scripture
Matthew 15:1 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!”
3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?
4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’ 6 he is not to ‘honor his father’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
7 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.’”
observation
Jesus came to give us the opportunity to have a right relationship with him. Just obeying the law even if you did it perfectly would not be enough for God, he wants a relationship built on trust and love.
We don't get to have a relationship based on our performance, God already knows that we cannot meet his standards, we get to have a relationship because he loved us and gave his life for us which is the ultimate display of love. Instead of performance he wants a relationship, he wants a desire to be close to him and live "better" because of our relationship with him not because we have a check list that we are striving to maintain.
It wont do me any good to be a fake, I can sing all the praise songs, pray, attend church at every opportunity and even maintain a daily Bible study blog but I shouldn't even bother to do any of these things if I am not for real walking close to him everyday.
application
I will be genuine cause God already knows the real me.
prayer
Thank you for loving me and desiring to have fellowship with me. Help me to follow you and live for you based on love and not just trying to follow the rules.
