Matthew 15:13-20
Jesus answered, “Every plant
that my Father in heaven did not plant will be pulled up by the roots.
Stay away from those Pharisees! They are like blind people leading other
blind people, and all of them will fall into a ditch.”
Peter replied, “What did you mean when you talked about the things that make people unclean?”
Jesus
then said: Don’t any of you know what I am talking about by now? Don’t
you know that the food you put into your mouth goes into your stomach
and then out of your body? But the words that come out of your mouth
come from your heart. And they are what make you unfit to worship God.
Out of your heart come evil thoughts, murder, unfaithfulness in
marriage, vulgar deeds, stealing, telling lies, and insulting others.
These are what make you unclean. Eating without washing your hands will
not make you unfit to worship God.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Our
three-year-old nephew, Nathan, is in his “bath phase.” He begs to take
a bath at our house…which is more like a “swim” in a small pool with
lots of tub toys! One day last week, his mother said that he had three
baths in one day…one before coming to our house, a 30-minute soak with
us, and another bath that he insisted on taking before bedtime. Nathan
is one clean three-year-old!
If only we could soak in a bubble
bath and wash our heart clean…what a quick, easy “fix” that would be!
But this is not how matters of the heart and Christian faith work…and
sadly, Jesus says that our heart is what truly makes us unclean. I want
you to notice the list of “unclean” thoughts and actions in this
scripture passage that Jesus says come from our heart…and among them, He
lists “unfaithfulness in marriage” and “insulting others.” In my mind,
Jesus is painting with a broad brush today…and catching a lot of us
with each “stroke!”
Most of us would readily agree that things
like lying, stealing, and murder are sinful – or “unclean” – actions.
But when you start to recognize that putting work, a friendship, the
love of possessions and quest for more, or a hobby above your spouse and
family falls into the category of “unfaithfulness”…a whole lot of
people are caught in the snare. When you stop to think that the unkind
comments we all make…the criticisms, judgments and discriminations…are
all considered part of “insulting others,” we are all incredibly
guilty. Each one of us could use an extra “bath!”
The time has
come to stop picking and choosing. We’ve pigeonholed sin into neat
little categories…usually those that we feel do not encompass our own
thoughts, words, and actions. We’ve excused ourselves and pretended that
it’s the other guy who is really unclean and in need of a bath in the
blood of Jesus! Dear friend, you and I need this cleansing just as much
as anyone. We need to examine our heart and see what lies there…and we
need to ask Jesus to wash us clean from the inside out, once and for
all.
Are you ready to come before God and allow Him to strip
away the dirt and grime of your unclean actions and attitudes? Will
this be the day that you get an extra “bath” – one that signifies the
beginning of a renewed, pure heart? Don’t you think it should be?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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