5Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”
16“Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. 17“Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.” (Matthew 15:15-20)
Thoughts: What is most important for the church is not its buildings, not its robes and candles or fine ornamentation. The Protestant Reformation really was a reaction against the finery and political power of the church 500 years ago. It was an effort to get back to Jesus' own priorities. What counts is the heart. The exterior washing and exterior words mean nothing without strong heart and actions. Specifically Jesus pointed out things that are quickly becoming epidemic in our society:
1) Murder- the devaluing of human life for some ideal is a growing issue. The shooting of Republican lawmakers, the shooting by a UPS disgruntled employee this week, the Emmanuel Nine shooting in Charleston, the terrorist killing of women and children really all show a devaluing of human life. We not only need to not murder, we need to respect and value life.
2) Adultery- the breaking of marriage vows made before God is becoming so problematic that some seem to indicate it is not a sin any more. But God wants to protect us from physical problems (like venereal disease and AIDS), mental problems brought on by the destruction of relationship, and the protection of children from economic and spiritual harm that may come from the desertion of children from a broken relationship.
3) Sexual Immorality- this is differentiated from adultery by Jesus. It is the word "porneia" from which we get the word "pornography." 64% of American men admit they view pornography at least once a month. But porneia includes all sexual activity outside of marriage including fornication, sex with animals, sex with those of the same gender, and sex with those who are close relatives. The rape of co-eds in colleges has reached epidemic proportion. It is the number one fear of co-eds going to college in America today.
4) Theft- Theft includes cheating, embezzling, stealing what is not yours. It is not respecting the work of others by taking what is not ours. $35 million a day is stolen from American stores in shoplifting. One Walmart in Winnsboro SC admitted it closed because it could not control shoplifting.
5) FalseTestimony- this includes lying, but it also is a degrading of truth. Spin is viewed by many as more valuable than truth. The accusations around us of fake news, of lying in national testimonies is a problem that seems to fuel the devaluing of truth.
6) Slander- is falsely accusing others of evil. There are people who make up evil because they want it to happen. In 2014 London saw a jump of 60% of defamation law suits. Social Media where people may comment anonymously adds to the fuel of slander. Bullying is an example of this- and it is not limited to schools. 28% of students 12-18 years old report being bullied in school.
1) Murder- the devaluing of human life for some ideal is a growing issue. The shooting of Republican lawmakers, the shooting by a UPS disgruntled employee this week, the Emmanuel Nine shooting in Charleston, the terrorist killing of women and children really all show a devaluing of human life. We not only need to not murder, we need to respect and value life.
2) Adultery- the breaking of marriage vows made before God is becoming so problematic that some seem to indicate it is not a sin any more. But God wants to protect us from physical problems (like venereal disease and AIDS), mental problems brought on by the destruction of relationship, and the protection of children from economic and spiritual harm that may come from the desertion of children from a broken relationship.
3) Sexual Immorality- this is differentiated from adultery by Jesus. It is the word "porneia" from which we get the word "pornography." 64% of American men admit they view pornography at least once a month. But porneia includes all sexual activity outside of marriage including fornication, sex with animals, sex with those of the same gender, and sex with those who are close relatives. The rape of co-eds in colleges has reached epidemic proportion. It is the number one fear of co-eds going to college in America today.
4) Theft- Theft includes cheating, embezzling, stealing what is not yours. It is not respecting the work of others by taking what is not ours. $35 million a day is stolen from American stores in shoplifting. One Walmart in Winnsboro SC admitted it closed because it could not control shoplifting.
5) FalseTestimony- this includes lying, but it also is a degrading of truth. Spin is viewed by many as more valuable than truth. The accusations around us of fake news, of lying in national testimonies is a problem that seems to fuel the devaluing of truth.
6) Slander- is falsely accusing others of evil. There are people who make up evil because they want it to happen. In 2014 London saw a jump of 60% of defamation law suits. Social Media where people may comment anonymously adds to the fuel of slander. Bullying is an example of this- and it is not limited to schools. 28% of students 12-18 years old report being bullied in school.
There will be many who disagree with me about what is or is not a sin above and will miss the overall point that Jesus called these things sin because they come from the heart and destroy us not just physically and mentally, but also deeply and spiritually. We need to get back to getting our hearts right with God and all these yukky things will take a back seat.
Prayer: Lord, let me heart be right with you. Forgive my sins of the heart against you.
No comments:
Post a Comment