“Jesus Asks”

And why do you break the commandments of God for the sake of your tradition?

Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus, you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’” Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.” “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”
Matthew 15:1-20

Just think about Christmas this year. Jesus Asked! He was born on Christmas. He has been with us forever. Looking out for us. Jesus is not ashamed of us, we should not be ashamed of Jesus, and He wants us to turn from sin so we can walk with Him and breathe. Just breathe and feel the real way of life. Getting back to this question Jesus asked. Gave room for thought even in my heart but to summarize it through their traditions, they changed the correct interpretation and application of God’s Law in order to achieve their own selfish purposes. As the Son of God and Messiah, Jesus interpreted the Law correctly and told His accusers the truth about God and God’s Law; He pointed out to them their immoral thoughts that led to their immoral behaviors (which offended them). In response, Jesus asked them why they set their traditions (their accepted practices and rules), above the Law of God and used their interpretations of God’s Law and their traditions to violate the Law of God. After telling his disciples to disregard their displeasure, he traveled to Tyre and Sidon. After arriving, he was met by a woman who cried out to him and begged him to heal her daughter. Jesus commended her for her faith and did as she asked. Afterwards, Jesus and his disciples travelled outside Galilee and stopped in the mountains. Crowds of people came to them daily, and Jesus healed and taught them all. At the end of three days, Jesus spoke to his disciples and commanded them to serve food to the multitudes for they had gone without anything to eat. His disciples answered him and said that all they had with them were seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. So, see Jesus didn’t get discouraged by the selfish people. Jesus went on giving and caring for others. This is where prayer and action make a difference in the believer’s life. God takes care of our prayers, and we keep walking in righteousness. Give God all our problems and move on for all that He has for us in His goodness. I need to do a heart check and be a blessing.