Devotion
Who Do We Believe
Frances Taylor
The people of Jesus' time were looking for a Messiah, but a Messiah of their own design. We forget sometimes, that the Jewish people of every generation were waiting for the promised Messiah. Jesus even mentions in this passage that he is aware of the attention paid to the Scriptures to try and figure out who the Messiah might be. Jesus also tells them that a reading of the Scriptures leads to him. Unfortunately, they wanted someone who would be a military leader and Jesus wasn't it. What are we looking for when we think about Jesus? You and I both know that people show up every once in a while proclaiming that they are the Messiah. They will lead us to God if only we listen to them and follow them without question. Often these people have caused damage to the lives of their followers, and some of their followers have lost their lives. There is only one Messiah, Jesus. If we believe that he is sent by the Father in order that we might be saved and also to teach us the way to the Father, then we need to pay attention to his word and not to the words of others claiming to know a better way.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, you sent us Jesus as our Savior. You gave us the Scriptures to lead us to understand his message. Help us to keep our eyes on him and learn from him so that we might spend eternity with you. Amen.
Night Prayer
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.
Inspiration
We despise the thought of a pile of dirty dishes in the sink. The outside is easy to clean; it's the caked-up residue on the inside that's so difficult to remove. Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees with dishes that have been wiped clean on the outside while dirty inside. The Pharisees took exceptional care of their outward appearance and neglected their inward spirits. We are guilty of allowing our hearts to be left filthy as well. We look and act as we should while our souls are full of darkness. We must continue to converse with the Holy Spirit daily and trust His guidance to cleanse our sinful nature.
Prayer
Dear God, Please forgive our sinful nature. We yearn for cleansing from within, so we are genuine witnesses to Your name. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
