Reminder - Follow the Leader

Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. "Listen," he said,“and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”  Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?” 

Jesus replied, “Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch.”
Matthew 15:10-13 NLT

The Pharisees thought they could live righteously by their works - all the dos and don'ts. A religious sect that set itself up as leaders,  nobody wanted to cross them. They had connections. They could get you thrown out of the temple. They had such power over the people that Christ's own disciples asked Him, "Do you realize you offended the Pharisees...?"

We sometimes wonder how people like this get into leadership. They dress the part, they pontificate, they're educated by the world's standard, or just very enigmatic, so people listen to them and then follow them. The Godly principle of 'Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word' doesn't only work through hearing the Word of God. God's principles work and apply in all facets of life.

So, what are you listening to? WHO are you listening to? If you think it doesn't make a difference, think about this. Have you ever noticed that you pick up your friends' idioms? Do you catch yourself using expressions your friends use? What you hang around - what you feed your spirit - what you constantly hear and or listen to - these are the influences of your heart and soul. That is why we are repeatedly warned to guard our hearts.

Further down in our text for today, verses 16-20; “Don’t you understand yet?” Jesus asked. “Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you."

Scripture tells us in Proverbs 16:25, There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death. God refers to us as sheep and sheep follow the voice of the one they know - the one whose voice is familiar. Who are you following? Because whoever you're following - that's your leader. Where is that person going? Is it the right way or a way that seems like it is? Watch out for the ditch...if you can see it.

Prayer:

Father,
             Open our eyes and hearts to Your Truth. Deliver us from evil for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen

Lent - Day Twenty-Three - From Blindness to Sight

 Lent Devotions from Concordia University 2024

24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 

John 9:24-27

Our Lord opens blind eyes. His intervention to restore sight to the blind man in today’s reading is miraculous. However, it is just as miraculous that God grants eyes of faith so that we may believe in Christ as Lord. We learn this from the response of the Pharisees who thought that they saw spiritual things perfectly, but could not see their need for a savior. They were blind to their own sin and unwilling to see God’s way of salvation in Jesus Christ. Their refusal to repent kept them in darkness and guilt.

We are conceived and born in that same darkness. But by an act of God, we are delivered from darkness into his marvelous light. While Christ has given us sight and brought us into the light, our sinful flesh still desires the darkness. Like scales slowly growing over our eyes, sin attempts to dim our sight with pride, self-righteousness, impatience, selfishness, or any number of things. Perhaps John was recalling the events of Jesus and the blind man when he wrote these words in his first Epistle: If we walk in the light, as he is in the light we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:7-9) God is light. Through him, we see.

Prayer: 

Dear Lord, 

              Thank You for giving me eyes of faith with which to clearly see my sin as well as Your saving grace. [Yes, I want to be Your disciple] By Your grace, help me to fix my eyes on You as the Author and Finisher of my faith. Amen.

Further Reading - John 9:24-41

24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.” 25 He answered, “Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I was blind, now I see.” 26 They said to him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?” 27 He answered them, “I have told you already, and you would not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you also want to become his disciples?” 28 And they reviled him, saying, “You are his disciple, but we are disciples of Moses. 29 We know that God has spoken to Moses, but as for this man, we do not know where he comes from.” 30 The man answered, “Why, this is an amazing thing! You do not know where he comes from, and yet he opened my eyes. 31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him. 32 Never since the world began has it been heard that anyone opened the eyes of a man born blind. 33 If this man were not from God, he could do nothing.” 34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.

35 Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” 36 He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” 37 Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” 38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him. 39 Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” 40 Some of the Pharisees near him heard these things, and said to him, “Are we also blind?” 41 Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no guilt; but now that you say, ‘We see,’ your guilt remains."

* Bodacious

Then they reached Jericho, and as Jesus and his disciples left town, a large crowd followed him. A blind beggar named Bartimaeus (son of Timaeus) was sitting beside the road. When Bartimaeus heard that Jesus of Nazareth was nearby, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

“Be quiet!” many of the people yelled at him.

But he only shouted louder, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”

When Jesus heard him, he stopped and said, “Tell him to come here.”

So they called the blind man. “Cheer up,” they said. “Come on, he’s calling you!”

Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.

“What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked.

Mark 10:46-51 NLT

This is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. I love the audacity of Bartimaeus. He shouts for Jesus, and when the crowd tries to stop him, he shouts louder, "JESUS!" Then he throws off his coat - his beggar rags - and comes to Jesus. He went from blind beggar to Bodacious Bartimaeus! Mercy AND healing!! Don't you love that?!? 

It's symbolic of our own experience. We walk around blind to the goodness and holiness of God, then we call out to Jesus - and we have our first choice. When the world tries to shout us down, do we give up or go on? If we shout the louder and get His attention, will we leave our rags behind - everything we've ever known - to get up and go on with Him? And if we get up, do we have an answer for His question - “What do you want me to do for you?”  

How bodacious are you?

Prayer:

Father,

          We want to see! Open our eyes to see what You have planned and purposed for our lives. Open our hearts to embrace all that You have planned. Cause us to be bodacious!! We want to see You, Father. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen