Missing the Message

Matthew 15:1-9 (NLT)
 
Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him, “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”
 
Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,
 
‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship is a farce,
    for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’”
 
 
Reflection:
 
I grew up attending a small, extremely conservative church with my family a minimum of twice a week. I thank I God that the truths they preached are what has stuck with me life-long: that salvation is by God’s grace alone, that the study of the Bible is of utmost importance, and that regular worship of God is non-negotiable.
 
However, the church brought so many of their own thoughts and practices into the mix that the message of God lost its relevance and personal power. They outlawed all jewelry and makeup, preached that “emotions” should have no part in the worship of God, and believed that using instruments during worship was a travesty! That last one always made for an interesting service: I would sit on the edge of my seat waiting for a male voice to start a hymn before I could join in the singing, and the rare instance of the congregation singing together and on key was such a miracle, I half expected to look up and see the Lord Himself show up in person to see how it happened!
 
The church had such an outward focus on appearances that they missed the importance God places on our inward hearts. Jealousies and backbiting ran rampant in the congregation, divisiveness was a constant, and choosing factions more important than unity, ministry, or progress.

What they missed realizing is what Jesus observes in our passage today: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me” (verse 8).
 
How often do we personally miss what is truly important to God? What does God’s heart really desire of us? The example Jesus uses in the passage was that some people were not taking care of their parents’ needs because they were donating money to their temple. How much they must have hurt the heart of God by justifying the pain they were causing...and using His own name in the process!
 
For “what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).
 
If your behavior doesn’t reflect His heart, you’ve missed His message! God is loving and compassionate. His heart is continually pulling us upward, closer to reflecting the image of His Son, Jesus Christ.
 
His heart is focused on your heart.
 
Has your heart been growing closer to God lately?
 

Action Steps
 

1. Oh, that we would remain humble in our approach of God! To not view ourselves as “more righteous” than anyone else and deceive ourselves of our own need for God. Take some time right now to ask the Holy Spirit to show you God’s heart today. Pray that He would show you any places in your heart or life where you are missing His message for you.
2. Listen to “Lord, I Need You” by Matt Maher and pray that Christ be your righteousness, your holiness, and the One who guides your heart daily.