large rocks, and speed through scary passages. And I am learning to shut up and pedal in the strangest places. I’m beginning to enjoy the view and the cool breeze on my face with my delightful constant Companion. And when I’m sure I just can’t do any more, He just smiles and says, “Pedal!” -- James S. Hewett, Illustrations Unlimited (Wheaton: Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 1988) pp. 247-248.

Jesus shares some words in 10:10 that fit with what he is sharing here, that His disciples should “live the spiritual life and live it abundantly.”  This is a message that is not far from me…much like “live a life worthy of your calling.” (Ephesians 4:1).  Why do these have appeal?  It is because they keep us honest.  They help us to realize in the spiritual battle that we not only have hope, but a continual obligation and challenge.  Jesus wanted His disciples to understand -- even though they did not understand much of anything…they needed to trust in Him.  It is no less with us.  As the Hebrews writer shares (12:1), we need to continue to put aside all of the things that seek to bind us and hold us back spiritually…and press on toward the goal of eternal life.  This perspective should help to keep us honest. If we have made a commitment to Jesus that He is Lord (Master, Ruler of our lives), then we need to be certain that it is so.  And if it is so, will be able to fully appreciate and experience the joy in the journey that He and the Spirit have in store for us…now, and forevermore. 

Blessings, Don

Religion of the Heart

Friends,

A man relied upon an experienced guide while crossing a dangerous African swamp.  The two stepped from one clump of grass to another as they crossed.  The clumps all looked alike to the man, but the guide repeatedly warned about certain clumps.  They all appeared to be secure…but, while some of the clumps were fastened to rocks, others were free-floating.  The native had learned by experience how to tell the difference between the two.  What the guide knew that his follower did not could very possibly save his life.  He had learned wisdom through his experience.  He knew that if he did not take care to attend to the things that truly mattered, that all could be lost.

This is, in essence, what Jesus is saying in this section of Matthew 15 (vv.1-20). Jesus is dealing with Jewish leaders who had become not only distracted, but corrupt -- their hearts were not right with God.  They had indiscriminately stepped, religiously, where they were not supposed to, and this led them down a path away from God.  What they needed was a right religion -- one based upon a genuine relationship with God -- that would help them not to please themselves, but to seek God with all their hearts.  At times, we believers can say the right things, do the right things, keep all of the correct regulations, traditions…and still be far from God.  Unlike the Pharisees, we have every opportunity to make good, spiritual decisions for our lives, and this will ultimately be the difference between whether we sink or swim.  As I shared from John’s gospel recently, the Holy Spirit is the Advocate and Helper that we need.  God, through the Holy Spirit, is the guide that helps His people to know where to step. 

Meanwhile, in an unsurprising development, some Scribes and Pharisees come to test Jesus.  They accuse His disciples of breaking “the traditions of the elders.”  These traditions (or Mishnah) were a significant number of extra rituals and regulations that the Scribes and Pharisees thought the Jewish people should do as a part of their belief system.  Jesus’ disciples were not adhering to the ritual purification cleansings before eating bread.  (The stone jars at the wedding at Cana in John 2 were those that were used for such washings).  To the Pharisees and Scribes question, Jesus asks a question of His own…and by so doing, tells them that they are violating the Word of God for the sake of their traditions.  In a similar situation (Luke 11:37-39), Jesus tells the Pharisees and Scribes that “they clean the outside of the cup, but the inside is dirty”…that is, that they look good on the outside, but that they are full of wickedness.  They looked good, sounded good, probably even used their Axe body spray, but they were corrupt in their hearts. 

Jesus tells them, in essence, that they know that a Jew is not to speak evil of his father or mother (as seen in the Ten Commandments), yet they neglect their parents by taking their Corban, “retirement money” (similar to social security) “committed” to them and give it to God (as a contribution).  In so doing these Jews were claiming to be doing “the righteous thing.”  But, they were taking away from their parents, thereby making void God’s Word.  (It is what we call “straining for gnats and swallowing camels”…or nonsense).  Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:13 and plainly tells these Jews – “you are of two minds” (hypocrites).  Their hearts are “far, far away” from God, and because of this, their worship is in vain.  Jesus goes even further to explain His words (vv.10-11).  "Listen and understand.  What goes into a man's mouth does not make him 'unclean,' but what comes out of his mouth…that is what makes him 'unclean.'"  The disciples see it as a parable (v.15), but it is a critical statement.  The key thought is that…it is an inner, spiritual religion that matters, not an outer “going through the motions” religion.

Now the disciples come back and tell Jesus…in one of the great “duh” moments in the New Testament…saying – “Do you know that you offended the Scribes and Pharisees?”  Yes, He knows.  In fact it was possibly a shock value statement for a purpose -- He wants them “to hear and understand.”  And not just the religious folks, He wants His disciples to understand that these religious leaders are not reliable as “spiritual” guides.  Jesus presents two more images --”plants without roots”, and “blind guides,” in order to cement what He is saying.  Peter, speaking for the others (nothing unusual there) expresses confusion concerning what Jesus has been saying.  And for His part, Jesus is amazed at His disciples’ lack of understanding.  So, He makes one final spiritual application – what goes in the mouth (food, drink) is not as important (in a spiritual sense) as what comes out of the mouth.  What comes out of the mouth comes from the heart.  The point is -- everyone has a heart condition (spiritual), and it is either good or bad.  Jesus goes back to the beginning of the discussion to make His final point…it is not the washing of hands that defiles, but an unclean heart, life, which is the condition of the religious leaders.  If our life and religion keep us from seeing Jesus…and more than this, having His heart, mind, living like Him…then something has to change.  God is not going to be impressed with our worship on Sunday or any other day of the week (Romans 12:1-2) if it is not from the heart.  We must consider Jesus’ admonition to keep the proper perspective and strive to be spiritually focused.

I know that some have seen the following video, but I think it illustrates well…especially concerning those in our fellowship…what Jesus is talking about in this message.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_Clfx_hcVw.

Blessings, Don