Inside...Who Are You?

~~~ Galatians 5:1-6 ~~~ Psalm 119 ~~~ Luke 11:37-41 ~~~

....neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything...

...the prescribed washing before the meal.

Both Paul and Luke are speaking in the same
 tone about what is important.

Paul says it does not matter whether you are circumcised or not.

Luke writes Jesus saying whether or
not I washed before eating is not important here.

It is so easy to miss the point.

It is never about working our way through
all of the prescribed ritual laws...

it is about our relationship with God.

This is where you should be focusing your attention.

There may be good reasons for circumcision. 

There may be good reasons for washing of hands before eating, 

but this is not THE focus here.

We are invited to go deeper...to go one more step toward the Lord.

The real focus should be on your personal relationship with God.

Nothing about the external rituals is as worthwhile 

as to the condition of one's heart and soul.

 ...through the Spirit, by faith, 
we await the hope of righteousness.

What benefit is it to our eternal salvation if we follow to the letter
 the prescribed laws and rituals if we go about
trampling on our brothers and sisters.

Faith helps us to act justly out of love.
To treat others as we ourselves wish to be treated.

If we become too preoccupied with laws and rituals
it may be at the expense of own destruction.

When we become too occupied with the laws
 we can become calloused to the needs of real people.

Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish,
inside you are filled with plunder and evil.

Jesus is very blunt.
Meticulously following the laws and rituals are equivalent
 to polishing up the outside of the cup.
But the outside often holds the reflection
of what should be given closer consideration within our heart.

If you despise those who are less fortunate
by holding them only as a reflection on the outside of the cup
you have missed the entire message of Jesus.

External appearances can be deceiving...just so you know.
When you raise the cup, look inside. Who do you see?
Is that who you truly are...
The person who looks back at you in the mirror each morning;
is that a good replica of what is on the inside?

Follow all of the rules and rituals meticulously,
but do not stop there...
For what is inside is far more important in the end.

Blessed to look inside and face the real you.
~~~Peace~~~