St. Matthew, Chapter 23, verses: 12a; The Lowly.

Our paragraph topic is:  (Hypocrisy of the Scribes and Pharisees) Part 10.  

The hypocrisy of the Scribes and the Pharisees presented an opportunity for Christ to teach the people and his disciples an important lesson.  He used the Scribes and the Pharisees as an example to show their pride and arrogance and to teach the people of their hidden nature.  They practiced piety on the surface but underneath they did not practice the laws that they enforced upon the people.  They were hypocrites.

Christ saw through their false piety and instructed the people to do the same.  They wanted all the praise and glory but did not do the work to obtain it.  They were not servants of the people but served their own purpose.  Christ told the people, the disciples, the Scribes and the Pharisees:   "Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled."

We live in a physical world where we see the individual exalted.  We are shown on a daily basis all the stars, singers, athletes, business moguls, millionaires and billionaires, that are paraded before us in the media.  Everywhere we turn someone is raised up, someone has just become a hero, a star, a person who has achieve something that we all want to become.  This is news, worthy of feeding to the people who will buy it so they can read how they did it.  Maybe they too can achieve the same success.

We wish, we desire, we dream of being the one.  We would do anything to reach a level of importance that we should be in the news, in the media, before the public eye.  We don't know the meaning of humility, we only know praise.  And most would do anything to achieve that goal.  

Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled.  We know nothing of ourselves or who we are as a person.  We know even less of where we fit in the cosmic scheme of things.  We search the heavens in a constant desire to know that we are not alone.  We live in our own self awareness of the world knowing nothing of that which is inside of ourselves.

Christ came that we could began to know who we are.  He came to teach us how to live in a physical world that fits within the realm of the spiritual world.  For there are powers and principalities far beyond our understanding, far greater than ourselves, that we know nothing of and have not understood.  Yet we proclaim ourselves masters and lords within the small realm of the world that we live.  How little do we know.

His love provides.  His love protects.  His love fulfills all desires, all passions, all wants.  He is forgiving, merciful, patient, all knowing, all seeing, ever living.  He is our Father, God.  

Read the sign of the times! Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ. Read it as though you would read a good book, from cover to cover, and see for yourself. Do not study it in parts reading one passage nd then skipping to another, but read it for understanding. Read it for knowledge. Read it for faith. Read it that your eyes may be opened, that your ears may hear, that your heart may be filled with the light of Christ .   The Holy Spirit awaits you. Christ seeks to know you. Open the door and let him in.   

St Matthew, Chapter 15, verses: 28, The Lost Children of God: Let it be done.

Our paragraph topic is: (The Canaanite woman) Part 7.

And the Canaanite woman crawled up from the depths of her heart, admitted to her wrongs and begged Christ for crumbs.  She begged for forgiveness and asked for crumbs.  She begged for healing and asked for crumbs.  She begged for understanding and asked for crumbs.  She gave her heart and asked for crumbs.  For Christ saw the faith in her.  He saw the love in her.  He saw the hope in her and he knew what was in her heart.

In her heart was a need.  In her heart was a desire.  In her heart was a hope.  In her heart was the word that brought her out of the village into the wilderness to meet Christ.  In her heart was the belief that Christ was the one who would save her daughter.  She knew when he spoke to her.  She knew in her heart that he had the power.  She knew in her heart that he had the truth.  She knew in her heart that what she had heard about him was true because of the words he spoke to her concerning the children.  And yet she still believed.

For she had searched everywhere for a cure.  She had asked everyone for help.  She had sought the wisest and the knowledgeable and none could help.  But when she came to Christ she knew that he was the one.  For Christ saw beyond her need.  Christ saw into her heart.  Christ saw into her soul and knew the medicine that would help.  But Christ did not just want to cure her daughter.  He wanted to cure the Canaanite woman also. 

So Christ posed a cure that would bring forth the deep seated beliefs from her soul and cleanse her of her wrongs.  And the Canaanite woman opened herself and allowed her soul to be cleansed.  She admitted her wrongs.  She spoke forth the errors in her beliefs.  And she humbled herself before Christ and asked for the crumbs from his table that she may be healed.  And Christ saw her humility.  Christ saw her desire.  Christ saw her belief and opened the door for her prayers to be answered.   Then Jesus answered and said to her, "O woman, great is thy faith!   Let it be done to thee as thou wilt." And her daughter was healed from that moment.

The Canaanite is an example to us today.  She heard the word of Christ and set out to find him.  She found him and she worshipped him.  She praised him and he opened her heart.  And she humbled herself and Christ healed her and her daughter.  It was her belief in what she heard that drove her.  It was her desire to know that led her.  It was her hope in him that humbled her.  And it was her faith in him that healed her.  Many today hear the word but do not seek.   Many find but do not worship him who gave.  Many praise but do not open their hearts.  And many have faith but do not humble themselves because they live in a world that holds them, a world of their bodies.

My own journey led me to him.  My own path took me through many tricks and turns on the path to him.  It was only as a last resort that I turned to him for help.  And in seeking that help I gave up everything else.  I released all ties to this world.  I wanted to establish ties with him.  What do you seek?  What are your desires?  Do you wish to know?  Do you seek to find?  Christ awaits you that you may receive your treasures.  Christ awaits you that you may know the truth of who you are.

Come follow the path that I followed!  Come read the truth that was given to me! Come seek the knowledge that has been before mankind for ages yet hidden by the world!  Read the Highlighted New Testament Bible and lift the scales from your eyes that you may see, that you may know, that you may find the truth of who you are in Christ.  And in that knowledge will come the Advocate who will teach, who will guide, who will protect, who will provide, and who will reveal the kingdom of heaven where Christ Jesus our lord awaits with loving arms.