Our paragraph topic is: (Christ refutes the Scribes and Pharisees)
Part 5.
Christ called them hypocrites. The Pharisees were the keepers of the law. The Pharisees were the educated of the people. The Pharisees were the elite of the people. They had money, they had power, they had influence, and they knew the Law, handed down by God to Moses. But in their arrogance they opened the door to evil and allowed evil to come into their hearts. And in the arrogance of evil they changed the Commandments of God and preached and practiced their own precepts. Evil persuaded them. Evil helped them. Evil came to them little by little until they became evildoers, the agents of evil. But justice prevailed.
Christ came with justice. Christ came that the scales of justice would be balanced and all mankind would be justified before God. He was the sacrifice. He was the propitiation for the sins of man. He was the lamb, the innocent one. He was the gift to mankind that God gave that all would be saved. But hypocrisy had come in. Hypocrisy had taken over the minds and hearts of the Pharisees. They were the givers of the Law. They were the enforcers of the Law to the people. But, they did not live by the Law nor did they believe in the Law, for their hearts were not in and of the Law. And Christ came and told them who they were. Christ said to them, Hypocrites, well did Isaias prophesy of you saying, 'This people honors me with their lips, but
their heart is far from me.'
They pretended to be religious. They pretended to believe in the Law and the Commandments of God. But inside, their hearts were of the world. Inside, their hearts sought after the power, the influence, the wealth of the world. Inside, their hearts did not belong to God but to the world. The arrogance of evil had persuaded them to follow. The arrogance of evil had moved them along the path of self deception and denial that made them believe in themselves. And the Pharisees believed in their authority to rule the people according to their own precepts. So they transformed themselves into hypocrites. They became the face of religion for the people and the face of the world to themselves.
Where does your heart lie? Are you of the world or of Christ? Does the world draw you to watch football on Sunday or does Christ draw you to his supper on Sunday? The world is subtle. It entices you with all its charm and fun and activity that you may slip into darkness without knowing how difficult it becomes to return to the light. For the battle is not in the mind. The battle is not in the actions. The battle is for the heart of men that they may follow good or follow evil. For out of the mouth the heart speaks and the actions of men speak to where lies their hearts.
Can you stop in the middle of a great football game, turn the TV off and pray? Can you stop in the middle of a good mystery or romance, turn the TV off and pray? The enticement of the world is subtle. It captures the mind. And through what we see and what we hear the door is opened so that control of the heart follows.
We go to a movie and our hearts are moved by what we see and hear. Yet the control is so subtle that we are not aware of the change that is taking place. And we like the control that has taken place so we go back for more and more until now our hearts are addicted to the control. We see violence. We see murder. We hear language that is accepted as normal. And our hearts are controlled by the upbeat of the music that we hear. The beat of the music is set to the beat of the heart and the control is subtle. So we go in to the movies being mindful of the things of God and come out being mindful of the things of the world. And the decent into hypocrisy is a slow decline that takes place and we become transformed, our hearts become addicted. Sex and violence and murder become accepted in what we see and hear in our entertainment. It's not real. It's only make believe, we say to ourselves. Is it? It may be make believe but the battle for the control of the heart is real. And we slide a little further along the path of hypocrisy.
Christ called the Pharisees hypocrites. It was a wake up call for them, a slap in the face that they may look in the mirror and see who they had become. What have we become today? Can we look in the mirror and say with true confidence that we are for Christ? If there is doubt then there is hope. If there is denial then the heart is lost and the control of the world has taken over. How can you know the difference? It is a difficult task to continue to deceive and deny to oneself who or what we are day in and day out. Evil will continue to persuade us that we are disciples of Christ when we live in the world. Only those who know the Advocate will be able to withstand the tricks and traps of the devil. Many want to know, many want to believe, many want to find, want to see, but are misled. Seek the truth! Ask Christ for guidance. Believe that he will come! Be delivered from hypocrisy and live the life that Christ gave us to live. Christ said, "I am the light of the world. I came that those who believe in me will no longer live in darkness." Step out of the darkness and into the light and welcome the Holy Spirit into your life. I did!!
Part 5.
Christ called them hypocrites. The Pharisees were the keepers of the law. The Pharisees were the educated of the people. The Pharisees were the elite of the people. They had money, they had power, they had influence, and they knew the Law, handed down by God to Moses. But in their arrogance they opened the door to evil and allowed evil to come into their hearts. And in the arrogance of evil they changed the Commandments of God and preached and practiced their own precepts. Evil persuaded them. Evil helped them. Evil came to them little by little until they became evildoers, the agents of evil. But justice prevailed.
Christ came with justice. Christ came that the scales of justice would be balanced and all mankind would be justified before God. He was the sacrifice. He was the propitiation for the sins of man. He was the lamb, the innocent one. He was the gift to mankind that God gave that all would be saved. But hypocrisy had come in. Hypocrisy had taken over the minds and hearts of the Pharisees. They were the givers of the Law. They were the enforcers of the Law to the people. But, they did not live by the Law nor did they believe in the Law, for their hearts were not in and of the Law. And Christ came and told them who they were. Christ said to them, Hypocrites, well did Isaias prophesy of you saying, 'This people honors me with their lips, but
their heart is far from me.'
They pretended to be religious. They pretended to believe in the Law and the Commandments of God. But inside, their hearts were of the world. Inside, their hearts sought after the power, the influence, the wealth of the world. Inside, their hearts did not belong to God but to the world. The arrogance of evil had persuaded them to follow. The arrogance of evil had moved them along the path of self deception and denial that made them believe in themselves. And the Pharisees believed in their authority to rule the people according to their own precepts. So they transformed themselves into hypocrites. They became the face of religion for the people and the face of the world to themselves.
Where does your heart lie? Are you of the world or of Christ? Does the world draw you to watch football on Sunday or does Christ draw you to his supper on Sunday? The world is subtle. It entices you with all its charm and fun and activity that you may slip into darkness without knowing how difficult it becomes to return to the light. For the battle is not in the mind. The battle is not in the actions. The battle is for the heart of men that they may follow good or follow evil. For out of the mouth the heart speaks and the actions of men speak to where lies their hearts.
Can you stop in the middle of a great football game, turn the TV off and pray? Can you stop in the middle of a good mystery or romance, turn the TV off and pray? The enticement of the world is subtle. It captures the mind. And through what we see and what we hear the door is opened so that control of the heart follows.
We go to a movie and our hearts are moved by what we see and hear. Yet the control is so subtle that we are not aware of the change that is taking place. And we like the control that has taken place so we go back for more and more until now our hearts are addicted to the control. We see violence. We see murder. We hear language that is accepted as normal. And our hearts are controlled by the upbeat of the music that we hear. The beat of the music is set to the beat of the heart and the control is subtle. So we go in to the movies being mindful of the things of God and come out being mindful of the things of the world. And the decent into hypocrisy is a slow decline that takes place and we become transformed, our hearts become addicted. Sex and violence and murder become accepted in what we see and hear in our entertainment. It's not real. It's only make believe, we say to ourselves. Is it? It may be make believe but the battle for the control of the heart is real. And we slide a little further along the path of hypocrisy.
Christ called the Pharisees hypocrites. It was a wake up call for them, a slap in the face that they may look in the mirror and see who they had become. What have we become today? Can we look in the mirror and say with true confidence that we are for Christ? If there is doubt then there is hope. If there is denial then the heart is lost and the control of the world has taken over. How can you know the difference? It is a difficult task to continue to deceive and deny to oneself who or what we are day in and day out. Evil will continue to persuade us that we are disciples of Christ when we live in the world. Only those who know the Advocate will be able to withstand the tricks and traps of the devil. Many want to know, many want to believe, many want to find, want to see, but are misled. Seek the truth! Ask Christ for guidance. Believe that he will come! Be delivered from hypocrisy and live the life that Christ gave us to live. Christ said, "I am the light of the world. I came that those who believe in me will no longer live in darkness." Step out of the darkness and into the light and welcome the Holy Spirit into your life. I did!!
