Category: Uncategorized (Page 1 of 24)

Luke 21:5 – Some of his disciples began talking about the majestic stonework of the Temple and the memorial decorations on the walls. But Jesus said, ⁶ “The time is coming when all these things will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”   ⁷ “Teacher,” they asked, “when will all this happen? What sign will show us that these things are about to take place?”

⁸ He replied, “Don’t let anyone mislead you, for many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and saying, ‘The time has come!’ But don’t believe them. ⁹ And when you hear of wars and insurrections, don’t panic. Yes, these things must take place first, but the end won’t follow immediately.” ¹⁰ Then he added, “Nation will go to war against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. ¹¹ There will be great earthquakes, and there will be famines and plagues in many lands, and there will be terrifying things and great miraculous signs from heaven.

¹² “But before all this occurs, there will be a time of great persecution. You will be dragged into synagogues and prisons, and you will stand trial before kings and governors because you are my followers. ¹³ But this will be your opportunity to tell them about me. ¹⁴ So don’t worry in advance about how to answer the charges against you, ¹⁵ for I will give you the right words and such wisdom that none of your opponents will be able to reply or refute you! ¹⁶ Even those closest to you—your parents, brothers, relatives, and friends—will betray you. They will even kill some of you. ¹⁷ And everyone will hate you because you are my followers. ¹⁸ But not a hair of your head will perish! ¹⁹ By standing firm, you will win your souls.  (NLT)

For those that follow the liturgical calendar, we are in the season of Advent.  Not all Churches observe Advent, so what is it?  Just as the season of Lent is a time to spiritually prepare for Easter, Advent is a time to spiritually prepare for Christmas.  Christ came into the world two thousand years ago, and many saw and heard him.  One way or another, we will all come face to face with Jesus, either when he returns or when we die.  Our meeting Jesus is a reality – it will happen!  Advent is a time to prepare for the reality of Jesus in the world, and in our life.

The passage we have today from the Gospel of Luke is a traditional Advent reading.  Jesus had spoken about the coming destruction of the temple.  While this would happen in a relatively short span of time, the disciples took this to be some sort of end time prophecy.  In Jesus’ answer, he cautions them about becoming too excited with news of an end, but ultimately he tells them that no matter what they should stand firm in their faith. 

Friends, as I stated above, we will all meet Jesus one day.  If Jesus returns today, or if he returns long after we have died, we will all meet Jesus. Advent is a time to prepare us for Christmas, and ultimately Christ.  Whether Christ returns now or later, we should also stand firm in our faith, trusting that no matter what happens in our life, we will be safe in Jesus.

Let us heed the words of Jesus in verses 18-19: “But not a hair of your head will perish!  By standing firm, you will win your souls.”  Let us take these weeks prior to Christmas as a season to make sure that we are standing firm.  Let us seek to build trust in the one who has promised us that live or die, we are safe in Christ! 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Psalm 57:1 – Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy!
I look to you for protection.
I will hide beneath the shadow of your wings
until the danger passes by.
² I cry out to God Most High,
to God who will fulfill his purpose for me.
³ He will send help from heaven to rescue me,
disgracing those who hound me.
My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness.

⁴ I am surrounded by fierce lions
who greedily devour human prey—
whose teeth pierce like spears and arrows,
and whose tongues cut like swords.

⁵ Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens!
May your glory shine over all the earth.

⁶ My enemies have set a trap for me.
I am weary from distress.
They have dug a deep pit in my path,
but they themselves have fallen into it.

⁷ My heart is confident in you, O God;
my heart is confident.
No wonder I can sing your praises!
⁸ Wake up, my heart!
Wake up, O lyre and harp!
I will wake the dawn with my song.
⁹ I will thank you, Lord, among all the people.
I will sing your praises among the nations.
¹⁰ For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens.
Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.

¹¹ Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens.
May your glory shine over all the earth. (NLT)

In most Bibles, the title of each psalms is given.  The title of this psalm is:  For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time he fled from Saul and went into the cave. To be sung to the tune “Do Not Destroy!”  The events of that story are recorded in 1 Samuel 24.  Those with David wanted David to kill Saul, but David refused.  David trusted in God’s guidance, not the guidance of men set upon vengeance.  David had a small army ready to fight and die with him, but he looked to God for his protection (verse 1).  

I doubt any of us have ever been hiding in a cave while surrounded by our enemies, but I am sure we have had situations in life where we sure felt like it!  I am sure we have felt as if we were surrounded by fierce lions (verse 4), and we have been weary with distress (verse 6).  At those times, where do we seek help?  Whose guidance and whose counsel do we seek?  This psalm teaches us that we should seek help in God.  In verse three, David wrote: “My God will send forth his unfailing love and faithfulness.”

Not only did David seek his help from God, he was confident in God’s counsel: “My heart is confident in you, O God; my heart is confident” (verse 7).  David’s confidence in God is inspiring!  Centuries later, James would write about confidence in our prayers.  Concerning prayer, James wrote: “Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world” (James 1:6-8).

While we may not always be there spiritually, our goal as Christians is to be able to pray to God with the confidence of David.  Today, when we pray, let us pray with confidence. With such confidence, like David we can lift our voices and sing praises to God, even in the midst of troubles.   

Posted by Ramón Torres

Matthew 18:21 – Then Peter came to him and asked, “Lord, how often should I forgive someone who sins against me? Seven times?”   ²² “No, not seven times,” Jesus replied, “but seventy times seven!

²³ “Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven can be compared to a king who decided to bring his accounts up to date with servants who had borrowed money from him. ²⁴ In the process, one of his debtors was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. ²⁵ He couldn’t pay, so his master ordered that he be sold—along with his wife, his children, and everything he owned—to pay the debt.   ²⁶ “But the man fell down before his master and begged him, ‘Please, be patient with me, and I will pay it all.’ ²⁷ Then his master was filled with pity for him, and he released him and forgave his debt.

²⁸ “But when the man left the king, he went to a fellow servant who owed him a few thousand dollars. He grabbed him by the throat and demanded instant payment.  ²⁹ “His fellow servant fell down before him and begged for a little more time. ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay it,’ he pleaded. ³⁰ But his creditor wouldn’t wait. He had the man arrested and put in prison until the debt could be paid in full.   ³¹ “When some of the other servants saw this, they were very upset. They went to the king and told him everything that had happened. ³² Then the king called in the man he had forgiven and said, ‘You evil servant! I forgave you that tremendous debt because you pleaded with me. ³³ Shouldn’t you have mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you?’ ³⁴ Then the angry king sent the man to prison to be tortured until he had paid his entire debt.   ³⁵ “That’s what my heavenly Father will do to you if you refuse to forgive your brothers and sisters from your heart.” (NLT)

These verses follow the reading from last week.  Remember, Jesus had just given some instructions about what to do if someone had been offended by another.  Peter was probably thinking he sounded a bit generous by suggesting we forgive as many as seven times.  It has been recorded that many Rabbi’s of Jesus’ day suggested that one forgive another up to three times. So, in the context of Peter’s culture, he was being generous!  Indeed, in the world in which we live, forgiving seven times is not generous, but rather a bit absurd!

To illustrate this radical forgiveness to which we are called to offer, Jesus tells a story a king who forgave a man of a tremendous debt.  Because the forgiven man refused to forgive others, the king had the man thrown into prison until his debt was paid.  Jesus is telling us that we are men and women who have been forgiven a tremendous debt, therefore forgiving others should be a way of life for each of us.

Does this mean we let people walk over us and take advantage of us, then just forgive again?  Absolutely not!  There are many verses that would speak to those behaviors, and last weeks passage makes it clear that some offenses must be confronted and action must be taken so that the offense comes to an end.  However, there are many things in our daily lives of which we should offer forgiveness.  When we do not have a forgiving spirit, anger builds.  God’s Word tells us to get rid of anger and, “Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.”  (Ephesians 4:32). 

Today, let us strive to live with a spirit of forgiveness, remembering that we have been forgiven of a great debt! 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Matthew 18:15 – “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. ¹⁶ But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. ¹⁷ If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.

¹⁸ “I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.   ¹⁹ “I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. ²⁰ For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them.” (NLT)

Have you ever had someone do you wrong?  Of course you have, we all have, and so this passage speaks to everyone.  Jesus tells us to first go to the one who has offended us.  Let us consider what this implies.  It implies that we will not go to our friends and talk about what this person has done. Some Christians even go so far as to share something as a ‘prayer concern’, when in fact it is nothing more that griping and gossiping.

When we consider the Word of God in its entirety, we understand that Jesus is not telling us to go and confront someone with every little thing that they do that bothers us!  The Apostle Paul tells us: Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. (Colossians 3:13).  Yet, we know that there are some offenses that run so deeply that we cannot simply overlook them.  These are the instances when we must go and discuss the matter with the other person. 

Some time ago, I unintentionally hurt someone’s feelings.  What I did truly hurt them deeply.  I am so glad that this person did not feel inclined to simply go and tell others how insensitive I had been. Instead, this person came to me privately.  Because of the Christian – Christ like – manner in which this person confronted me, I clearly recognized the wrong that I committed, and have been able to correct the wrong.  This is why this advice from Jesus is so vital. It not only has the power to reconcile two people, it gives someone the opportunity to change themselves for the better.

If someone hurts you today, prayerfully consider if it is such an offense that needs to be corrected.  If so, pray first, then go and speak to the offender.  You may discover that your speaking to the offender is the very voice of God speaking to them! 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Matthew 18:1 – About that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?”  ² Jesus called a little child to him and put the child among them. ³ Then he said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn from your sins and become like little children, you will never get into the Kingdom of Heaven. ⁴ So anyone who becomes as humble as this little child is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven.

⁵ “And anyone who welcomes a little child like this on my behalf is welcoming me. ⁶ But if you cause one of these little ones who trusts in me to fall into sin, it would be better for you to have a large millstone tied around your neck and be drowned in the depths of the sea.  ⁷ “What sorrow awaits the world, because it tempts people to sin. Temptations are inevitable, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting. ⁸ So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one hand or one foot than to be thrown into eternal fire with both of your hands and feet. ⁹ And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It’s better to enter eternal life with only one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.” (NLT)

Who is the greatest in the kingdom?  I guess the short answer would be – no one who would ask such a question!  Greatness in the kingdom of heaven is not based upon the qualities that the world would promote, but rather on humility. To illustrate this humility, Jesus spoke of becoming like a little child.  In the days of Jesus, while children may have been the promise of another worker at some point, children were merely tolerated among most people, at best.  A child had no chance of gaining any status, and those who seek the kingdom must not be seeking status.  Even as in our time, in the days of Jesus children were not looked up to, but rather looked after.  If we seek life in the kingdom, we should never seek to elevate ourselves before others, but rather only seek to elevate the status of the one who looks after us – Jesus Christ.

It’s not in our nature to take on these childlike qualities, and that’s the point.  Our nature must be set aside. To seek life in the kingdom, we lay aside our old self.  Indeed, Paul spoke of dying to the world: “You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world” (Colossians 2:20).

The second part of this passage turns from humility, to the dangers of those who would turn a humble one astray. We must understand that Jewish Rabbi’s would often use exaggeration to make a point (after all, did anyone really walk around with a log in their eye?).  Jesus says in verse eight: “So if your hand or foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away.”  The point is this – flee the temptations of sin!  Do whatever it takes to avoid temptation. 

These two points – humility and avoiding sin at all costs – takes work!  It takes discipline, and that is why followers of Jesus are called disciples.  Today, let us seek to truly be disciplined disciples of Jesus Christ. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Matthew 17:24 – On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter and asked him, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the Temple tax?”  ²⁵ “Yes, he does,” Peter replied. Then he went into the house.  But before he had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, “What do you think, Peter? Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered?”  ²⁶ “They tax the people they have conquered,” Peter replied.   “Well, then,” Jesus said, “the citizens are free! ²⁷ However, we don’t want to offend them, so go down to the lake and throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us.” (NLT) 

At first glance, this passage appears to be about paying taxes, but there is so much more to be gained.  Indeed, the kingdom is to be gained!  (Although I must admit, finding money in a fish to pay taxes would be nice!)  The Temple tax was a bit controversial by the time of Jesus, and it seems that collectors of the Temple tax sought to include Jesus in the controversy.  The Sadducees did not approve of the tax.  Some Jewish men only had to pay it once in their lifetime, while most others paid it yearly, but again, there is much more here than the Temple Tax. 

In verse twenty-five, Jesus asks Peter if kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered, to which Peter answers: “They tax the people they have conquered”.  This might seem confusing to us, for certainly governments have taxed their own people even in ancient times.  In this verse Jesus is giving Peter a choice – would a king rather tax his own people or the people he has conquered.  Peter answers that it is those who have been conquered.  Jesus gives an answer that should be – for all who call Jesus their Savior – an absolutely liberating answer:  “Well, then,” Jesus said, “the citizens are free!” 

We get caught up in the matters of tax, while Jesus slips in something prophetic.  When we choose to be citizens of the kingdom that Jesus came to establish, we are free!  The Apostle Paul shares the following on this subject in his letter to the Galatians: “But when the right time came, God sent his Son, born of a woman, subject to the law.  God sent him to buy freedom for us who were slaves to the law, so that he could adopt us as his very own children. And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.” Now you are no longer a slave but God’s own child. And since you are his child, God has made you his heir.” (Galatians 4:4-7). 

When we choose to live in the kingdom of God, not only are we free, we are heirs of the kingdom!  Today, let us celebrate our freedom from sin and death.  Let us praise God for our adoption! 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Matthew 17:14 – At the foot of the mountain, a large crowd was waiting for them. A man came and knelt before Jesus and said, ¹⁵ “Lord, have mercy on my son. He has seizures and suffers terribly. He often falls into the fire or into the water. ¹⁶ So I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t heal him.”

¹⁷ Jesus said, “You faithless and corrupt people! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy here to me.” ¹⁸ Then Jesus rebuked the demon in the boy, and it left him. From that moment the boy was well.

¹⁹ Afterward the disciples asked Jesus privately, “Why couldn’t we cast out that demon?”   ²⁰ “You don’t have enough faith,” Jesus told them. “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” (NLT)

In this passage the disciples were unable to cast out a demon.  We should note that Jesus had previously given the disciples the authority to cast out demons (Matthew 10:8), and they had been successful at casting out demons in the past (Luke 10:17).  Now when they were unsuccessful in casting out demons, Jesus tells them that they did not have enough faith.  This passage can teach us much about ministry.

First, it should teach us not to get into the rut of doing ministry the same way all of the time.  The disciples had been successful in casting out demons in the past, and now they were most likely going about their ministry duties in pretty much the same way, expecting pretty much the same results.  Every situation, like every person, is different.  The methods for success that we may have had in ministry a year ago, or even a month ago, may not work today.  We need to address every opportunity for ministry as a unique opportunity.  Even if our ministry is greeting people at the door of the church, our next time of service may be completely different than the past.  We should enter into every time of service and ministry with prayer, asking for the presence of the Holy Spirit, never taking for granted that our time of service will be the same old thing.

Next, this passage teaches us that no matter what success we may have had, we need to go to Jesus when we are confronted with a challenge.  I find it interesting that while the father of the demon possessed man went to the disciples first, when they were unsuccessful it was the father that went to Jesus – and all the while the disciples seemed to have waited in the background. It was the disciples’ ministry to cast out demons, when they were unsuccessful they should have gone straight to Jesus.

This is not to say that we should not point people in the right direction when we are unable to help them, but when we have a ministry task we should be quick to go to Jesus in prayer.  Not going to Jesus while we are engaging in ministry shows that our faith is in ourselves, and not in Jesus.  When our faith is in ourselves, we have set ourselves up for failure. 

Today, let us not only be people of faith, but people whose faith is in Jesus! 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Matthew 16:13 – When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”  ¹⁴ “Well,” they replied, “some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah, and others say Jeremiah or one of the other prophets.”  ¹⁵ Then he asked them, “But who do you say I am?”

¹⁶ Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”  ¹⁷ Jesus replied, “You are blessed, Simon son of John, because my Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being. ¹⁸ Now I say to you that you are Peter (which means ‘rock’), and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it. ¹⁹ And I will give you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven. Whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.” (NLT)

In this passage Jesus and his disciples have come to Caesarea Philippi. Not only was this a predominantly Gentile area, its inhabitants practiced many of the world’s religions.  Caesarea Philippi was also a center for the worship of the pagan god Pan, the god of nature.  Against this backdrop Jesus asks his first question, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”

Jesus certainly knew what people were saying, but he was setting up the disciples for the most important question we can ever be asked, “But who do you say I am?”  We may know what others say about Jesus.  Like Jesus and the disciples, we have probably heard people say a number of things about Jesus.  Some good things, some not so good.  Ultimately, we must answer for ourselves, and we do!  Whether we verbalize it or not, each and every day we say who we believe Jesus to be.  We say it not only by the way that we speak, more importantly we say it by our actions.  How we live our lives will tell the truth more than any words of confession we can say.  Are we living life as if Jesus really is the Son of the living God?  Are we living life as if Jesus really is our Lord?  This is a question we must ask ourselves, and often. 

Today, let us live like Jesus is Lord of our life.  Let us live in a way in which our actions speak loud and clear! 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Matthew 16:1 – One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority.

² He replied, “You know the saying, ‘Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; ³ red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.’ You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don’t know how to interpret the signs of the times! ⁴ Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah.” Then Jesus left them and went away.

⁵ Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any bread. ⁶ “Watch out!” Jesus warned them. “Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”   ⁷ At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn’t brought any bread. ⁸ Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? ⁹ Don’t you understand even yet? Don’t you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? ¹⁰ Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? ¹¹ Why can’t you understand that I’m not talking about bread? So again I say, ‘Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.’”

¹² Then at last they understood that he wasn’t speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. (NLT)

Before Jesus walked the earth, the people of Israel spent a lot of time trying to make God happy.  They spent even more time worrying about whether or not they had sinned and made God angry.  After Jesus lived, died, and rose from the dead, his message was called Good News.  It was called Good News for a reason!

In this passage, the religious leaders are asking Jesus for a sign.  He tells them the only sign that he will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah – coming back after three days in the tomb.  Jesus then warns the disciples about the yeast of the religious leaders.  Verse twelve tells us that the disciples finally came to understand that Jesus was speaking of their deceptive teachings.  Friends, there are still religious leaders who preach and teach deception! 

I believe that the most common deceptive teaching is the teaching that we somehow have to earn our way into heaven.  We cannot!  Heaven is a free gift.  Paul tells us in Romans 6:23 that the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus.  He then tells us in Ephesians: “God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it” (Ephesians 2:8-9, NLT).

It’s called Good News for a reason!  It’s called Good News because God’s love and mercy is not something we earn, it’s something we receive.  We are told in Romans 11:6 that God’s grace is free and undeserved.  We do not have to live life in fear of God’s wrath.

Today, rejoice, celebrate, and praise God for God’s free and undeserved grace!  That, my friends, is truly Good News! 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Matthew 15:1 – Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him, ² “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”

³ Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? ⁴ For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ ⁵ But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ ⁶ In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. ⁷ You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

⁸ ‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
⁹ Their worship is a farce,
for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’”

¹⁰ Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. ¹¹ It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”   ¹² Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?”   ¹³ Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, ¹⁴ so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”

¹⁵ Then Peter said to Jesus, “Explain to us the parable that says people aren’t defiled by what they eat.”   ¹⁶ “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. ¹⁷ “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. ¹⁸ But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. ¹⁹ For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. ²⁰ These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you.” (NLT)

Today’s passage deals with the subject of legalism.  Legalism is following the letter of the law without regard to the spirit of the law.  The Pharisees and teachers of the law were only concerned with the letter of the law and were ignoring the spirit of the law.  I don’t think that Jesus would counsel us to never wash our hands!  This is not the point of this passage. 

While cleanliness is important, what is even more important is what comes forth from us. Cleanliness can be compared to the letter of the law. Cleanliness is important.  Cleanliness keeps us healthy.  In our modern world, we know that cleanliness keeps us from spreading germs.  What comes forth from us can be compared to the spirit of the law.  What comes forth from us is the goal of the law.  The law was given to keep us right with God – AND to keep us right with others.  When we focus on being right with God without regard to being right with others, we have ignored the spirit of the law.

In the past, I have written of Sabbath laws in this blog.  Sabbath laws help us maintain a healthy relationship with God, but when our efforts to keep the Sabbath laws prohibit us from being compassionate to the human need around us, we have lost the spirit of the law.  We cannot be right with God when we are not right with others.

This is why when the expert in the law asked Jesus what he believed to be the most important law, Jesus answered: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’  This is the first and greatest commandment.  A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40).

These two commandments fulfill all of the laws!  Today, let us focus on loving God and loving others.  Let us remember that what comes forth from us (words and actions) speaks of what is inside of us.   

Posted by Ramón Torres