I had another shocking reminder of the current world we live in. Yesterday,
during my running, I listened to the coverage of the shooting in Montreal when
all of the sudden they broke into the already breaking news with even more
breaking news. Now, you would think that to interrupt a story that was being
billed as a new Columbine massacre there would have to be mayhem involved
that would make us quake in our boots, but no! This new alert was to inform us
that one of our stars had served divorce papers on her star husband. At this,
I immediately turned my radio off and finished my drive in silence.
Talk about missing the point! They had all of this important information coming
in, and they got distracted and lost their way. Not a new story by any means.
Matthew 23:23-33
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and
anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice
and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!
25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside
of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence.
26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them
may be clean also.
27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs
which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and
all uncleanness.
28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy
and lawlessness.
29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the
prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous,
30 and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers
with them in the blood of the prophets.’
31 “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who
murdered the prophets.
32 Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt.
33 Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?
Jesus knew that they missed the point. He knew that they used justifications,
opinions and tradition to make sure they live their own way. Jesus gave them
the way, and they missed it. We have that same opportunity to 'see' or to be
blind to the facts, and to the story that matters.
Spend time with the word. Pray for the wisdom and guidance from above and
look for the true path. God will provide!
Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
Be filled and have a great day!
