Tuesday 2 Aug 2022

August 2: Matthew 15:1-11

Key Verse: Matthew 15:2
“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”

Devotion:
The Pharisees and the other teachers of the law took every opportunity they could to try and trip Jesus up; trying to prove they were in some way better than Him so they could be seen to be the righteous people they so wanted to be! On this occasion they came to Jesus and tried to show Him up by saying how the disciples had not washed their hands before they ate their food… I’m sure we have all been there and not washed our hands before we ate something!

The Pharisees tried to take the law as written word for word and used that against Jesus to try and show Him up. But Jesus turned this round and pulled them up for what they were doing wrong. The Pharisees had made it an art form of taking the literal words they had come up with for the scriptural law and were using those words against the people. What they were not doing was trying to lift up the people – God’s children!

When Jesus reminded us to love one another it was with this sort of scenario in mind. If we do love our neighbours, then we are going to make sure they are included in things even when we think they are doing something wrong. We do not have the right to judge them for what they are doing; but what we can do is to tell them what we think the law actually means… this is being diligent and opening ourselves up to our neighbours.

What we can then do is discuss the law and invite God to explain it in our hearts so we can all know what should be done. What this shows us is not how we need to make sure our hands are washed before eating, but being diligent in what we do; it makes sense to wash your hands, but if you happen to not wash them, it should not be a capital crime for which we should be punished!

Points to Ponder:
Do you have habit you do just because you have always done it that way?

Will you try to focus on what Christ wants in your life?