Bible Engagement...part 1...Matthew 15:1-20

 

The passage covered this Sunday had another tough saying by Jesus.  Matthew 15:11 (LSB) says,

"It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, 

but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man." --Jesus--

This verse should be for myself a gauge or indicator of when I am not in alignment with God's words for me.  It makes me evaluate what has been coming out of my mouth lately that indicates the condition of my heart because later in verse 18 (LSB) it says,

"But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, 

and those defile the man." --Jesus--

Another verse that I relate to this one is 1 John 4:20 (LSB) which says,

If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.

Taking this verse apart from the beginning, If someone says, "I love God,"... but notice I am the one saying this.  It is not others saying this about me or it is not about what I am actually doing.  It is what I am saying about myself.

Moving farther, ...and hates his brother,...but this is actually what I am doing.  I am holding something against someone who is in the family of God.  My mouth is saying one thing about God but my actions are saying something very opposite about my family member.

Moving farther, ...he is a liar;...What am I lying about?  I am lying saying that I love God.  Why?  Because the God I say I love told me to strive to love Him and to love others and here I am hating my brother.  This is an oil and water situation.  Me saying I love God and hating my brother at the same time are incompatible.  They don't mix.

So what do I do if I am in this situation?  What do I do if I find myself hating my brother?  Most likely the hate has come from a sin that has been committed.  I have been hurt by my brother and my first response usually isn't love for him.  So what do I do?

I know what Matthew 18:15 (LSB) says,

"Now if your brother sins, go and show him his fault, between you and him alone; 

if he listens to you, you have won your brother." --Jesus--

This is what I should do but sometimes I have went to others first.  In the best sense, maybe I am seeking wise counsel with the full intent of following Matthew 18:15.  Maybe I need to make sure I am going in the right frame of mind and so I lean on Proverbs 12:15 (LSB) which says,

The way of an ignorant fool is right in his own eyes, 

But a wise man is he who listens to counsel.

Or Proverbs 11:14 (LSB) which says,

Where there is no guidance the people fall, 

But in abundance of counselors there is salvation.

Or Proverbs 19:20-21 (LSB) which says,

Listen to the counsel and receive discipline, 

That you may be wise in the end of your days.  

Many thoughts are in a man's heart, 

But it is the counsel of Yahweh that will stand.

If it is truly wise counsel, the wise counsel will guide me back to Matthew 18:15.  Now I am at a pivotal point.  Will I do it?  Or will I go and seek a second opinion as they say?  If I don't do Matthew 18:15 then most likely I am going to speak to others about what had happened to me but do I realize at that moment that I am the one sinning?  I am going against what God has said to do and I am taking a different route.  Now we have two problems to deal with, the original sin done to me and the sin I am now committing.  

I want to make what I am doing wrong smaller than what has been done wrong to me but now we have the plank and speck scenario of Matthew 7:3-5 (LSB) which says,

"And why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?  

Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye?  

You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye." --Jesus--

The plank or log is related to me (the bigger object) and the speck is related to the other person (the smaller object).  Many times I have to start a Matthew 18:15 situation with me first confessing to my own sin.  The initial sin (wrong) is now secondary, the speck, to my responsibility to take the plank or log out of my eye as primary.  

I find myself continually looking for a different way to deal with sin than the way God has prescribed.  I have tried the avenues of time or distance.  I have tried to just coexist with the situation by being at least civil with each other.  I know none of these man made methods will bring about resolution but I try them anyways.  The Bible says that confession is the Christian's bar of soap.  Confession cleanses me because I have submitted again to God's words and His ways.  Confession is obedience.

I am so thankful that my heart has been washed by God through Christ's action on the cross.  I need to keep my feet washed by Him at times because I have sinned and sometimes it is because of my sinful actions that followed being sinned against.  I need to be reminded that sin won't rightfully be resolved in any other way.

Adam