Hypocritical Pharisees

We're up to day 12 of our 90 day challenge to read through the entire NT. It’s been great reading though the comments at the end of each day. Today we’re looking at Mark 7,8, & 9.

Jesus address the Pharisees in chapter 7, and it’s been a theme that has been speaking strongly to me lately. Mark (along with all the gospel writers) highlights how JC is often upset at with the Pharisees,

In chapter 7, the Pharisees question JC why his disciples don’t ceremonially wash their hands – which was a pharisaic (or religious) tradition. -

So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked [Jesus], "Why don't your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony."

Jesus replied, "You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

'These people honor me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me.

Their worship is a farce,

for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.'

"For you ignore God's law and substitute your own tradition."

Hand washing was meant to be symbolic of washing off the ritual impurities that one may have engaged while they’d been at the market. And interestingly…it wasn’t even an OT law…but was developed in the time between the O and N T.

Here, the Pharisees are accusing JC’s disciples of being ritually unclean – but JC points out it’s them that are unclean – b/c they followed their traditions over Gods laws. – They are hypocrites.

When people fake their religious devotion or when they bend God's word to justify the way they want to live, then it is hypocrisy no matter who they are. Jesus hates hypocrisy. When ppl sink into hypocrisy, Jesus will not pretend with them that they are righteous. So what do we do with these harsh words from Jesus?

First, we need to ask ourselves if we are guilty of the sin Jesus condemns! After all, in one way of viewing things, aren't we the religious ones today like the people questioning Jesus were then? If we are guilty, then let's change and put our lives where our mouths are!

Second, we need to be not so bashful with each other when hypocrisy creeps into our lives. Lovingly and humbly, we need to help each other identify and correct any hypocrisy. Hypocrisy destroys our hearts and ruins the influence of Jesus' people on the world!

The Blessed Life

Read Matthew 5:1-12

Hi and welcome to this week’s Reedy's Devotional Moments. We have just launched the New Testament in 90 Days Challenge. Have you got on board yet? If not, click here for the link. Today’s chapters are from Matthew 4, 5 and 6. When you read chapters 5 and 6 then chapter 7 on the next day, they form part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

Several respected authors speak highly of this teaching of Jesus Christ. Michael Green says that they are “a Christian Manifesto of the Kingdom”. William Barclay says that “in the Sermon on the Mount we have the essence of the teaching of Jesus”.

The Sermon on the Mount is a wonderful refresher course encouraging us to get back on track, to do the things and the act the way that Jesus wants us to. It reminds us of what life could be like in the Kingdom of God if we all follow the teachings of Jesus.

In the opening verses Matthew sets the scene: “Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began

to teach them” (Matthew 5:1-2 NIV). Most scholars believe the “mountainside” to be the hills alongside of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus, like Rabbis of those days, sat down and began to teach. In verse 2 in the King James Version it reads, “And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying” (Matthew 5:2 KJV). This phrase he opened his mouth is not simply a roundabout way of saying “he said”. In the original language what Jesus was about to teach was of utmost importance but one which comes from the heart.

Depending on what version of the bible you have, each of these eight beatitudes in chapter 5 commences with the phrase “Blessed are the…”, “Blessed are the…”, “Blessed are the…”. This word blessed is a very special word. It is the Greek word makarios. The meaning of makarios can be seen from one particular usage of it. The Greeks always called Island of Cyprus makaria, which means The Happy Isle, and they did so because they

believed that Cyprus was so lovely, so rich, and so fertile an island that a person would never need to go beyond its coastline to find the perfectly happy life.

And when we think of the Kingdom of God in the future sense, we think of such a beautiful place – why would we need to go anywhere else? Makarios contains the root hap which means happiness. But it’s deeper than just happiness – it’s like being in a fortunate state for those in the kingdom of God. Being "blessed" by God means experiencing hope, peace, and joy despite life’s circumstances.

When you come to chapters 5, 6 and 7, keep these thoughts in mind that Jesus is teaching us values that are very close to his heart that for those who practice them will experience a deep peace and joy.

Please pray with me. Dear God, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Help me to read Your word throughout this 90-Days challenge and beyond. Grant be a teachable heart and wisdom and strength in how to apply Your Word. Thank you that I am so blessed being in your kingdom. In Jesus name. Amen.

David Moyes

Resurrection and Doubts

Read John 20:24-29

I love how eight days later when Jesus appears to the disciples and greets them the same way “peace be with you” and draws his attention immediately to Thomas with a very gentle approach to his unbelief. Jesus offers Thomas the reassurance he wanted.

Charles Swindoll observes that Jesus’s light rebuke of Thomas is essentially saying “its ok to place complete faith in me, I won’t let you down, I am here I am real, and I won’t abandon you".

Jesus knows where we are all at regarding our faith in Him and is always gentle in reminding us. We all have doubts about things in life such as financial stability, provision of work, health and well-being Jesus will continually remind us that we don’t need to doubt but trust in Him.

What are your areas of doubt and how can you turn that into trust in Jesus?

Paul Voigt