Practicing What We Preach

Day 226: Matthew 23

Wow. Matthew 23 was very eye-opening for me. I mentioned in a previous post that Jesus really gets on to the religious leaders because of their hypocritical ways, but in this chapter, wow, he is harsh. He tells the people and his disciples that they should follow the teachings of the religious leaders and the Pharisees but that they shouldn't follow their example because they don't practice what they preach. They are hypocritical--appearing to follow the laws but in reality being hateful and despicable. Jesus argues that the Pharisees and the religious leaders are clean and pretty on the outside, but their hearts are filthy and dirty.

And what will their punishment be? According to Jesus, sorrow awaits them. He says this phrase over and over again. He even says that these religious people will be held responsible for the deaths of all godly people OF ALL TIME (v. 35), including Abel who was killed by Cain. Wow. Jesus is serious about one thing: he wants us to practice what we preach.

Of course it's easy to think, "Those Pharisees. Those hypocrites." and not to see ourselves in them at all. But it is the religious people Jesus is addressing here and it would do people who consider themselves religious to consider how we might be like these people Jesus condemns. Are we hypocritical? Do we want others to see our good deeds, even though our hearts are evil and hateful inside? Do we have unpure motives? How are we like the Pharisees? What might Jesus be saying to us?

For me, he's reminding me that purity begins in the heart. Outward deeds that are good do not mean that they come from a pure heart, and a pure, clean heart is really what God wants from us. He doesn't expect perfection by any means, but he does expect us to practice what we preach--not to deceive and be hypocritical. This lesson is one we've heard over and over in our lives, but it's obviously a very important one to implement. The kingdom is at stake when we don't practice what we preach, and for unbelieving people, hypocrites are what they simply find unbelievable.

A Teaching Tip

Day 219: Matthew 13

A lot of the research I do for my job has to do with the notion of narrative. Narrative theory looks at how we use stories to construct meaning and make sense of our lives. Since the beginning of time, humans have used stories in such a way. And Jesus is no different. This chapter in Matthew details many of the parables Jesus uses in his teaching. In fact, this chapter even says that Jesus solely spoke to the people through parables. At no time did he teach them without using stories.

Today (and then, too), Jesus is considered the master teacher--the model for all to follow. And if we are to follow his lead, then we should understand that good teaching involves the telling of stories. As humans, we process and arrange our lives through stories, and when we listen to or read stories, the point (argument/claim/thesis) of the piece is more clear to us. Plus, we can then apply what we've learned about the example(s) used in the story to our own lives. This method of teaching by telling stories is so different than the way our education system focuses on memorizing "facts" and practicing methods. Stories aren't often used in formal instruction (at least from my perspective) to actually instruct; rather, they are primarily used to learn the facts of them. For instance, when we read _Romeo and Juliet_, we are tested over the details of the story. And when teachers lecture, they don't often use stories--at least mine didn't. When I teach, I know the importance of telling stories, but it's often more difficult to find and use stories than just to tell students something. And yet Jesus shows us the importance of using stories as a teaching tool--and not just something to memorize. Our education system, as well as individual teachers like me,  can learn from Jesus how to become a better teacher. 

More about Jesus

Day 217: Matthew 11

Jesus is a true teacher: he gives instructions to his "pupils" (apostles) and then he goes out to teach and preach. He instructs and directs and then he goes back to his business of teaching and preaching to the masses. Jesus views both parts as important--teaching his apostles and preaching and teaching to the whole group. Food for thought.
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The following passage  is a winner in my book (11:28-20, NLT):

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

Jesus wants to give us rest. He wants to take all our burdens away from us and bring peace, rest, and contentment to our lives. His words provide evidence of what an amazing man Jesus was/is. Even though his yoke wasn't going to be easy, he still is unselfishly concerned about others. He is here for us, ready to provide our souls with rest. How comforting is that!

The Credibility and Purpose of Jesus

Day 213: Matthew 7

There are no greater words than those of Jesus. His teachings are profound and inspiring, yet straightforward. When he finishes speaking in Matthew 7, the author writes, "When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law." The people were amazed because Jesus taught with authority. He knew what he was talking about and spoke with command and authority, with a credibility--an ethos--that the teachers of religious law did not have.

What's Done in Secret...

Day 212: Matthew 6

Over the past several years, I have become more and more interested in spiritual disciplines and how they form people to be more Christlike. We are all familiar--at least in name--with the disciplines of fasting, praying, and Bible study. But there are others that are less familiar. One spiritual discipline that fascinates me is that of secrecy. Secrecy as a spiritual discipline isn't about keeping someone's secret. Rather, it has to do with doing good deeds in secret--without telling anyone about them. So often, we are motivated to do good by our own selfish desires. We give to the needy--publicly--so that people will see it and know what we've done. We make announcements or we are honored by organizations for our giving. We give--and we are recognized for it.

But this spiritual discipline of secrecy isn't about being recognized; it's about doing things for others without anyone knowing about it--even the person for whom you've done it. This spiritual discipline can be considered one because it takes discipline not to share with others good things you have done. If you mow your neighbor's lawn because it needs to be done, you want your spouse to know. Or if you provide food for families in need, you may do so out of desires that are not so pure. Sure, we try to have good intentions--we are helping people. But when we practice the discipline of secrecy, we can see how so many of our intentions--especially good ones--are actually based on selfish motivations.

In Matthew 6, Jesus addresses this discipline of secrecy when he talks about giving to the poor and when teaching on how we should pray. I challenge all of us to practice doing things for others for their sake rather than ours. This discipline is one way to learn this lesson.

Jesus: The Preacher and Teacher

Day 211: Matthew 5

Matthew 5 contains the first recorded "sermon" of Jesus, and probably his most famous one--the Sermon on the Mount. The Beatitudes are recorded here, and so are teachings on anger, adultery, vows, revenge, and love for enemies. This sermon is striking on so many levels, but mostly because Jesus takes the Book of Law that all the people to which he's speaking about knows and understands and abolishes it. But he doesn't just abolish it and say, "Never mind all that stuff." Rather, he takes the laws that these these people know and believe and obey and extends them. He takes them further. He doesn't just talk about the action; he gets to the heart of the matter, literally, by showing us how our actions are really borne out of our heart, and it is our heart that we need to get right and then our actions will follow.

What amazing, inspiring, and radical things to say. Here is Jesus--his first sermon ever--and here he is already making radical claims that would upset and rile up an audience. But he speaks the truth. He teaches. He takes what these people know about the law--abolishes it--and then rebuilds it on a new foundation--a heart foundation. It really is all about our hearts and minds--what we think and feel. Jesus is already an amazing, provocative teacher. I'm glad he continues to teach us all these years later.