Matthew 15:18-19

But what comes out of the mouth proceeds the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, and slander.

Have you ever had someone try to be nice to you just because they wanted something from you? Maybe you were the one trying to be nice to someone to get something form them, such as a discount at some store, trying to get out of that speeding ticket, have someone not tell on you for something bad you did. The list can go on and we can have the same attitude towards God. Yes, God I will read your Word and pray all the time if this one thing happens or I go to church and wear Christian shirts but the way I act, think, and talk are no different than anyone else. The truth is that we can never fool God, we can never con him, or fake him out with our motives. God knows the heart.

As Jesus said this statement about the heart his disciples came up to him to let him know that his statement offended the Pharisees. When you read verses 10-20 that Jesus never apologized to them for offending them, he just spoke the TRUTH. The Pharisees would teach that holiness comes from what you eat and drink and how one would ceremonial wash themselves. They taught that if you followed after what they did then you were holy and clean but if you did not then you were not clean and holy before God. Jesus was teaching the truth behind this, as it is not on the outside of man that defiles him but the inside, the condition of the heart.

Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” The truth is our heart is sinful and out of the heart comes poor motives to God. The Pharisees were making holiness about what they can do to be holy and Jesus was pointing to the fact that only God can make things holy. The only way you and I can be holy before God is by receiving Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. It is by receiving God grace through faith and not by our own works (Ephesians 2:8-9). 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us that we are a new creation in Christ with a new heart and one that can have true motives. When we come before God with a changed heart, we come into the family with freedom. When you are open and honest before God, you have no more guilt, you have nothing to hide, you are not faking him out with your “good boy” or “good girl” facade. Being fake may work in front of some people but never before God.

Here are some questions to think about:

• How have you tried to fool God in the past?
• God knows the heart, have you repented from your sins?
• When you are honest before God and asked for forgiveness what kind of relationship will you have?
• How relieving is it to know that God knows all things about us and he still loves us? How relieving is it to know we do not have to hide our sin from him and that we can be forgiven of our sin (1 John 1:9)?
• When we free before God, how will this affect our other relationships with friends and family?

Radical Faith!

In the context of Matthew 14, we are given the account of a few different stories that have been taken to the extreme.

We read from Matthew 14:1-12 about the beheading of John the Baptist.

From verses 13-21 the feeding of 5,000 with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Imagine that! To be one of the persons in the crowd, starving, wanting food, being impatient, and yet being full from a meal that could feed 2 people, fed 5,000 people.

And from verses 22-33, Jesus walks on water. This is where I want to focus our attention right now.

We read of radical faith in John the Baptist, trusting in God regardless of him dying for a little girl’s birthday present, by deceit from her mother. We see the radical faith of the disciples being obedient to Jesus to bring forth the food for the multitude. And then we see the radical faith of Peter, seeing God on the water, and being able to work up the courage to get out of the boat and to walk towards Jesus.

When reading verses 22-33, we may be saying to ourself, “yeah right, how could someone walk above the water?” Oh you of little faith! The reason we think of it to be impossible is because it is an “off-the-wall” thing to try and to imagine someone walking on water, who isn’t God, but Peter was curious, he wanted to know what was really happening.

What do we learn from this in Matthew 14? Is it the amount of faith that Peter had, and we can learn from that? Yeah sure we can. Is it the power of the Lord that He has the ability to walk on the water? Yes, of course because He is God and the waves bow at His presence. Or is it the small amount of faith that Peter had in relying upon Jesus?

I think it is the last statement. Why do I say that? Because if Peter continued on walking and kept His eyes on Jesus, he would have not started to sink. But because he was distracted by the waves, because he saw the force of the wind tossing and turning, he became afraid. Once he stopped focusing on Jesus, he started to sink and he started to drown.

Peter said to “the ghost”, “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” And then when Jesus heard what he said, “Come.” He went onto the water, he saw Jesus, then he saw the wind, and then he sank.

Now there is something in this text that not too many really see. Jesus told him to come, he was obedient but he was not consistent when he went out in his step of faith, but he did not rely fully on the Lord.

When God calls you to be obedient and to take the radical step of faith, do you take that step of faith? Do you go full-hearted or half-hearted?

2 Corinthians 5:7 says, “for we walk by faith and not by sight,”. That’s it. There it is. FOR WE WALK BY FAITH AND NOT BY SIGHT! Peter was walking by sight, he wasn’t walking by faith. He saw the things around him that instilled a trembling fear into him, because he was not walking by faith.

Let us live the example in our own lives, “for we walk by faith and not by sight.”

The Value of Heaven

Matthew 13:44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.”

What do you value most in this life? For many, it is their family or friends. For some it may be their iPod, computer, or game system. For others it might be getting good grades. But what do you value most? Here is a good test, if your house was burning down and you could only go in and save 1 thing, what would it be? We all put high value on something or someone.

In the chapter today, Jesus tells 8 parables. Parables are stories that Jesus would tell to make a point. Each of the parables has a meaning that relates to the story. Jesus explains some of the parables(the parable of the sower, The parable of the weeds), but not all of them. Some are easy to understand, others are not. It is wise for us to stop and study these parables.

On of the parables in this chapter that really stands out is the parable of the Hidden Treasure(above). It is a simple story of a man who found a treasure in a field, hid it, sold all that he had, and bought the field with that money. What point is Jesus trying to make?

The Kingdom of Heaven is Like a Treasure
Obviously this man values whatever treasure it is that he found(we are not told what it is). So valuable was this treasure that the man sold everything in order to have it. In the same way, Heaven is valuable. There is nothing greater that anyone can value more than Heaven. Heaven is not just a place, but also the presence and glory of the only God of Heaven and Earth. Its value is beyond description or measure. Nothing even comes close in comparison.

In his joy he sells all that he has and buys that field
The knowledge that this man had about the treasure that he found gave him joy. So much joy in fact, he was probably excited to sell all of his possessions to gain that treasure. There was joy in the sacrifice. Jesus said in Matthew 10:39 “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” The life that Jesus calls us to is one where we give up our lives and submit to Jesus as Lord and Savior. If we want the eternal life that Jesus offers, we must submit our lives now to Jesus. If you value Heaven, if you have a right view of what we gain from a life submitted to Christ, you will have joy. If you are not excited about Heaven and if you do not understand all that we gain in Jesus, you will not have joy.

What do you value most? Do you value Heaven? Would you do anything that you could to go there? Make Heaven valuable to you. Make Christ valuable in your life. Center your life in Him and give your life to Jesus. You wont regret it!

Jesus Family

Matthew 12:50 “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”

My sister and I used to be so mean to our younger brother. When he was young we would pick on him and tell him that he was adopted. I know that this is a common thing among siblings but there were a few times we had him convinced. I always wondered what it would be like to find out one day that your parents are not your actual parents. I know being adopted does not make you any less part of the family but I still think it would be shocking.

In this short little section in Matthew 12:46-50 Jesus teaches us an important lesson. Earlier in the chapter Jesus made the Pharisee’s really mad because he picked some grain and healed a man on the Sabbath. They took the sabbath day very seriously and made a day that God intended for our benefit a burden on the people. And from then on the Pharisee’s were planning to kill Jesus.

But now Jesus is teaching and apparently the crowd is so large and it is so crowded that His own family could not get to Him. So a man told Jesus that His mother and brother were there to talk to Him and Jesus made His reply in 12:49-50(above). What does that mean? Was Jesus disrespecting His Mom when He said that? Jesus was making a point. His point was that even being a part of Jesus earthly family does not earn you salvation. He was not dishonoring His family.

A right relationship with Jesus is the only thing that brings salvation. But, this relationship is not just a verbal acknowledgment of Jesus as Savior. Matthew 7:21 says “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” It would be shocking to say the least to get to die believing is Jesus only to stand before God and Him tell you that you are not His son or daughter. It is a belief in Christ that submits to God that saves. It is the will of God that you trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior! Are you part of His family? Look at your life, do you live a life that is honoring to God? What is holding you back?

If Jesus paid it all on the cross and I can not earn God’s favor, why do I need to do the will of God? In Matthew 12:33-37 Jesus talks about a tree that is know by its fruit. You know wether or not a tree is good by the fruit that it produces. A tree that produces apples is an apple tree. A tree that produces Oranges is an Orange tree. In the same way a person is known by how they live their life. A person who does evil is an evil person. A person that acts like Christ is a Christian. When you become a Christian, you become a new person(2 Corinthians 5:17). So if you are a new person, you will act like a new person. If you are not a new person, you will act the same. You are known by your fruits. What kind of fruit does your life produce?

Jesus Brings Rest

Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. [29] Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. [30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

When I was young my Dad, sister, and I would go on a Backpacking trip up Mt. San Jacinto. Backpacking is the kind of camping that the only things you take is what you can carry in your backpack. This is a relatively easy climb but no matter where you go an 30 pound backpack is still a 30 pound backpack. We would do the best we could getting up the Mountain but we would have to stop every 15 minutes or so to rest and take a breath. We needed rest because of the burden on our backs.

Are you carrying a burden right now? The religious leaders back in Jesus’ time made up many rules and added them to the Law that were burdens on the people. These Laws were not given by God but by men and were therefore not what God required. Jesus tells the the people that are with Him “Come to me, all who labor and heavy laden.” This would have got the attention of everyone around Him. He is saying the same to you! Do you feel like you are not good enough? Are you struggling with sin and cant seem to ever win that battle. Do you beat yourself up because you don’t pray, read the Bible, or go to church enough? Jesus is talking to you! He wants to give you rest!

“… and I will give you rest” is the next statement out of Jesus mouth. He want to give you rest from these burdens. Are you resting in Jesus? How can you rest in Jesus? “Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Jesus tells us how to rest in Him.

1. Take His Yoke
-A yoke is the tool used to tie 2 oxen to a plow(pictured above). Jesus wants us to attach ourselves to Him. Let Him help carry our burden.
2. Learn from Jesus
-We learned from Matthew 5 that Jesus is our teacher(but not just our teacher). As we attach ourselves to Him we must learn from Him and let Him lead us and direct us. Jesus will guide us gently and humbly as we attach ourselves to Him. He will never give us more of a burden than we can handle (1 Corinthians 10:13)

If we do these things we will find rest. This does not mean that we no longer have to work. When I would go on those backpacking trips my Dad would carry almost everything. All I would have to carry was my clothes and sleeping bag in my backpack. My burden was light because my Dad shouldered the heavy stuff. In the same way our Heavenly Father has shouldered the heavy stuff for us. He paid for our salvation with His Son. But we still need to do our part in this life. We can be free of guilt and shame because it has been paid for but we still need to live how Christ teaches us to live through the power of Jesus given to us by the Holy Spirit!

Harvest Time

Reading through chapters 8 and 9 we see many different miracles Jesus was doing. He would heal the blind and they would see, he would raise the dead, the lame would walk, and even calm storms. He was a busy man, who knew how to spend his time. At the end of chapter 9 we read these words, “And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction (vs 35).” So yes, he was busy.

Jesus actually must have been wiped. He would see many different diseases, many people hurt, many people who needed healing. There was no one that was too sick, or too far along for Jesus to heal. Jesus was and is the healer. And as Jesus was healing the sick, fixing the broken hearted, there was still a lot more to do. A crowd started to gather and as Jesus still saw so much hurt and need he did not grow frustrated, in fact we read in vs 36 that, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” I love that Jesus never was weary or complained about the sick and needy, yet you and I can complain about the needy and being a nuisance.

As Jesus went from having compassion he also used this opportunity to talk with his disciples. We read in vs 37, Then he said to his disciples, “The Harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” He was saying, “Alright guys, do you not see there is much work to be done.” Then he told them to pray for the Lord to send out laborers. As Jesus then turned it to his disciples the question remains for us.

1) There are the sick, the dying of sin, those that need spiritual healing. What are you going to do about it? Maybe you are too self-absorbed to notice the friend next to you that is hurting. Maybe you see stuff going on at school but instead of seeing sheep without a shepherd, you just do not care. Jesus, the chief shepherd cared and was seeing what the disciples would do. Just like our teacher we need to be aware of those in spiritual need. It starts with the burden, it will produce an action.

2) We can not grow annoyed of the needy. Jesus did not get annoyed or pass them off, instead he had compassion on them. As there are many that needed saving, Jesus was the answer. It is so easy to grow impatient and annoyed, but remember, Christ was not with you. He endured and had compassion on me and you, a wretched sinner. Remember the cross every time and it will refresh your soul.

3) Pray for laborers and when you do, guess what, it is you. When you pray for others and for needs to be met, God has His way and making you the answer of that prayer.  I can recount many times that I would pray for the needs of others and the Holy Spirit puts it on my heart to help those that I can. We just need to be willing.

Isaiah 6:8-9 says, “The I heard the Lord asking, ‘Whom should I send as a messenger to this people? Who will go for us?’ I said, ‘Here am I. Send me’.”

The harvest is plentiful and the laborers are few! Alright family, there is much to do, let’s get going, let’s help those we can spiritually!