relationships (Matthew 18:7-35) Radical Change is Required

(Matthew 18:7-35)

7 “Woe to the world because of its stumbling blocks! For it is inevitable that stumbling blocks come; but woe to the person through whom the stumbling block comes!

8 “And if your hand or your foot is causing you to sin, cut it off and throw it away from you; it is better for you to enter life maimed or without a foot, than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye is causing you to sin, tear it out and throw it away from you. It is better for you to enter life with one eye, than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fiery hell.

10 “See that you do not look down on one of these little ones; for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father who is in heaven.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Being sovereign (omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent), God sees, hears and knows everything.  God has always been and will always be.  He is eternal, and He created all things, including angels.  Just like mankind, it didn't take long for them to make a choice as to whether or not they wanted to follow and serve the Lord.  Unlike mankind, their decision was made final long ago.

We don't know how many angels or demons there actually are, but from the entire Bible, we know that there are a lot, about one third being demons (fallen angels), and two thirds being angels, and that there is a spiritual battle.  While they have quite a bit of power, they are not sovereign, and they cannot do anything without God either sending angels on a particular mission, or allowing demons to destroy, damage, distort or mislead.  (If you are interested, here is a link to my excel with notes from the spiritual battle Bible devotional readthrough) 

What does this all mean for us?  Well, God doesn't need a report from the angels to know that we have done something wrong, or that something wrong is being done to us.  Jesus gave the people this image of angels being present, probably because some people are fixated on the spiritual realm.  But God does not want us to worry about anyone or anything!  He desires that we keep our eyes fixed on Him, in a personal relationship.  Let God worry about where He sends His angels and/or how He protects us from demons who are only out to keep people from going to God!  Meanwhile, we are to trust what the Lord tells us, because He knows what is best, He has a plan, and He gives all of His children purpose, direction and help.

It is not a sin to be tempted, but if we begin to dwell on the temptations that we face, that becomes lust, which is a sin.  And of course, if we act on the temptations, that becomes sin.  Simply trying to NOT sin in our own efforts rarely works.  One has to replace a bad habit with a good habit.  Still, in our own efforts, this can be extremely difficult.  And the radical allegory suggested above, doesn't mean that we are to literally mutilate ourselves.  It is to repent and confess our sins to the Lord, which includes us turning away - staying away - from those things, those triggers - that will drag us back into the mud and mire.  

Repenting and confessing our sins really does set us free, as it allows the Lord to change us from the inside out.  And as we continue asking and allowing the Lord to work in us, for us and through us, in His strength, we will experience spiritual peace and victory in Him.  As well, in our walk with God, our desire will be to serve Him and others.  Living in His will is to be sharing the gospel message, mentoring, edifying and encouraging others to embrace a close relationship with the Lord... with everyone, including and especially with the weak, the vulnerable, the children!  

If we are not doing this, but instead, living for our own desires, in hypocrisy, this will become a stumbling block to those around us who are vulnerable.  This is really doing the work of Satan.  When we are being negative, doing and saying things that divides Christian groups, we are making Satan so very happy.  We are also displeasing the Lord, and grieving and quenching His Holy Spirit.  

Yet, God is so good!  Because He is loving and patient and full of grace, while we cannot lose our salvation, He will discipline us.  And this is not fun.  But this should not drive us further away from God, it should inspire us to run back to Him!  His arms are always open and waiting!!!  So, rather than living for our sins, living for God is so much better!!!  Not just for us, but for all those around us.  Yes, we will still struggle, but our testimony will be stronger and not hypocritical - if - we continue striving in God's will, and when we do sin, we continue confessing and running back to the Lord!

(Hebrews 4:14-16)  Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let’s hold firmly to our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin. 16 Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.

relationships (Matthew 18:1-6) To Serve vs To Be Served

(Matthew 18:1-6)

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And He called a child to Himself and set him among them, 3 and said, “Truly I say to you, unless you change and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 So whoever will humble himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 5 And whoever receives one such child in My name, receives Me; 6 but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it is better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck, and that he be drowned in the depths of the sea.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Here we see the disciple's first attempt to find out who is "greatest" among them, although it's very subtle, isn't it?!  I'm pretty sure that this one disciple was really banking on Jesus saying, "OH, why, you are!"  It's like the person who feigns insecurity and self-deprecates, with the expectations that others will praise them and encourage them and give them all of their attention.

Well, the Greek word used for "greatest" within the disciple's question, besides being fixated on hierarchy and status, means to be literally or figuratively great, large, high, mighty, strong, loud... and older in years.  Interesting.  Because then Jesus gives us His definition.  

To just get into the kingdom of heaven, we must "change", be "humble", and become like children.  We must realize that we are NOT great!  We are sinners!  The Lord God is great (beyond anything we can ever imagine), and we need His salvation and His constant help and supervision - like a little child who depends on their parents for everything!  But our first step is to humble our hearts and realize our sinfulness and need, and recognize that the Lord is God and that we need Him.

The next step is to "change"...

Remember that God's kingdom goes in the opposite direction of the world.  The last shall be first and the first shall be last.  The greatest is the least of these.  Treat others as more important than yourself.  To be master, we must be servant, yet even a slave!  Strive not to be served, but to serve!  There should be no prejudices and no preferential treatment.  Can we do this in our own efforts?  Maybe a little.  But can we change our own hearts?  No!

From the original Greek word, the definition of "change" can also be translated to the word "convert", which is (literally or figuratively) to twist or turn quite around or go in reverse... to turn, and turn again, and turn back again... to turn one's back to one who no longer cares for you... to turn one's self from one's course of conduct... to change one's mind... to repent... for the ultimate conversion is to be strengthened from the base!

There is no stronger foundation than the Lord God.  The Lord is the only one who forgives, and the only one who can change us from the inside out.  It's our choice and decision to want this change, but it is the Lord who changes us, and covers us with His righteousness, and gives us His indwelling Holy Spirit, causing us to be spiritually born again... He adopts us as His children, to be our heavenly Father for all eternity!

Children are the most powerless and most vulnerable members of society.  While they are loved, they have no status, and no power or privileges apart from what they receive as total dependents on their parents.  But let's be clear here, this is not talking about us as parents doting on our children and catering to their every whim, enabling them to become spoiled, selfish and self-serving.  Our role as parents should emulate the Lord, in that we teach and equip them to become productive, fruitful adults who also have humble hearts, that of a servant, depending fully on the Lord, and in loving the Lord, striving to live in His will.

I taught our children that true success in life was to embrace their relationship with the Lord, trusting in Him and living in His will, all in His love, strength and guidance, all to His glory.  And recently, I heard an interview with a believer who is terminal.  Even with his very imminent death, his desire was to continue serving the Lord.  And as a father, he wanted to encourage his children to continue serving the Lord.  In fact, (and I like this idea very much)... whenever he saw his kids later in the day, instead of asking them how their day had gone, he would ask them, "Who did you serve today?"  wow.  I mean, everyday, I should be asking that of myself!  And then asking the Lord to help me recognize the opportunities that He gives me, and then help me to be open and ready to serve!

relationships (Matthew 17:24-27) Investing Into Life

(Matthew 17:24-27)

24 Now when they came to Capernaum, those who collected the two-drachma tax came to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the two-drachma tax?” 25 He said, “Yes.” And when he came into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth collect customs or poll-tax, from their sons or from strangers?” 26 When Peter said, “From strangers,” Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are exempt. 27 However, so that we do not offend them, go to the sea and throw in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up; and when you open its mouth, you will find a stater. Take that and give it to them for you and Me.”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

This particular customs tax was paid by all free adult Jewish males throughout the world to show their solidarity with the temple and the Holy Land.  So much was gathered that the keepers of the temple used some of the excess to construct a massive golden vine.  But by this time, the Romans had confiscated this tax and used it to maintain their pagan temple.  Most Jews continued paying this tax, but some refused to pay it on principle, and the Sadducees outright disapproved.  So, the local collectors probably wondered about Jesus' stance, knowing already that Jesus sometimes disagreed with mainstream views, lived off of charity, and moved about and maybe paid this tax in a different district.  And IF they had heard Jesus speak and pass judgment on the temple, then they would have really wondered.

Jesus, knowing all things, responded to Peter before he even brought up the matter of paying this tax, and pointed out the unfairness and hypocrisies.  The Romans often exempted themselves as well as high-class Greeks from paying their taxes.  And even in the Jewish temple, the priests would to do the same thing.  So, really, in the truest sense, had they known who Jesus really was and is, they would never have even broached the question.  Jesus' point was that He, the Son of God, should not be taxed for the upkeep of His Father's house.  But, knowing that many people didn't understand who He really was and is, Jesus paid the tax anyway on the basis of demonstrating solidarity with the rest of the Jewish community.

This is a great example for us to understand that, whether we agree with how our taxes are spent, we are to submit and be respectful of our government, as well as our fellow citizens.  And in the same way, we are asked to give our tithes and offerings to the Lord.  It's not just for the church's physical maintenance, overhead, and pastors' salaries, if everyone in the church actually gave, even just the minimal recommended ten percent, imagine the abundant resources for outreach!!!

Does God really NEED our money?  Especially since He can just have it delivered via a fish???!!!  It isn't about that at all.  Since our Christianity is all about having a personal relationship with the Lord, like with any relationship, there is an aspect of giving and sharing!  But more than that, because He is our Lord, God and Savior, we should desire to worship Him and demonstrate our faith, trust and thankfulness.  I'll even look at tithing as not just being about our income, but also about all our resources, time and energy - so we are serving Him with our everything!  

Everything comes from the Lord anyway, and so, when we trust Him with everything He has given us, it is then His to manage FOR us!  And He will bless this, use this, and multiply this, all to His glory!  I'm not talking about a prosperity gospel, or a "name-it-and-claim-it" kind of deal.  The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil.  We will experience more peace in our lives if and when we are content in all things.  Whatever the Lord allows for us, it will be sufficient!  And having the Lord in our lives is priceless!

In the economy of life, we should even apply this principle to other relationships.  Like with marriage:  when both are humbly giving one hundred percent of oneself, that means both are receiving one hundred percent.  And when we unselfishly and lovingly help and give to others, we will not be worrying about getting back in return.  In life, every relationship is an investment, whether good or bad, so it is most beneficial to use and apply God's economy, which will always have the best "interest" and "returns"!  The greatest investment is giving up our sinful lives, and giving our hearts to the Lord, in exchange for His forgiveness, righteousness, help, guidance, peace, joy, hope, protection, blessings, friendship and eternal life...

relationships (Matthew 17:14-22) Thinking Beyond Human Terms

(Matthew 17:14-22)

14 When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, because he has seizures and suffers terribly; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 And I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.” 17 And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was healed at once.

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not cast it out?” 20 And He said to them, “Because of your meager faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.”

22 And while they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be handed over to men; 23 and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” And they were deeply grieved.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

There are "Christians" and "churches" who will ignore certain verses, like verse 17, that portray God (the heavenly Father and Jesus) in a way that they don't like, because they don't really know or understand the Lord and His word.  And then, to carry on pretending to be Christian, they create Jesus and God in their own image, while simply ignoring the Holy Spirit's presence and His role within the Trinity.  In this way, they are left trying to be "good" people, all in their own efforts and thinking, while trying to justify their sinful behavior/s.  But if they'd really access their idol/s, they would see how shallow, ineffective, contradictive and evil their god really is.  

God is love!  But that doesn't mean that He approves of everything we do, or think we are.  In verse 17, Jesus calls the people (including His disciples) "unbelieving and perverse"!  These are very strong words, as well as very true!  The word "perverse" means to turn away from... to misinterpret, distort and corrupt.  

Every word in the Bible is true and important, and they should never be ignored or distorted!  But that is what people tend to do, and that is what the Jews also tended to do.  Because mountains were thought to be the most stable of all things, their colloquial saying of "removing mountains" became a figure of speech used to describe what one would be able to do if one mastered the Torah.  In other words, if one were able to perfectly carry out all the do's and don'ts, THEN they could do amazing things!  But God's words are very clear, we all have sinned!  None of us are perfect!  On our own, we are hopeless.  No one can get into heaven or have a relationship with the Lord based on our own merits.

Jesus then used another colloquialism:  the mustard seed, which was used to describe a very small quantity, since the seed is extremely tiny.  When we put our faith and trust in the Lord, even our tiny bit of faith will accomplish much!  In other words, nothing God asks us to do will be impossible when we stop relying on our feeble strength and abilities and look to and rely on God, who is all-powerful! Whatever God plans, it will happen.  Whatever God asks of us, He will make sure we can do it, if and when we have put our faith and belief in the Lord Jesus, and then trust in Him through our obedience, relying on His strength and guidance!

This brings us to the next seemingly "disturbing" thing, which was Jesus' comment regarding how long He had to be with them and put up with them.  But here again, let's interpret His words correctly and clearly by keeping it all in context!  In verses 22-23, Jesus reminds the disciples once again that He was going to die, but then rise again on the third day!  This was to pay the price for all sins, of all times!  

Jesus knew He had to do this!  Because He is holy, He cannot have a relationship with sin.  Therefore, because of our great sin, He cannot have a relationship with us in that condition.  And because of His great love for us and His great desire to have a relationship with us, He had to "leave"!  Accomplishing His work through His death and resurrection was the only way to provide a way for us to be reconciled to Him, to receive His salvation and eternal life, to all those who believe!

From the disciples' reaction to grieve, we can see that they didn't understand, and were still only thinking in human terms.  They do this again when Jesus tells them that He has return to heaven, not understanding that even though Jesus in flesh would not be there with them, the Lord's Holy Spirit would come upon all those who put their faith and trust in the Lord.  In this way, all true Christians have the Lord's indwelling Holy Spirit of promise, who seals us for all eternity.  We can grieve and quench the Holy Spirit, but we can never get rid of Him, or lose our salvation.  

Once we are a child of God, we are forever a child of God!  But this is our decision!  Because of God's love, He will never force anyone to love Him back.  And this is a love that the world really does not understand, because they only see and think in human terms.

relationships (Matthew 17:1-13) The One and Only

(Matthew 17:1-13)

1 Six days later, Jesus took with Him Peter and James, and his brother John, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. 2 And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Peter responded and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If You want, I will make three tabernacles here: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him!” 6 When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified. 7 And Jesus came to them and touched them and said, “Get up, and do not be afraid.” 8 And raising their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone.

9 When they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.” 10 And His disciples asked Him, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11 And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; 12 but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wanted. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Here's a little glimpse of the kingdom of heaven and/or heaven itself, where we will be with Jesus, just, able to hold conversations with God, alongside prophets of old.  So curious what Jesus, Moses and Elijah were talking about!  Meanwhile, Jesus had invited and included three fishermen to be part of this.  It should be obvious that since our faith is all about having a relationship with the Lord, and all believers have humble hearts, all being equal and in unity with God's Spirit, that it doesn't matter who we are, or who we once were, our focus and adoration is all on the Lord!  But...

Once again, Peter gets ahead of himself, thinking that he has a brilliant idea which will help or impress God in some way.  Sincere, but still sincerely incorrect.  Moses and Elijah were valuable, godly servants, but they are not equal to God.  And, we are not to be talking or praying to the dead, whether they were godly people or family members... we are only to be talking to and praying to the Lord.

(Deuteronomy 18:10-11)  There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, a soothsayer, one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who consults the dead.

(Hebrews 4:14-16)  ...since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let’s hold firmly to our confession.  For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin.  Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.

(Philippians 4:6)  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and pleading with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.

I recently did a Bible study and learned something very helpful!  Although sincere and loving, we should not be thinking about all the things we can do for God, and then ask Him to bless our efforts.  Instead, we should be asking Him what He wants us to do for Him!  You know, since the Lord is sovereign and everything!  He knows what we should do, and He will equip us and help us to carry that out.

Same goes for whenever we have fears, worries or issues.  We often tell God how we want Him to solve things, but we don't know what we really need!  God knows!  He is everywhere-present, all-powerful, and He knows everything, including all the solutions to every possible situation we could ever find ourselves in!  

And because the Lord is all about relationships, He completely understands every possible dynamic, including our personal hopes, dreams and desires.  Because He created us, and is sovereign, He knows us better than we know ourselves.  Therefore, the question always is, how much do we know the Lord?  And how much do we trust in Him, and trust that He really knows what is best for us?!  Having been a Christian now for over 60 years, I can say definitively that it is so very possible and so well-worth it, to know and experience the Lord in a personal way, and to rely on Him and include Him in every step that we take!

relationships (Matthew 16:13-28) Knowing the Key

(Matthew 16:13-28)

13 Now when Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14 And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah, or one of the other prophets.” 15 He said to them, “But who do you yourselves say that I am?” 16 Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17 And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. 19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” 20 Then He gave the disciples strict orders that they were to tell no one that He was the Christ.

21 From that time Jesus began to point out to His disciples that it was necessary for Him to go to Jerusalem and to suffer many things from the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and to be killed, and to be raised up on the third day. 22 And yet Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You!” 23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s purposes, but men’s.”

24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what good will it do a person if he gains the whole world, but forfeits his soul? Or what will a person give in exchange for his soul? 27 For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every person according to his deeds.

28 “Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Our relationship with God begins with us realizing that Jesus wasn't and isn't just a man who had been sent as a prophet, or a teacher, or just some really good guy.  Jesus is the Lord.  Jesus is God!  As part of the three in one (Trinity), Jesus is the Son of God.  He is also called the Christ (Messiah).

Israel had received prophecies about how their Messiah would one day come to fulfill all of their covenants (where they would receive all of their promised land, seed and blessings).  Had they as a nation personally received Jesus as their Lord and Savior, as well as their rightful King, they would have gone straight into the Millennial kingdom.  But of course they rejected Jesus and sent Him to the cross to suffer and die.

Jesus' work on the cross was also prophesied, because He knew this would happen and knew that this HAD to happen, in order to fulfill the first part of their covenants.  Within the Abrahamic covenant (Genesis 12:1-3), God promises that through Abraham's seed (descendants - JESUS) all nations will be blessed!  This is why all the recorded genealogizes and the virgin birth are good to know and understand.  

In order for Israel to have their promised land and physical covenants in full, they have to have a righteous King who will lead them in perfect obedience!  This will happen at the end of the Tribulation, which is the last set of seven years remaining in their prophesied Jewish years (Daniel 9:24-27).  

Just so, for anyone to to get into heaven and have eternal life, we must receive Jesus as our Lord, Savior and make Him King of our lives.  In His salvation, all our sins are forgiven, and we are covered by the righteousness of Jesus, and we receive His indwelling Holy Spirit of promise, who is then forever with us, to guide, help, and change us from the inside out.

THIS is the "key"!  Peter was the first disciple to confess this.  Although, Peter got way ahead of himself and allowed pride back into the picture, thinking that he could tell Jesus what should or shouldn't be done!  Peter had just confessed that Jesus is God, and then he heard Jesus explain what He had to do... and... so.... now Peter thought he would stop God from doing what He just said He was going to do!!!???

Yes-yes, we can try to justify these things and say that Peter meant well.  I love what one of my professors once said, "People can be very sincere, but they can be very sincerely wrong!"  BUT...

GOD is so awesome!  He died for our sins, because we ourselves have nothing of value to save our souls.  He paid the price!  And while we will still struggle, He still calls us and uses us, even though we ourselves have nothing of value to offer!  We are to live and share His gospel message, all in His love, righteousness, riches, guidance and strength, all to His glory.  In being obedient in this way - in God, through God, and with God - these will be our good deeds done with right motives, and God will reward us for these.  He will not judge our sins, because we have already humbly repented and received His forgiveness - which is to die to self.

As the Church shares the gospel message - the key - people will be saved, and will enter in and be part of the Church at large - God's family.  Those who reject Jesus and His forgiveness, will not be part of the Church at large (and all unbelievers will be judged according to their sins).  

While believers share this wonderful message of love, hope, peace and salvation, there will be many who persecute us in order to silence the Church, but they will be unable to do so.  We should not be shocked that there will be persecution.  And we should not be fearful of this, as God is sovereign, and knows what has to be allowed and not allowed!  Even just consider what happened after Charlie Kirk was assassinated... MORE people began to seek God for His salvation, for fulfillment, satisfaction, answers, and purpose in life which can only be found in the Lord!

This life on earth is only temporary, while all eternity lies ahead!  With a perfectly functional and loving family and, most importantly, our heavenly Father, our most certain hope and everlasting peace and joy is imminent!  

relationships (Matthew 16:6-12) So Much More Than a Habit

(Matthew 16:6-12)

6 And Jesus said to them, “Watch out and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 7 They began to discuss this among themselves, saying, “He said that because we did not bring any bread.” 8 But Jesus, aware of this, said, “You men of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread? 9 Do you not yet understand nor remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets you picked up? 10 Nor the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets you picked up? 11 How is it that you do not understand that I did not speak to you about bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that He did not say to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

TODAY'S TAKEAWAY:

Muscle-memory is a very interesting thing, and can be good and quite helpful in so many areas, like carrying out tasks, doing various jobs, or playing sports, or music.  It's in the repetition of daily training, exercises, drills, practices, scales...  So we don't even have to think about it, we will develop "habits" that become instinctual.  In the same way though, we will develop bad habits.  For those, in human efforts, the only way to try to stop bad habits, is to replace them with good habits.  

Even in relationships, with others and with the Lord, we can develop schedules and well-choreographed patterns.  Good habits, like daily devotions and praying, are good, until we find ourselves just "going through the motions" - just "doing a task", instead of truly connecting.  Then, when we are faced with an issue or an enigma for which we haven't prepared ourselves, we have to stop and think (if we can).  

Depending on how serious and immediate the issue is, we can get stuck, or go into panic mode.  If we have become more dependent on our muscle memories, our thought process will probably start with - what can I personally do to fix this?  Or, our emotions will just take over, and then we'll be hyper-focused on how we feel, and this will start to drive our decision-making.

It's very easy to get hyper-focused on the physical things that are happening to us or around us, and completely forget about God's blessings and provisions and His overwhelming love and patience with us!  Just like with that good friend or relative who "gets us", and loves us (flaws and all), and is always there for us, we can start taking our relationship with the Lord for granted... until of course we're in trouble, and THEN we might think to run to Him!  This just drives home the point that it is so easy to take our focus off of our relationship with the Lord.  So, here Jesus is giving the disciples a warning to THINK about, which caught them off guard.

Matthew may have been the only disciple (besides Paul) who had had "further" education, while the rest of them probably only went to school until they were 12.  Even still, from all of their traditions and celebrations, Jews knew exactly how the Lord delivered them from Egypt and slavery, and then provided manna, guidance and protection as they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.  As well, most would have known that Jewish teachers often spoke figuratively.  For example, "false teaching" was often likened to "poisoned water".  And "yeast", a common ingredient which spreads and inflates dough, was often used as an allegory to symbolize "evil", and how easy it is for evil to take root and spread.

Therefore, we need to figure out ways to keep our muscles, as well as our hearts and minds, connected to the Lord in a close relationship!  The better we know God and the closer we draw to Him, and the more we interact with Him in all that we do, the less likely we will be caught off guard or fall into danger, or dangerous thinking.  So, how else can we recognize a lie, except to know the truth!

Like with any other relationship, if and when we listen to gossip, slander and lies about someone we love and trust, it can very easily diminish our love and trust.  And as these rumors spread, the more and more people will believe them.  Just so, the Sadducees spoke out against resurrection, and the Pharisees emphasized human traditions and going through many muscle-memory-motions, and both aggressively opposed the Lord Jesus, and worked tirelessly to keep people from going to Him and/or believing in Him.

What do we tend to do when we hear gossip about someone we love?  Well, even if a person's words are very persuasive, and they have used an incident that may seem to support what they are saying, we shouldn't just take their word for it!  Besides keeping in mind what we already know about our loved one, we need to go to that person and hear their side of things.  And if the gossip is true, that person has an opportunity to then make things right.  It would be very unfair if they were smeared forever in our mind and we severed all ties with them, when it wasn't warranted.  Would we want to be treated this way?  And remember, nobody is perfect, not even us.  

As for Jesus - He is perfect!  He is good!  And He most definitely went to the cross to die for all of our sins, and He rose again to have victory over sin and death!!!  Not only can we read the facts written in His infallible word, there are archeological findings and other historical records which support the Bible.  And very importantly, we can experience and see, firsthand, the evidence of God's goodness and blessings in our own lives when we continue to trust in Him and remain obedient to His directions!  

Then, if and when we hear others speaking against the Lord and His word, we will immediate go to the Lord, Himself.  And for everything, as we continue to study His word and His truth, and as we grow closer to Him, striving to remain cognitively connected, we will continue experiencing Him, and His blessings and goodness.  Which would we rather live by, act on, cling to and help spread:  rumors and lies - or - God's truth, love and His most certain hope?!