Made in Heaven
Matthew 15:7-9 You
hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 8 “These people
honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 9 They worship me
in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.”
WE want to know where our clothes, our car and our food are
made. We look for the label stamped, “Made in America”. Do we, though, want to
know who stamps out the rules by which we live? Think about it. Whose rules guide
your decisions? How do you choose one way or another? What resources are
fundamental to your decisions?
Recently I was
reading on a social media site a varied and somewhat anxious debate over an
issue. One person explained his forceful words with, “I give back what I get.” Apparently,
if someone “gave” him harsh words, he would speak harshly in return.
I’d like to ask
him, “Where do you get your rules?” But I already know the answer. He gets his
rules from man’s desire for revenge. Rules of strength in force, power in
harshness, and superiority through threats are man’s rules stamped into his
life. These rules deliver strife and restrict life because he obeys the culture’s
teaching, “Don’t get mad. Get even.”
I wonder what
would happen if he lived by Jesus’ rule from Matthew 6:14 “For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father
will also forgive you.” Or what peace would he have if his life was stamped
with Matthew 5:44 “Love your enemies and
pray for those who persecute you.” And
what would have happened to the Pharisees if they had let go of their rules? Do
you think they would have found the Ruler of the Kingdom of God?
LIFE Link: Live in the rules stamped, “Made in Heaven”.
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