Do What I Say, Not What I Do

Matthew 23:1-12

(Use the link below to read the verses.)

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%2023%3A1-12&version=NIV;NLT

  

“Do what I say, not what I do.” I think the first time I heard someone say that, it was a football coach, or it might have been a teacher. For sure, it wasn’t my Dad! He gave me rules to live by, held me accountable and lived them out in his own life.

 

In Matthew 23:1-12, Jesus is speaking to those who are his followers. Later in the chapter his words are directed at the Pharisees, the teachers of the law and the religious leaders in general. It’s a scathing indictment of how they live their life, not by the Law of Moses which they preach, but by their own set of hypocritical rules.

 

Jesus’ primary concern was for those whose faith was sincere; for those who were trying to follow the law; for those who were trying to live by faith.

 

Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, ² “The teachers of religious law and the Pharisees are the official interpreters of the law of Moses. ³ So practice and obey whatever they tell you, but don’t follow their example. For they don’t practice what they teach. ⁴ They crush people with unbearable religious demands and never lift a finger to ease the burden.          NLT

 

Here are a couple of stories that I believe illustrate what Jesus was teaching his followers:

 

Years ago, my wife and I opened our home to a young man that I had worked with while in full time ministry. He lived with us because he had nowhere else to go. I remember him making a statement once when I asked him about making a decision to follow Christ. He responded, “I could never be as good as you”.

 

Apparently, somehow I had given him the impression that to be a Christian required more than just belief and faith. It required living a certain lifestyle of

being “a good person”; of being “a nice guy”.

 

In Keith Miller’s book, The Taste of New Wine, he tells the story of meeting a young woman who was considering faith in Christ. During the course of their conversation he tells her that God loves her unconditionally, just as she is. Her response to him is, “So your church will love me just as I am? Because I live with my boyfriend.”

 

There may be people in your life that don’t follow Christ. Think about how your life impacts their decision for, or against, Christ? Do they feel like they can’t live up to your standards? Or do they see that Christ came to save broken people; that you are one of those broken people; and that he loves them just as they are.

 

For us, it all boils down to these words:

 

³⁷ Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. ³⁹ And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ ⁴⁰ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”     Matthew 22 NIV

 

 

 

Playing Pretend Matthew 6:1-18

My four year old loves to play pretend. He is always the hero saving the day. He was so into his pretend world the other night that he would not go to bed till I told him I would save his “little friend Sonic” who had been captured by the bad guys.

As Christians we can be found in the same situation. We can pretend to believe something for so long, that we actually fool ourselves into thinking our faith is genuine, when actually it is as shallow as a puddle. Scripture has a name for that, hypocrisy.

Our passage today warns us against hypocrisy when praying, giving and fasting. These three things are acts of faith and our text clearly says, do not be like the hypocrites who… Instead we need to believe that when we pray, give and fast it is actually the power of God moving.

The test in knowing if you are doing these acts with a pure heart of faith is if you’re willing to do them privately, without anyone else knowing. If your only witness is God to how often you give, pray or fast, than that is a good sign you are seeking His glory and not your own.

We can all get caught in a world of pretend, but it’s being able to identify when our actions and intentions don’t match up that matters. And not changing would just be childish.

Read today’s passage at Biblegateway Matthew 6:1-18

How’s Your Vision? Matthew 23:23-38

I remember one Halloween Steve and I, when we were dating, went to a costume party each wearing simple house blinds (Don’t ask how we managed that). With confused looks, our friends asked us what we were supposed to be. Knowing we stumped them we would proudly reply, “The blind leading the blind.”

We had fun thinking we had clever costumes that year, but today’s scripture talks about the blind leading the blind in a more sober manner. Jesus says two different times in five verses, “You blind guides!” And then more specifically, “Blind Pharisee!” He is warning the religious leaders of being hypocrites and living a life which looked holy from the outside, but was self-indulgent and greedy on the inside.

As Christians we should be challenged from this passage. Do we live a life that is set apart and different from the rest of the world, in order to lead a hurting friend, neighbor, or co-wording to Christ? Or do we clean up our act just enough so when the casual observer looks, we seem to have it all together? If that is the case we are no more than the blind leading the blind.

If you’re willing, take a good look at your insides today. Ask God to reveal any areas you’ve been turning a blind eye to, and address it for His glory. I don’t say these words lightly. It’s always humbling when God reveals areas I need to see more clearly. But remember He loves you and will light your path as you clean, so you don’t stub your toe.

Read today’s passage on Biblegateway Matthew 23:23-28