3Jesus replied, "And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?
4For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’
5But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’
6they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
7You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8"‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
9They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’"
- P100
12Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?"
13He replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots.
14Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."
- P101
Jesus teaches the crowd that, unlike what the Pharisees teach, it is not whatgoes into a person‘s mouth that defiles them but what comes out of theirmouth. Jesus calls the Pharisees blind guides because they claim to leadpeople to God when they themselves do not know how to relate to Him.
The Pharisees relate to God through rigorous rule-keeping while ignoringthe deeper issue of the condition of their hearts. - P102
When our outward displaysof righteousness are not in line with the condition of our hearts, we havefallen into a pit from which we will never emerge until When our outward displaysof righteousness are not in line with the condition of our hearts, we havefallen into a pit from which we will never emerge until we allow Jesus tofirst cleanse our hearts and align our lives to Him. allow Jesus tofirst cleanse our hearts and align our lives to Him.- P-1
When our outward displaysof righteousness are not in line with the condition of our hearts, we havefallen into a pit from which we will never emerge until we allow Jesus tofirst cleanse our hearts and align our lives to Him.- P102
The Lord isn‘t looking for somebody who pretends to have it all together;He is looking for honesty, integrity, humility, and surrender. In 1 Samuel16:7, Scripture reminds us that "the LORD does not look at the thingspeople look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looksat the heart." I am still a work in progress, but God in His faithfulness hasbeen healing my heart and changing my character as I spend time in HisWord and in His presence. And He will do the same forWhen wesubmit to the Lord and seek His will above all else, we will be transformedby the renewing of our hearts and minds; then we will experience truechange from the inside out.- P103
Lord Jesus, draw my heart closer to You so that I may follow You from the inside out. Search my heart and take away whatever sin tries to take root in me so that my thoughts, words, and actions may truly please You. In Your name, amen.- P103
