“ 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.' You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” (Mark 7:6-8 NIV)
It is so easy to feign holiness. All you have to do is dress the part; act in a certain manner; speak in a certain way.
We may fool those around us but we won't fool the Lord. For he sees not our outward appearance and actions - he sees the heart!
Like a laser beam it penetrates our inward being and exposes the truth within... As the author of Hebrews bares...
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account (Hebrews 4:12-13 NIV).
All is laid bare before the Lord, nothing escapes His sight.
One particular thing I love about the Lord Jesus is that He is "makulit" especially when he wants to stress and drive a point. One particular point to mention is how the Jews would observe the Sabbath but miss the essence of it. And Jesus would time and time again get the ire of the Pharisees by healing and doing miracles on the Sabbath... Yes on the Sabbath! The most revered day of the Jews!
1. Healing of a man with shriveled hand on a Sabbath (Matthew 12:10)
2. Healing of an invalid man at the pool of Bethesda (John 5:8-10)
3. Healing of a blind man on a Sabbath (John 9:13-14)
4. Picking heads of grain on a Sabbath (Matthew 12:1)
What was Jesus' point to all of these?
It is quite obvious - that God is not pleased in repetitious, monotonous, almost robot-like observance of customs and traditions but without a change in heart that causes genuine repentance!
If you would read again the back story of passages mentioned above, Jesus is like a silent operator, sneaking here and there.
Inconspicuously doing a miracle causing a stir and controversy. Ha ha ha!
I wonder if Jesus would be here? Would it get to the point that Jesus would cause a ruckus - overturning tables, chairs even in the temple! Even in OUR temple, OUR churches!
Wait! Wait! What? Am I imagining things? Or is that just what happened in OUR DAYS?
#biblicalquarantine
#genuinerepentance
#lasereyes