What I hear God speaking to me in this chapter is the call to a single-hearted/single-minded devotion to Jesus.
In Verse 1 Jesus says "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."
His wants us both to be aware of dangerous activity of hypocrisy which will work through and effect our entire being like yeast. He wants us not to put on a false face for some people but have another reality underneath. In our actions we need to determine what is right in God's eyes and behave that way in every situation. Certainly this takes God's work in our lives to change us, but we need to be watchful about putting on a mask. In my experience, hypocrisy tends to effect followers of Jesus most around other Christians. We want to look "right" and "respectable" - much like the Pharisees did. What we really need to be is authentic - be the way that we are - not putting on a mask. We need to own up to our sinfulness and not pretend that we have everything together, because we don't. In doing this we will not only be more humble (which God desires) but we will be able to receive God's help. As Jesus points out later in this chapter, we should not be fearing the people around us, but God (verse 4-5 - “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.). Our priorities and focus get wrong (we worry about what people think more than God, and instead of pleasing God we try to please people) and this produces hypocrisy. Then this act becomes a habit that works through our lives and then we begin to believe the lie that we put up to others - that we are righteous and "good" people (the yeast works through our lives). It then deludes us so that we aren't crying out to God to help us and change us.
Lord Jesus, keep my focus on you and my goal to please you and not others. Let me live my life with a single mind and a single heart, not part trying to please people and another part trying to please you, but with all of my heart seeking you and you alone!
Verse 31 (But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.) brings me back to that need to focus my life solely on Jesus and his kingdom. If I do that, then God will take care of the other needs in my life.
Father, I thank you that you love me and you have called me to follow you with a whole heart! I need your help to accomplish this, but I choose to put you first and seek your first above my own plans, my work, money, what people think about me and even above my family. I thank you that you do provide for us and that you have shown yourself to be completely trustworthy. You are GOOD and I love you!
In Verse 1 Jesus says "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy."
His wants us both to be aware of dangerous activity of hypocrisy which will work through and effect our entire being like yeast. He wants us not to put on a false face for some people but have another reality underneath. In our actions we need to determine what is right in God's eyes and behave that way in every situation. Certainly this takes God's work in our lives to change us, but we need to be watchful about putting on a mask. In my experience, hypocrisy tends to effect followers of Jesus most around other Christians. We want to look "right" and "respectable" - much like the Pharisees did. What we really need to be is authentic - be the way that we are - not putting on a mask. We need to own up to our sinfulness and not pretend that we have everything together, because we don't. In doing this we will not only be more humble (which God desires) but we will be able to receive God's help. As Jesus points out later in this chapter, we should not be fearing the people around us, but God (verse 4-5 - “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.). Our priorities and focus get wrong (we worry about what people think more than God, and instead of pleasing God we try to please people) and this produces hypocrisy. Then this act becomes a habit that works through our lives and then we begin to believe the lie that we put up to others - that we are righteous and "good" people (the yeast works through our lives). It then deludes us so that we aren't crying out to God to help us and change us.
Lord Jesus, keep my focus on you and my goal to please you and not others. Let me live my life with a single mind and a single heart, not part trying to please people and another part trying to please you, but with all of my heart seeking you and you alone!
Verse 31 (But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.) brings me back to that need to focus my life solely on Jesus and his kingdom. If I do that, then God will take care of the other needs in my life.
Father, I thank you that you love me and you have called me to follow you with a whole heart! I need your help to accomplish this, but I choose to put you first and seek your first above my own plans, my work, money, what people think about me and even above my family. I thank you that you do provide for us and that you have shown yourself to be completely trustworthy. You are GOOD and I love you!
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