What I say reveals what’s inside my heart. That’s the place to begin
By Dean Collins
Pharisees are often offended. They don’t like anyone rocking the boat. They keep their vessels sparkling clean and very well organized. Every passenger on one of their vessels needs to know their rules and follow them. They have clear protocols that demand adherence. Pharisees believe just following their plans keeps things running smoothly. They also get to keep the best seats as a part of the plan. And everyone who desires the favor of God should always follow the plan.
The disciples had recently traveled in a different vessel across the Sea of Galilee. It was shortly after the feeding of the 5,000. We don’t know if any Pharisees had been at the fish dinner on the other side of the sea when they saw the disciples not properly washing before dinner or whether this was an old issue. Pharisees seldom let go of issues. They do a lot of rehashing of old complaints, sometimes seemingly just to keep their grumpy dispositions. So when they saw Jesus this time they asked him why his disciples break the traditions of the elders. Jesus asked them why they broke commandments. Seems like a bigger deal to break a commandment than a tradition.
Heart issues
The Pharisees didn’t like the question and they didn’t like Jesus bringing in the prophecy of Isaiah to prove his point. After all, the Pharisees were sure they knew and understood the Law and prophets better than anyone, including Jesus.
Jesus called the people who were around when this inquisition was going down and tried to clear up what God desires and what he isn’t really focused on. And then the disciples pulled Jesus aside and said, “Do you know the Pharisees were offended by what you said?” And the disciples asked Jesus to explain more to them so they really got it themselves. I don’t know whether what Jesus has said is all that confusing to us, or if we just don’t want to do what he asks of us.
Jesus cut to the chase and did a wrap-up of his main point. Whatever we say with our mouth comes directly from our hearts. He explained that heart issues have to do with the value of life, fidelity in marriage, murder, lying, and slander. Forgetting to wash your hands properly or keeping appearances are not the top priority. This may offend Pharisees, but Jesus isn’t worried about these things.
More judgment
I had an email from a Pharisee just this week. I hear from at least one fairly often. She listed all the ways she was offended and why I should change policies in order to satisfy her desire that the organization I lead behave according to her understanding of God, health, politics, and more. I started to write a reply, but the words of Jesus kept stopping me. I decided not to retaliate. I already knew that an earlier explanation only led to more judgment.
If I understand Jesus properly, he cares about what’s in my heart and how I express myself verbally and in writing. He cares because it matters and reveals my heart. To be more like Jesus, I can’t retaliate. My impulse was to lash out and with my own list of how un-Christian and ignorant I thought the person was behaving. But not only would that not help, but it would also weaken my heart and cause me to drift toward legalism myself.
Continued practice
It’s going to take continued practice, but I’m going to keep working on my heart. You may bump into a Pharisee today as well. Don’t let them steal your joy or trick you into playing their game. Ask Jesus to help you check your heart before you respond. Let’s both work on keeping our hearts and our minds on Jesus more than correcting others. I think God’s will on earth will be more like it is in Heaven that way.
Your time with God’s Word
Matthew 15:10-20 ESV
Photo by Peter Forster on Unsplash
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