Dear Daily Message Readers,
READ: Mark 7:1-23
Mark 7:6-7 (NIV) "[Jesus] replied, 'Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.7They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.''"
He made free use of Christian vocabulary. He talked about the blessing of the Almighty and the Christian confessions that would become the pillars of the new government. He assumed the earnestness of a man weighed down by historic responsibility. He handed out pious stories to the press, especially to the church papers. He showed his tattered Bible and declared that he drew the strength for his great work from it as scores of pious people welcomed him as a man sent from God. Indeed, Adolph Hitler was a master of outward religiosity--with no inward reality. And, as history shows, Hitler's regime would slaughter hundreds of innocent civilians and cause dissensions among the world's people (TW).
Hitler's double-life exposes the hypocrisy that has diseased humankind for thousand of years. The religious leaders in Jesus' day were no exception. In fact, Jesus called these so-called leaders "hypocrites" on several occasions (Mark 7:6 and Matthew 23:15-27). He simply meant that they were actors. In most ancient theaters and dramas, each actor played several parts. To change identities during the play, the actor would simply wear a different mask. Like the actors, the religious leaders were changing masks. They were putting on a performance to win the applause of the community (e.g., fasting and praying to gain attention--Matthew 6:5-18), but they didn't care what they were like deep inside.
Matthew 23:27 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean."
Is there a gap in an area in your life between what you say and what you actually do? Are you deceiving yourself? I have some areas that constantly need maturing in Christ. My biggest concern is the effect we Christians have on non-believers, those who may be standing on the edge on Christianity looking in. These people are all around and they are watching. They are examining this thing we call the "Christian Life.
Are we confusing them? Are we hurting the cause of Jesus by merely listening to the Word and not being doers of the Word (James 1:22-25)? Are we giving them a reason not to take that step of faith to accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior?
Faith Lesson: Edgar Guest, a famous poet, once wrote, Id rather see a sermon than hear one any day, Id rather one would walk with me than merely tell the way; The eyes a better pupil and more willing than the ear, I may not understand the high advice you give, but theres no misunderstanding how you act and how you live."
In Christ,
Darin Smith
READ: Mark 7:1-23
Mark 7:6-7 (NIV) "[Jesus] replied, 'Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.7They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.''"
He made free use of Christian vocabulary. He talked about the blessing of the Almighty and the Christian confessions that would become the pillars of the new government. He assumed the earnestness of a man weighed down by historic responsibility. He handed out pious stories to the press, especially to the church papers. He showed his tattered Bible and declared that he drew the strength for his great work from it as scores of pious people welcomed him as a man sent from God. Indeed, Adolph Hitler was a master of outward religiosity--with no inward reality. And, as history shows, Hitler's regime would slaughter hundreds of innocent civilians and cause dissensions among the world's people (TW).
Hitler's double-life exposes the hypocrisy that has diseased humankind for thousand of years. The religious leaders in Jesus' day were no exception. In fact, Jesus called these so-called leaders "hypocrites" on several occasions (Mark 7:6 and Matthew 23:15-27). He simply meant that they were actors. In most ancient theaters and dramas, each actor played several parts. To change identities during the play, the actor would simply wear a different mask. Like the actors, the religious leaders were changing masks. They were putting on a performance to win the applause of the community (e.g., fasting and praying to gain attention--Matthew 6:5-18), but they didn't care what they were like deep inside.
Matthew 23:27 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean."
Is there a gap in an area in your life between what you say and what you actually do? Are you deceiving yourself? I have some areas that constantly need maturing in Christ. My biggest concern is the effect we Christians have on non-believers, those who may be standing on the edge on Christianity looking in. These people are all around and they are watching. They are examining this thing we call the "Christian Life.
Are we confusing them? Are we hurting the cause of Jesus by merely listening to the Word and not being doers of the Word (James 1:22-25)? Are we giving them a reason not to take that step of faith to accept Christ as their personal Lord and Savior?
Faith Lesson: Edgar Guest, a famous poet, once wrote, Id rather see a sermon than hear one any day, Id rather one would walk with me than merely tell the way; The eyes a better pupil and more willing than the ear, I may not understand the high advice you give, but theres no misunderstanding how you act and how you live."
In Christ,
Darin Smith
