Our paragraph topic is: (Disciples warned to shun the Pharisees) Part 2.
Christ had called the people unto himself that he may give them instructions. He called their attention that they may hear, that they may listen, and that they may understand the lesson being taught. He told the people that it was not what they put into their mouths that defiled but what came out of the mouth that made a man defiled. And the Pharisees heard and understood. And the Pharisees heard and were angered. And the Pharisees heard and took offense. For they, the Pharisees, had taught, for hundreds of years, that a man was unclean and defiled if he did not wash before eating. They, the Pharisees, had impressed upon the people that they were unclean if they did not follow the traditions as they were taught. And many people felt and believed in the teachings of the Pharisees. Many people believed that they were unclean. Many people, because of the limited availability of water, believed the teachings of the Pharisees.
They did not have flowing water available to them as the rich, and the wealthy, and the powerful. They could not wash before every meal, as the rich, and the wealthy, and the powerful were able to do. They could not follow the traditions as handed down by the Pharisees, as the rich, and the wealthy, and the powerful. So they believed that they were unclean. But Christ came and made a change. Christ came and taught differently. Christ came and made the people clean, for he taught that it is not what is put into the mouth that makes one unclean but what comes out of the mouth that makes one unclean. For from the mouth the heart speaks. And many, spoke evil from their mouths and were unclean because of what came from their heart through their mouths. The disciples came and told Christ . Then his disciples came up and said to him, "Dost thou know that the Pharisees have taken offense at hearing this saying?"
The disciples listened to the Pharisees. The disciples heard the talk of the Pharisees. The disciples believed in the teachings of the Pharisees because they did not know. The disciples did not know that if the heart is clean and pure then the mouth speaks no evil. The disciples did not know that what is put into the mouth does not make one clean or unclean. And so Christ had to teach. Christ had to inform. Christ had to give a lesson to his disciples and to the people gathered around him. And Christ had to offend the evil in the Pharisees. For the Pharisee took offense to what was spoken by Christ. The evil within the Pharisees arose and brought forth the anger against the teachings of Christ. The evil within made the Pharisees spoke against the teachings of Christ and took offense.
Christ taught a lesson 2000 yrs ago and it still rings true today. The Pharisees objected. The Pharisees were compelled to speak. The evil within them had to come out. Is this still true today? Are you compelled to speak? Does your mouth speak before you have had to time to think about what you are to say? Does your heart know what comes forth from it or not? Defilement comes out of the mouth. Unclean words are an indicator of what lies within. And when the words of truth are spoken to us the unclean spirits come forth. For we do not speak of and by ourselves. We do not know what is to be said in the heat of an argument. Only the evil that is within us comes out and we are made unclean. Only the darkness that hides within our hearts comes out and is spoken through and by the mouth giving evidence of the state of our being.
God is love and within his being is love. We are created in his likeness. We are created in his image. Yet we can be infested with evil. We can be filled with evil. We can be taken over by the darkness that is in and of the world. But there is a choice. Christ came, a light into the world. Christ came that we may not walk in darkness but in the light of his life. The choice is ours. Which do you choose? Do you choose darkness or do you choose the light? It is a conscious decision. It is a decision that requires action. It is a decision that means walking a different path than what the world would have us walk. Come! Walk the path with Christ. He will walk with you and give you the light of life to walk with you. And you will know the treasures of the kingdom of heaven in your walk.
Christ had called the people unto himself that he may give them instructions. He called their attention that they may hear, that they may listen, and that they may understand the lesson being taught. He told the people that it was not what they put into their mouths that defiled but what came out of the mouth that made a man defiled. And the Pharisees heard and understood. And the Pharisees heard and were angered. And the Pharisees heard and took offense. For they, the Pharisees, had taught, for hundreds of years, that a man was unclean and defiled if he did not wash before eating. They, the Pharisees, had impressed upon the people that they were unclean if they did not follow the traditions as they were taught. And many people felt and believed in the teachings of the Pharisees. Many people believed that they were unclean. Many people, because of the limited availability of water, believed the teachings of the Pharisees.
They did not have flowing water available to them as the rich, and the wealthy, and the powerful. They could not wash before every meal, as the rich, and the wealthy, and the powerful were able to do. They could not follow the traditions as handed down by the Pharisees, as the rich, and the wealthy, and the powerful. So they believed that they were unclean. But Christ came and made a change. Christ came and taught differently. Christ came and made the people clean, for he taught that it is not what is put into the mouth that makes one unclean but what comes out of the mouth that makes one unclean. For from the mouth the heart speaks. And many, spoke evil from their mouths and were unclean because of what came from their heart through their mouths. The disciples came and told Christ . Then his disciples came up and said to him, "Dost thou know that the Pharisees have taken offense at hearing this saying?"
The disciples listened to the Pharisees. The disciples heard the talk of the Pharisees. The disciples believed in the teachings of the Pharisees because they did not know. The disciples did not know that if the heart is clean and pure then the mouth speaks no evil. The disciples did not know that what is put into the mouth does not make one clean or unclean. And so Christ had to teach. Christ had to inform. Christ had to give a lesson to his disciples and to the people gathered around him. And Christ had to offend the evil in the Pharisees. For the Pharisee took offense to what was spoken by Christ. The evil within the Pharisees arose and brought forth the anger against the teachings of Christ. The evil within made the Pharisees spoke against the teachings of Christ and took offense.
Christ taught a lesson 2000 yrs ago and it still rings true today. The Pharisees objected. The Pharisees were compelled to speak. The evil within them had to come out. Is this still true today? Are you compelled to speak? Does your mouth speak before you have had to time to think about what you are to say? Does your heart know what comes forth from it or not? Defilement comes out of the mouth. Unclean words are an indicator of what lies within. And when the words of truth are spoken to us the unclean spirits come forth. For we do not speak of and by ourselves. We do not know what is to be said in the heat of an argument. Only the evil that is within us comes out and we are made unclean. Only the darkness that hides within our hearts comes out and is spoken through and by the mouth giving evidence of the state of our being.
God is love and within his being is love. We are created in his likeness. We are created in his image. Yet we can be infested with evil. We can be filled with evil. We can be taken over by the darkness that is in and of the world. But there is a choice. Christ came, a light into the world. Christ came that we may not walk in darkness but in the light of his life. The choice is ours. Which do you choose? Do you choose darkness or do you choose the light? It is a conscious decision. It is a decision that requires action. It is a decision that means walking a different path than what the world would have us walk. Come! Walk the path with Christ. He will walk with you and give you the light of life to walk with you. And you will know the treasures of the kingdom of heaven in your walk.
GOD is always in my heart!
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