THIS IS TABLE ROCK FELLOWSHIP – PASTORS RYAN LADEN
| Right with God In our reading from yesterday (Matthew 5:21-22) we heard how Jesus Christ taught his disciples that just because there is not a law that prohibits anger and hatred that is held in the heart, this does not make a person right with God. Just because we do not act on our desires to do violence or to verbally attack others does not mean that the anger and bitterness in our hearts is good for us. In fact, the Lord calls us to see that what is happening in our hearts and minds is of great importance to the Lord. Jesus spoke to this need to reorient our view of what makes a person “good” or “right” from being a simple measurement of their external behavior, to something much more personal. Listen to this great teaching from Jesus Christ on this subject: “Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “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.’””Matthew 15:10-11 NIV-11 “Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”“Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them.“Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’”Matthew 15:15-20 NIV-11 *Side Note: I love the way Jesus can use humor to drive home a powerful point. This teaching touches on the absurd so that simple people like me might wake up and pay attention. · What was the problem that the religious types had with Jesus’ disciples that led him to give this teaching? (Eating with ritually unwashed hands.)· How did Jesus do in his reply? From the Heart The point Jesus Christ makes in this teaching to his disciples is a life changing truth for those willing to hear it and apply it into their own lives. What Jesus says is that our outward actions, words, habits, and addictions come from withing our hearts… within our values… within our desires and plans. The stuff that flies out of your mouth when bad things happen come from within. Our outbursts and expressions of anger also flow from within. While that sounds like a massive thing to cope with, it is also a great joy. Change is Possible If our outward actions and words flow from within, then there is hope for those who are seeking change. If we can commit ourselves into the hands of God and ask the Lord to transform us into his image, by his Spirit, through his truth, and encouraged by his people, then we can see a way forward. We can see that change is possible if we allow the Lord to work in and on our hearts. · What are you tired of carrying around in your actions?· What words are you wanting to exit your vocabulary?· What attitudes and expressions are hurting others around you and need to be excised from within your own heart and mind? The beginning of real, lasting change, can be found if we are willing to open up before the Lord and allow him to heal our hearts and set us free from the hurts of the past. Pray and ask the Lord to begin this work in you today. In Christ,Ryan Laden |
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