Prayer Journal
Friday, January 23, 2004
"These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men." Matthew 15:8
"Jesus didn't get angry often, but when he did, look out! But his anger was righteous as he saw the way men responded to God's grace and the way they returned his love with suspicion and doubt.
The Pharisees were among those most often held in contempt by Jesus. Not only did he say they were "blind" spiritually, but they blinded the eyes of those who followed them and listened to their teaching. Jesus couldn't get the truth past their teaching of tradition and rules to give hope to those who listened to such trash. And sadly, religion is much like that still today: it's generally 90% trash and 10% truth; 90% junk and maybe 10% Jesus.
In the gospel of Matthew, you find a pivot point in the plan of salvation. Born as a Jew, prophesied to be the coming King of the Jews, followed by Jews and preaching to primarily Jews, Jesus left the Jewish teachers called Pharisees behind and turned to "anyone who comes," offering hope to all men, not just Jews. (Mt 15:21) Jesus preached 100% truth and 0% trash.
The way Jesus ministered to all men was like a fresh dose of morning sun on the darkened landscape. Jewish law made allowance for specific rules and God's love and grace took distant second behind absolute compliance. Before Jesus came on the scene, interpretation of the law grew to the proportion it was debated by the Scribes and Pharisees all the time.
Life got darker and darker until Jesus came on the horizon and brought light. And the longer he walked on earth, he illuminated not only the law, but he also exposed those who perverted it. Proverbs tells us the path of the righteous is also like the first gleam of dawn, getting brighter until darkness is chased away. But amazingly, the wicked still stumble around like they're in the dark, never noticing the light or the Source. (Pro 4:18)
I hope you are not spiritually blind. That is, I hope you've met Jesus Christ, the Son of Righteousness and walk in His light daily. If not, then Scripture says you're blind like a Pharisee; like a dead man walking to the ultimate demise awaiting those who, even thought they live in the light, die in the darkness.
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I'll pray today for...
* My spouse
* My children
* Their friends
* My friends
* My employer
* My city
* My country
* Civic leaders
* Schools
* Teachers
* The sick
* The lost
* Those in despair
* The hospitalized
* The grieving
* Widows
* Orphans
* My church
* My pastor
* Church leaders
* Other churches
* Persecuted church
* Missionaries
* Myself
