Watching What I Eat
LENT 2022 | DAY 18
Matthew 15:10-20 (NIV)
(Jabez Fong Jia En, Zone 4A Core Team Member, Small Group Ministry)
READ:
Matthew 15:10-20 (NIV)
OBSERVE:
In the world of that day, we can imagine how Jesus’ words would have made waves. After all, the Pharisees were the authorities on the law in Jewish society, and they were also responsible for ensuring that the law was strictly adhered to by the Jews. They themselves sought to be righteous by adhering to every letter of the law and thought that adhering to the law would allow them to fulfil its requirements. However, they often only satisfied the ritualistic aspects of the law, neglecting the deeper motivation of the law – to love God and to love their neighbour.
It is with the expectation of enforcing the law that the Pharisees come to challenge Jesus in today’s passage. After Jesus rebukes them in verses 3-9, he turns and explains to the crowd that it is not the food a person eats – dirty as it may be – that defiles them, but their conduct. Jesus then provides the crowd with a non-exhaustive list of sinful acts which can defile a person, while emphasising for contrast that eating with unwashed hands is not part of the list.
While it may look like Jesus is tackling a specific law that the Pharisees seek to enforce, he is seeking to correct a crucial misconception of what God requires of us, while turning the Pharisees’ basis of human righteousness on its head. After all, it is not our adherence to rituals (such as handwashing) that affects our righteousness, but how we love others (by not sinning against them).
APPLY:
In our zeal and desire to live a life that is pleasing to God, it is easy to take tangible activities such as rituals as a means to be counted righteous in God’s eyes. This can take on many forms, such as religiously attending church services week after week, participating in church campaigns, never failing to turn up for small group, or serving actively in church ministries.
While these are all good endeavours and reflect a desire to steward our gifts well in the service of God and his people, if we are not careful, these means to an end can become an end unto themselves. We might start to look at them as a way to earn God’s favour rather than rightly viewing them as something we do in response to God’s lavish grace poured out on us.
Being active in church and in Christian community, I am keenly aware that even as I participate in church activities and services, I often fail to love people around me. As I reflect on these moments, Christ’s words in this chapter lovingly rebuke me and remind me that my activity and service in church is not the priority; it is how I love his people that matters.
DO:
To pause in this season of Lent to recognise Christ’s journey to the cross to suffer and die for my sin; remember the good news and thank God for his boundless grace in the sending of his son that has resulted in my redemption and sanctification, that I might live a life worthy of my calling as his child.
Recognise that it is not my adherence to rituals and activities that are important, but how I love God and my neighbour in the same way that God first loved me. Commit to small acts of love that build into a habit of looking out for those around me by meeting their needs, speaking words of encouragement, or taking the time to listen.
PRAY:
Lord of mercy and grace, thank you for the revelation of your Son Jesus Christ, and for the words of life that he has spoken. As I journey with Christ to the cross, help me to set my eyes unflinchingly upon him and his sacrifice for me as I learn to daily pick up my cross and live in humility, serving and loving those around me.
