Matthew 21:23-46; Psalm 26:1-12; Proverbs 6:16-19 Ah, those wicked religious leaders still have themselves all bent out of shape regarding Jesus' actions of the previous day. See the merchants in the temple had been given permission to be there by the chief priests and religious leaders because they were getting kick-backs on the sales. Forcing temple visitors to purchase "approved" offerings was big money & the chief priests & religious leaders were enjoying the spoils. But then Jesus comes along and ruins all the fun - so they decide to confront him. Now as we have read the previously, they never win these confrontations, nor do they ever trip Jesus up. But these hard-headed men still haven't learned that Jesus doesn't play games, so onto the confrontation. Notice something, Jesus understands the hearts of people; therefore, instead of answering trick questions, He gets right to the root of the problem. Jesus tells the religious leaders two parables, both focused on greed and disobedience. As the religious leaders listen, they instantly make correct judgments concerning these stories, but it takes Jesus pointing out that they themselves have treated the Kingdom of God in such a manner to open their eyes. Sadly, the religious leaders continued to hold onto their hard-hearted ways. Instead of repenting, they grew even more determined to get rid of Jesus. They are just so addicted to their power and wealth that they have blinded themselves to the one thing that will give them TRUE power and wealth. How often do we act like these religious leaders? We have been given the Scriptures and countless books,
curriculums, lessons, and sermons on how to live a life that is pleasing to God.
Unfortunately, when confronted with our actions, we often dig in deeper rather than admit our weaknesses and repent of our sins. Then we wonder why life isn't working out the way we think it should. I have to ask, is the freedom you think you have - the power, the authority, the material goods you keep accumulating - filling the emptiness inside? I'm going to guess that it's not. It never will. So let it go. Open your heart to Jesus and let Him fill the emptiness. You'll find a power over your own sins and a wealth of joy & peace that you never thought possible. I love our proverb for today. Have you ever heard of the seven deadly sins? Well, that's a man-made list - all sin is deadly. But here is a list of seven things the Lord hates. Notice they all have to do with destroying relationships and they are different aspects of a person's personality:
- eyes that are arrogant - pride, selfish ambition
- a tongue that lies - denying your own wrongdoing
- hands that murder the innocent - destroying others, this includes hating another person
- a heart that plots evil - the heart is your connection with God. A heart that plots evil is a heart cut-off from a relationship with Him.
- feet that race down a wicked track - this implies action. You've turned your heart against God & now you are actively opposing Him.
- a mouth that lies under oath - gossip, rumor, destroying another man's reputation for your own selfish gain
- a troublemaker in the family - destroying relationships between others.
The religious leaders knew this verse & taught it to others, yet they were actively involved in all seven of these sins. What about you? Where are you at on this list? It's a good list to memorize, hold up against your own actions, and then make every effort do the opposite:
- Be humble
- Be honest
- Treat others with compassion and love, building them up
- Focus on righteousness
- Actively seek God
- Put others first
- Be a peacekeeper
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