Our paragraph topic is: (Disciples warned to shun the Pharisees) Part 1.
Christ was in the land of Genesar. And the people heard of him through word of mouth. There was no Internet. There was no radio. There was no television. There were no anchor people giving the news hourly or live as it happened. There were no reporters in the field. There was only the local person who kept the latest news and spread it to the appropriate people like himself that would carry the message throughout the land. They were paid for good news. They were rewarded for keeping up with hot topics that the rulers wanted to know about. And the Pharisees wanted to know about Jesus.
He was a miracle worker. He healed the sick. He made the lame walk. He opened the eyes of the blind. Some called him a prophet. Some said he was a great man of God. And some knew that he was the Messiah. So the Pharisees had to find out who this man was that performed miracles. If all that was said about him was true then they had to win him over to their side that he might bring the people under their authority and their rule. But Oh!, were they shocked when they heard the things that he preached and taught the people. They were compelled to confront him. They were moved to action. They had to do something before the people were led astray. For this man, this miracle worker, taught the people against the Pharisees. This Christ allowed the people to go against the teachings of the forefathers. This Rabbi was wrong in their eyes and they had to stop him.
For decades the Pharisees had taught that a man was defiled if he did not wash before eating. For years they preached that one should wash before eating to prevent from becoming unclean. All they had to do was to watch the gentiles who were unclean, defiled men, women, and children that eat without washing. They, the gentiles, were below the chosen people because they did not follow the traditions set by the Pharisees. And then Christ comes along, after years of traditions, and he teaches the people how not to be unclean. He allows his disciples to eat without washing. They, the disciples, set the example for all the followers of Christ. And if this example was not corrected it would corrupt and defile all of Judea, according to the thinking of the Pharisees. But Christ taught them differently. Christ, then he called the crowd to him, and said to them,'' Hear, and understand. What goes into the mouth does not defile a man; but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles a man."
A new lesson! A change in direction from the teachings of the past. For it was taught that every man was unclean unless they washed. Every man, according to the Pharisees, was unfit unless they followed the traditions handed down by them. Every man did not have water to wash before eating. Every man did not have flowing water into their homes as did the Pharisees. Every man was not wealthy enough to be able to bath and clean up two to three times a day. So only the wealthy and the well to do and the rich, and the politicians and the rulers and the Pharisees had access to this privilege. So this tradition made all men who were not able to follow the teachings, unclean. And all were made unclean and defiled. But Christ came and changed all that.
He taught people that they were clean. He taught the people that it was not the washing that made them clean but what came from the mouth that made them unclean. For out of the mouth the heart speaks. And if the heart is evil and possessed of evil, then from the heart comes all manner of evil. For the heart is concealed from man and no one knows what is in the heart of men except Christ. And it is from the heart that evil takes possession of men. Christ wiped away the teachings of the Pharisees and opened the eyes of men that they may see the truth of who they are. The door to the soul is through the heart and the heart must be protected against the evil that wants to posses it.
Hear and understand! Christ told the people around him and he tells us today to understand that the mouth is the gateway through which evil comes. The mouth is the archway from which man is defiled and made unclean. For the mouth only speaks what is in the heart. And if the mouth speaks defilement then the heart is unclean.
Hear and understand! Protect the heart. Open the heart to the love of Christ and he will protect it. Open the heart to Christ and he will send the Advocate to guide it. For the Advocate will protect. The Advocate reside in it. The Advocate will counsel with it. The Advocate will fill the heart with the spiritual love of God. And it is this spiritual love that provides understanding and wisdom to the kingdom of heaven.
Christ has given us a way to know that we have received. He has told us what to look for. He has provided a light that we may follow. But it is our decision to follow. It is our decision to seek. It is our decision to wake up from the drug induced sleep of the world and become lamps unto the world. Christ has opened the door. He has provided a way. He has set forth a path for us to follow. Seek and ye shall find! Knock and it shall be opened to you! Ask and it shall be given to you! Come! Receive the Holy Spirit and all will be revealed to you.
Christ was in the land of Genesar. And the people heard of him through word of mouth. There was no Internet. There was no radio. There was no television. There were no anchor people giving the news hourly or live as it happened. There were no reporters in the field. There was only the local person who kept the latest news and spread it to the appropriate people like himself that would carry the message throughout the land. They were paid for good news. They were rewarded for keeping up with hot topics that the rulers wanted to know about. And the Pharisees wanted to know about Jesus.
He was a miracle worker. He healed the sick. He made the lame walk. He opened the eyes of the blind. Some called him a prophet. Some said he was a great man of God. And some knew that he was the Messiah. So the Pharisees had to find out who this man was that performed miracles. If all that was said about him was true then they had to win him over to their side that he might bring the people under their authority and their rule. But Oh!, were they shocked when they heard the things that he preached and taught the people. They were compelled to confront him. They were moved to action. They had to do something before the people were led astray. For this man, this miracle worker, taught the people against the Pharisees. This Christ allowed the people to go against the teachings of the forefathers. This Rabbi was wrong in their eyes and they had to stop him.
For decades the Pharisees had taught that a man was defiled if he did not wash before eating. For years they preached that one should wash before eating to prevent from becoming unclean. All they had to do was to watch the gentiles who were unclean, defiled men, women, and children that eat without washing. They, the gentiles, were below the chosen people because they did not follow the traditions set by the Pharisees. And then Christ comes along, after years of traditions, and he teaches the people how not to be unclean. He allows his disciples to eat without washing. They, the disciples, set the example for all the followers of Christ. And if this example was not corrected it would corrupt and defile all of Judea, according to the thinking of the Pharisees. But Christ taught them differently. Christ, then he called the crowd to him, and said to them,'' Hear, and understand. What goes into the mouth does not defile a man; but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles a man."
A new lesson! A change in direction from the teachings of the past. For it was taught that every man was unclean unless they washed. Every man, according to the Pharisees, was unfit unless they followed the traditions handed down by them. Every man did not have water to wash before eating. Every man did not have flowing water into their homes as did the Pharisees. Every man was not wealthy enough to be able to bath and clean up two to three times a day. So only the wealthy and the well to do and the rich, and the politicians and the rulers and the Pharisees had access to this privilege. So this tradition made all men who were not able to follow the teachings, unclean. And all were made unclean and defiled. But Christ came and changed all that.
He taught people that they were clean. He taught the people that it was not the washing that made them clean but what came from the mouth that made them unclean. For out of the mouth the heart speaks. And if the heart is evil and possessed of evil, then from the heart comes all manner of evil. For the heart is concealed from man and no one knows what is in the heart of men except Christ. And it is from the heart that evil takes possession of men. Christ wiped away the teachings of the Pharisees and opened the eyes of men that they may see the truth of who they are. The door to the soul is through the heart and the heart must be protected against the evil that wants to posses it.
Hear and understand! Christ told the people around him and he tells us today to understand that the mouth is the gateway through which evil comes. The mouth is the archway from which man is defiled and made unclean. For the mouth only speaks what is in the heart. And if the mouth speaks defilement then the heart is unclean.
Hear and understand! Protect the heart. Open the heart to the love of Christ and he will protect it. Open the heart to Christ and he will send the Advocate to guide it. For the Advocate will protect. The Advocate reside in it. The Advocate will counsel with it. The Advocate will fill the heart with the spiritual love of God. And it is this spiritual love that provides understanding and wisdom to the kingdom of heaven.
Christ has given us a way to know that we have received. He has told us what to look for. He has provided a light that we may follow. But it is our decision to follow. It is our decision to seek. It is our decision to wake up from the drug induced sleep of the world and become lamps unto the world. Christ has opened the door. He has provided a way. He has set forth a path for us to follow. Seek and ye shall find! Knock and it shall be opened to you! Ask and it shall be given to you! Come! Receive the Holy Spirit and all will be revealed to you.
