Post by Les on Mar 3, 2024 11:03:08 GMT -5
A Heart for Christ By: Karen Huang
Click here for the Audio Message
Out of the heart come evil thoughts . . . these are what defile a person.
Matthew 15:19−20
Today's Scripture & Insight :
Matthew 15:7−20
As long as you keep your mouth closed, I told myself, you won’t be doing anything wrong. I’d been outwardly holding back my anger towards a colleague after misinterpreting things she’d said. Since we had to see each other every day, I decided to limit communication to only what was necessary (and retaliate with my silent treatment). How could a quiet demeanour be wrong?
Jesus said that sin begins in the heart (Matthew 15:18−20). My silence may have fooled people into thinking all was well, but it wasn’t fooling God. He knew I was hiding a heart filled with anger. I was like the Pharisees who honoured God with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him (v. 8). Even though my outward appearance didn’t show my true feelings, the bitterness was festering inside me. The joy and closeness I’d always felt with my heavenly Father were gone. Nurturing and hiding sin does that.
By God’s grace, I told my colleague how I was feeling and apologised. She graciously forgave me and, eventually, we became good friends. “Out of the heart come evil thoughts” (v. 19), Jesus says. The state of our heart matters because evil residing there can overflow into our lives. Both our exterior and interior matter.
Reflect & Pray
Jesus said that the sin in our heart defiles us. What “evil thoughts” might be defiling your heart? How can you pray regarding this matter?
Loving God, please forgive me for the sins I’ve been nurturing in my heart. I want my heart to be pleasing in Your sight. Please help me to change.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
When Jesus quoted Isaiah in Matthew 15:8-9, it was from a passage in which God, through the prophet, confronted the people of Jerusalem over their self-righteous religious practices (Isaiah 29:13). In that day, the people claimed to know God, but their actions proved their hearts were stone-cold. In the Messiah’s day, He directed Isaiah’s accusation specifically at the Pharisees, who were guilty of the same sin. The Pharisees had just accused Jesus of His failure to wash His hands before eating. Mark’s parallel account about this scene expands on the Pharisees’ unhelpful tradition (see Mark 7:3-4). There was nothing wrong with the washing of one’s hands prior to eating. But the Pharisees had made this a requirement, elevating “human rules” to the status of God-ordained law (Matthew 15:9).
Tim Gustafson
Matthew 15:7-20
King James Version
7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
Click here for the Audio Message
Out of the heart come evil thoughts . . . these are what defile a person.
Matthew 15:19−20
Today's Scripture & Insight :
Matthew 15:7−20
As long as you keep your mouth closed, I told myself, you won’t be doing anything wrong. I’d been outwardly holding back my anger towards a colleague after misinterpreting things she’d said. Since we had to see each other every day, I decided to limit communication to only what was necessary (and retaliate with my silent treatment). How could a quiet demeanour be wrong?
Jesus said that sin begins in the heart (Matthew 15:18−20). My silence may have fooled people into thinking all was well, but it wasn’t fooling God. He knew I was hiding a heart filled with anger. I was like the Pharisees who honoured God with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him (v. 8). Even though my outward appearance didn’t show my true feelings, the bitterness was festering inside me. The joy and closeness I’d always felt with my heavenly Father were gone. Nurturing and hiding sin does that.
By God’s grace, I told my colleague how I was feeling and apologised. She graciously forgave me and, eventually, we became good friends. “Out of the heart come evil thoughts” (v. 19), Jesus says. The state of our heart matters because evil residing there can overflow into our lives. Both our exterior and interior matter.
Reflect & Pray
Jesus said that the sin in our heart defiles us. What “evil thoughts” might be defiling your heart? How can you pray regarding this matter?
Loving God, please forgive me for the sins I’ve been nurturing in my heart. I want my heart to be pleasing in Your sight. Please help me to change.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
When Jesus quoted Isaiah in Matthew 15:8-9, it was from a passage in which God, through the prophet, confronted the people of Jerusalem over their self-righteous religious practices (Isaiah 29:13). In that day, the people claimed to know God, but their actions proved their hearts were stone-cold. In the Messiah’s day, He directed Isaiah’s accusation specifically at the Pharisees, who were guilty of the same sin. The Pharisees had just accused Jesus of His failure to wash His hands before eating. Mark’s parallel account about this scene expands on the Pharisees’ unhelpful tradition (see Mark 7:3-4). There was nothing wrong with the washing of one’s hands prior to eating. But the Pharisees had made this a requirement, elevating “human rules” to the status of God-ordained law (Matthew 15:9).
Tim Gustafson
Matthew 15:7-20
King James Version
7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.