Cognoscenti (Matthew 23:1-39)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “cognoscenti.”  It is always amazing to me that people can be so stuck in their ways that they refuse to learn.  One of the first principles that I learned when I was in my early leadership training was to always remember that somebody else had a different perspective on whatever it is that I believed.  This was tough for me.  On all of the personality assessments that I had ever taken, and would take following that, I realized it was definitely in my personality to judge both situations and people.  I had to get rid of this way of thinking.  We also see this kind of treatment of others by the Pharisees in the time of Jesus.  Although they knew a lot about religion and law, they lacked what was most important.

“Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, so practice and observe whatever they tell you—but not what they do. For they preach, but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger.” ~Matt 23:1-4

My question is: do you follow the principles that you believe deep in your heart?  It was not bad that the Pharisees knew so much about religion and law.  In fact, that was really good.  The problem is that there became some kind of disconnect between what they were learning and how they were living.  The bottom line is, you can be a total cognoscenti in life, and understanding lessons.  But if you do not apply those principles, then it does not really amount to much.  My prayer is that you hold close to your convictions, continue to learn, and above all else make sure that you love others according to God's law.

Praying for you,

MO

Tumescent (Mark 12.38-40)

Good morning all,

The word of the day is “tumescent.”  Have you known anyone in your life that just seems to have an opinion for everything?  It could be any subject, at any time, for any reason.  But that person will have some kind of answer.  Well, most of us don’t like when others talk down to us or use unnecessary language.  During Jesus’s ministry he encountered a lot of people who thought he was wrong, or thought he was completely crazy.  He had to battle this day in and day out.  It did not matter how much he pointed to the Scriptures, even those who were the most educated in the law were rude and unbelieving.

 As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.” ~Mk 12:38-40

My question is: where is it that you place your faith?  The Pharisees and other teachers of the law often talked about Jesus with tumescent and contemptuous language.  They do not respect him and were always trying to get him in some kind of trap to say something that would trip him up and make his followers leave him.  The truth was that he was always speaking the truth, and even though the teachers of the law did everything that they could, they could not find anything wrong with the way that Jesus lived or taught.  My prayer is that you hold on to the words of Jesus, and know that he spoke the truth then, and still yearns for an intimate relationship with you.  God will always fight for you.  You need only to trust him.

Praying for you,

MO

Realpolitik (Matthew 23:12-14)

Good morning all,

THe word of the day is “realpolitik.”  Self-righteousness has been going on since, and even before, the Bible was recorded.  Some peeps just like to get up in other people’s business and tell them how to live.  Unfortunately, most of us have enough hang-ups to keep ourselves busy, and do not really need to worry about others and the way that they are living life.  The Pharisees were these kind of dudes back in the New Testament.  JC really had it up to here with the way that they were living, and judging others...

"Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted.13"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows' houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.… ~Matt 23:12-14

My question is: what do you spend most of your time and energy on?  Some peeps are so consumed with the business of judging others that they do not take time to look in the mirror.  My prayer is that each of you takes a moment and self-reflects upon the things in your own life that God would like to work on.  If we spend more time working out our own issues, we will have less time to try to run other peeps’ lives.  Live in grace today, and give others the same benefit that God would… an accepting heart.

Praying for you,

MO