Can we be too religious?

In Matthew 23, Jesus pronounces seven woes on the scribes and Pharisees. Not only were these religious leaders called hypocrites by Jesus, but their religiosity had blinded them to the fact that they were actually preventing people from coming to God rather than helping people enter into a relationship with God. Their religious exterior covered up the pride that they had on the inside.

The problem with religion is that it is primarily concerned with externals. Unfortunately we have a tendency to drift toward religion because it is usually easier to clean up our lives on the outside and appear righteous than to allow God to transform our lives from the inside out. That requires dying to self and yielding our lives to the control of Jesus and that is much harder to do than most of us would like to admit.

Let's make sure that we don't become so religious that we shut God out of our lives and the lives of others.

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Why Jesus spoke in parables

One of the things I love about the Bible is that I can read a passage that I've read many times before and find something new that I hadn't seen previously. Such was the case with Matthew 13 - especially verse 18. 

“Hear then the parable of the sower: (Matthew 13:18 ESV)

In that verse, the word "then" is key. It reveals that Jesus is using the parable of the sower to show how His teaching using parables fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah that He just quoted. This parable explains why when it comes to spiritual things some people "get it" and some don't. Only those with a heart that genuinely desires God will get and hold onto spiritual truth. That is why the Bible is nonsense to some and indispensable to others.

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Knowing God

All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.(Matthew 11:27 ESV)

It is possible to know about the Father apart from the Son. But it is not possible to really know the Father except through Jesus.

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The cost of following Jesus

In Matthew 8:18-22 Jesus' words seem a bit harsh. 

Now when Jesus saw a crowd around him, he gave orders to go over to the other side. And a scribe came up and said to him, “Teacher, I will follow you wherever you go.” And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.” Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”

But the point He is making there is clear. Following Jesus is not always easy. It often requires us to chose to leave other things behind - even good things like family. 

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Praying "us"

It's interesting that Jesus' model prayer in Matthew 6:9-13 uses plural pronouns ("our", "us" and "we"). I'd love to hear your thoughts about why that is significant.

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Using Scripture Profitably

When Jesus is tempted in the wilderness (Matthew 4), He responds to Satan using Scripture. But Satan also tries to use Scripture to tempt Jesus by taking a verse out of context. This shows why it is so important to have a good handle on the Bible as a whole and not just a few favorite verses here and there. That's why it is so crucial to have a plan to read systematically through the Bible on a regular basis.

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A genealogy that shows God's mercy and grace

It is really unusual to see women listed in Bible genealogies. And in his genealogy of Jesus in the first chapter of his gospel, it is interesting that out of all the women who bore the men listed there, Matthew chose to mention the 5 that he does:

• Tamar - a woman who was impregnated by her father-in-law

• Rahab - a prostitute

• Ruth - a Moabite

• Bathsheba - an adultress

• Mary - a young teenage girl

What a great picture of God's mercy and grace. Through these women god produced the Savior that they needed to save them from their sins.

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Waiting patiently for the Lord

I waited patiently for the LORD;
he inclined to me and heard my cry.
(Psalm 40:1 ESV)

I'm not sure that I do a very good job of waiting patiently for the Lord. I have a tendency to be really impatient with God. I want Him to do His work immediately. I wonder how many times I cry out to God and he hears my cry but I've already moved on before I even take time to wait for Him to answer. Anyone else struggle with this?

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