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What Truly Defiles Us

Matthew 15:10-20; Romans 11: 1-2, 29-32 The Pharisees are at it again elevating their rules above God’s. The one in question here is the ceremonial washing of hands before eating. The disciples who ate on the run didn’t go through this complex ritual of hand washing before eating. Today for health reasons we wash our hands before eating but this was a much more elaborate washing dictated by the Pharisaic law. So, Jesus tells the crowd that it is not what goes into the mouth but the evils that come out of it and the sins that comes out of the heart are the things that truly defile one – not omitting the ceremonial handwashing. He calls these leaders blind leading the blind. Their focus instead should be on the truly defiling activities such as evil intensions, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, and slander. We have seen the false witness and slander of what the Pharisees do to Christ and eventually they will be behind Christ’s murder on the cross. They do the...
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Walking In Faith

Matthew 14:22-33, Romans 10:5-13 Our Matthew account is the famous one of Jesus walking on the water. Peter asks to join him yet fear wins over faith and he begins to sink. Peter calls out to Jesus, and the Lord reaches out his hand and saves him. Jesus says, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?" The disciples fearing the storm are amazed when it calms down when Jesus arrives. Those in the boat worship him their faith confirmed as they say out loud, "Surely this is the son of God." These are the first humans to confess that Jesus is the son of God.   In Romans Paul tells how righteousness doesn't come from the law but by faith confessing that Jesus is Lord, believing in the heart that God raised him from the dead. This confession leads to righteousness and by confessing with your mouth, like the folks on the disciple's boat, will lead to salvation. There are storms of life that make us fearful. We have initial faith like Peter that Jesus will help ...
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Beholding God’s Face

  Genesis 32:22-31; Psalm 17:1-7,15 Back in Genesis 28 we had the account of Jacob’s ladder. Today in chapter 32 we have Jacob wrestling with a “man” who he later declares to be God. Jacob is seen as the aggressor here since when the “man” asks him to let go Jacob refuses unless the “man” blesses him. This request shows that Jacob saw this to be no ordinary man. He is then being told that his name will be changed to Israel since he has struggled with God and with humans and has prevailed. Again, this is another hint that this man must be God. Yet the man will not tell him his name but does finally bless him. Then Jacob declares, “I have seen God face to face, yet my life is preserved - saved.” A reminder of this encounter will always be the limp he has been given being struck on the hip. Psalms 17 is a prayer for deliverance from persecution. David the author gives the account of how faithful he has been with no deceitful lips and no wickedness to be found in him. This shows th...
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Seeking God’s Strength

 Psalm 105:1-11, Romans 8:26-39 Psalms 105 is a call to worship worshipping God for the Lord’s mighty acts. It recounts Israel’s history from Abraham to the settlement in Canaan. The Psalmist shows great trust that the covenant God made to Abraham will come true. Though times can get rough the Psalmist says to seek the Lord and God’s strength and also to seek his presence continually. Romans 8 talks about the new covenant of love. God has done the ultimate of giving up God’s son to die on the cross in our place to bring salvation. This is shown as the ultimate gift of love. As Paul puts it, “If God is for us who can be against us.” Another gift God has given us is the Holy Spirit who helps us in our weakness. When we don’t know how to pray the Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. Also interceding for us is Jesus who knows first hand how it is to be human. The famous verse 28 tells about how despite present suffering, believers trust that God will bring ...
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Heirs of God

 Genesis 28:10-19, Romans 8:12-25 Our Old Testament reading is the famous story of Jacob’s ladder. It tells of the dream Jacob has of a ladder ascending into heaven with angels. This shows God’s presence in a time of Jacob’s suffering. He is on the run from his brother Esau. God speaks to him and lists the promises given to Abraham saying that now Jacob is the heir to these covenant promises. The Lord assures him that God is with him and will not leave until God has done what the Lord has promised. Jacob is comforted by the realization of surely the Lord is in this place. Seeing God and hearing these promises gives Jacob great faith and hope. In Romans we are told how we have been adopted by God. We are not only children of God but due to this we are God’s heirs also. Due to this we can cry, “Abba Father.” The word “abba” represents a deeply personal trusting relationship with God. Jesus as our brother is a joint heir and if we suffer with him we may also be glorified with him....
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Inclining Your Heart to the Spirit

Psalm 119:105-112, Romans 8:1-11 In Psalm 119 the psalmist talks about following God’s word like a lamp to his feet. He swears to observe righteous ordinances and to not forget God’s law. God’s decrees are considered his heritage and joy of his heart. He inclines his heart to perform God’s statues forever. The word incline means leaning and having a tendency toward a specific thought or action. The psalmist action here is to live up to God’s law. Romans, however, tells how difficult it was to live by the law since it is weakened by the flesh. Paul says God dealt with this problem by sending Jesus, God’s only son to die for our sinful natures. In this way the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us if we walk according to the Spirit, therefore setting their minds not on the sinful flesh but on the things of the Spirit. When we belong to God we have the Spirit which is life because of righteousness. Having the Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead live in you, G...
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Christ’s Yoke of Grace

 Matthew 11:16-19,25-30; Romans 7:15-25 Jesus in Matthew 11 is bemoaning the Jews – especially the Pharisees who would not believe in him. They said that John the Baptist must have a demon. Jesus, the Son of Man, who did what they cried for – dance but when he came eating and drinking he was seen as a glutton, drunkard and a friend of tax collectors and sinners. Jesus then gives thanks to God that the uneducated saw Christ for who he was – a reflection of God – while the “wise” Pharisees has it hidden from them. Then comes a familiar verse: “Come to me those who are weary and carrying the heavy yoke of the law.” Yoke here is a metaphor for the law. But Christ’s grace is an easy yoke and his burden is light. Paul in Romans 7 talks about the inner conflict he has between wanting to do what is right yet doing what he hates. He talks about the sin that lies in him in his flesh. When he wants to do good, evil lies close at hand making him do what he does not want. He tells about t...
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