“Listen and Understand”

Jesus called the crowd to him, “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”” Matthew 15:10

Meditation:

Jesus spoke a very profound truth here. In the times of the Old Testament, people were more concerned about the things they ate. Food was a major part of the Law of Moses. It was the way the children of Israel separated themselves from idolatrous Gentile nations, to keep from becoming influenced by them, which did happen on a number of occasions. There were particular foods that were deemed as clean - which were the foods they were required to eat. There were also foods that were deemed unclean - the Jews were not to touch them otherwise they would be defiled. God has never been okay with idolatry.

But,when Jesus came to the earth, He shifted the focus completely. Instead of re-emphasizing the cleanness and uncleanness of food, Jesus raised the bar and gave the people a higher standard to live by. He informed them that anything that entered a man - food, words, etc. - was not capable of defiling him. He said that it is what came out of the man that defiled him - referring to a man's words and actions.

When you look at it from a clear point-of-view, you will realize that the food people ate was not what was making them unclean. It was what those foods would lead to - idol worship, strange acts, etc. that would defile them. The people, however, had missed this completely.

This still applies to us today. There are so many external influences that are capable of affecting the way we act. But this is not where our focus should be. Our focus should be on the attitudes and beliefs we possess, and the words and actions that follow. If your words and actions are harmful and do not bring glory to God, then you are acting in a contrary manner. If your actions and words are righteous and do glorify the name of God, then you are walking in a way that is truly worthy of the calling you have come into.

As Jesus said," "He who has ears to hear, let him hear." Luke 8:8

Prayer:

Father in Heaven, help us with your Holy Spirit to open our spiritual ears to LISTEN and UNDERSTAND your word. Help us to put it into practice in our daily life, sharing it with Love to others…! We pray in the wonderful name of our Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen!!!