March 17, 2012

Matthew 15:1-20

“After that, Pharisees and religion scholars came to Jesus all the way from Jerusalem, criticizing, "Why do your disciples play fast and loose with the rules?" But Jesus put it right back on them. "Why do you use your rules to play fast and loose with God's commands? God clearly says, 'Respect your father and mother,' and, 'Anyone denouncing father or mother should be killed.' But you weasel around that by saying, 'Whoever wants to, can say to father and mother, What I owed to you I've given to God.' That can hardly be called respecting a parent. You cancel God's command by your rules. Frauds! Isaiah's prophecy of you hit the bull's-eye:

   These people make a big show of saying the right thing,

      but their heart isn't in it.

   They act like they're worshiping me,

      but they don't mean it.

   They just use me as a cover

      for teaching whatever suits their fancy."

He then called the crowd together and said, "Listen, and take this to heart. It's not what you swallow that pollutes your life, but what you vomit up."

Later his disciples came and told him, "Did you know how upset the Pharisees were when they heard what you said?" Jesus shrugged it off. "Every tree that wasn't planted by my Father in heaven will be pulled up by its roots. Forget them. They are blind men leading blind men. When a blind man leads a blind man, they both end up in the ditch."

Peter said, "I don't get it. Put it in plain language."

Jesus replied, "You, too? Are you being willfully stupid? Don't you know that anything that is swallowed works its way through the intestines and is finally defecated? But what comes out of the mouth gets its start in the heart. It's from the heart that we vomit up evil arguments, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, lies, and cussing. That's what pollutes. Eating or not eating certain foods, washing or not washing your hands—that's neither here nor there.”

Hmm…I bet many people loved how he addressed the hypocrites. Jesus always knew how to shut people up who had too much to say about things that did not concern them. But most importantly…notice the bottom of the scripture?? It’s not what we swallow that’s the problem; it’s what we throw up. Some people may laugh at what Jesus said to Peter, but thank God peter was there because if it wasn’t for him, I bet he wouldn’t have been the only not to understand. And the ones who didn’t would be too proud or embarrassed to ask for fear of feeling stupid. But since Peter asked for clarification, there you have it: If you swallow something, it eventually leaves your body. But when you throw up all the evil stuff mentioned in the scripture??? We pollute not only ourselves, but the people around us. So, next time something comes out of your mouth, try to make sure it’s something edifying and not polluting. There’s already too much in this world without Christians adding on to it. It won’t be overnight, but step by step, we’ll make it :-)