Various teachings ~
1) A woman tells Jesus is mother is blessed. Jesus responds that believers are blessed. What is a believer? Those that hear the Word and keep it.
2) Jonah was a prophet, sent by God to warn the people of Nineveh to change there ways. He didn't want to go, so he ran away. In the course of events, he was swallowed by a big fish, spending three days in the fish's belly. After he was spit up on shore, Jonah went and spoke the words God gave him. The people of Nineveh repented - they heard the words and kept it. The Queen from the South is the Queen of Sheba, who hearing of the great wealth and wisdom of Solomon, traveled to Judea for a tour and a conference. After speaking with Solomon, she proclaimed that Yahweh was the One True God. Jesus tells those who follow up looking for signs that they have missed the mark. Jesus' words are the signs they should follow.
3) The lamp is God's Word. No one would turn on a flashlight and then hide it in a drawer. What use would that be? Reading God's word and doing nothing with it is the same. Go back to number 1 - hear the Word and keep it. Follow it. Put it in to practice. Use it to make your decisions. Become a believer.
4) Washing was a symbol of inner cleanliness. It was suppose to signify a surrender to God, a willingness to clean out your life of sin, and once again hear the Word and keep it. The pharisees had gotten to the point where their worship was just symbols. They did a lot of outward things so others could see, but they never did the work to clean up the inside. It's like a car, you can shine the paint job until it gleams, vacuum and detail the inside so it retains that new car smell, but if you don't maintain the engine and undercarriage, the car isn't going to function correctly no matter how shiny it is. We need to spend time on our relationship with God and worry less about impressing other people.
5) Well, can you imagine that the pharisees were insulted! Jesus tells them an insult is the least of their worries. These men are the religious leaders. And they are leading the people astray. Not good. Judgment and doom are coming for these men if they continue down this path. It is easy to get busy judging other people. It is easy to give your opinion on matters that you know little about. It is very easy to give someone the wrong information about God which will damage their relationship with God. It takes no thought or effort. What is hard it staying silent and listening. Learning truth and giving up your opinion. Focusing on your relationship with God. Hard isn't the right word, effort is. It takes effort - but it's an effort that will pay off. Follow Jesus! Read His Word. Think before you speak. You will be amazed at how easy life really becomes when you make just an effort to hear the Word and do what it says.
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