Have You Seen His Fingerprints?

~~~ Romans 1:16-25 ~~~ Psalm 19 ~~~ Luke 11:37-41 ~~~

Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?

Jesus accepts an invitation to dine in the home of a Pharisee.

Pharisees enforced the laws and rules of the day.

It was their job to observe with a very critical eye...

it was expected for them to scrutinize and reprimand 

those not following the rules. 

As soon as Jesus enters into this Pharisee's home 

he breaks a widely prescribed rule...

He does not perform the prescribed 

hand washing before eating. 

This misinformed Pharisee misses the point

 that Jesus is in his house.

He is obsessed with 'the outside' of his cup.

How would any of these rules and laws 

influence your holiness?

What attracts you to a certain glass, cup or mug?

We rarely examine the inside of the cup.

We are more often attracted to the colors

 or the design on the outside.

We usually do not even 

consider the inside.

...they became vain in their reasoning,

and their senseless minds were darkened.

The Pharisees claimed to be wise, but their focus 

on the laws caused them to become vain. 

Their vanity kept them from having the time

 to examine their heart.

Their life was out of balance,

but more importantly their soul was being ignored.

When your priority is out of balance 

too often the outside is what you care most about.

Consider for a moment how God sees you.

To God you appear as a translucent cup.

God sees you as you are inside and outside.

God sees his fingerprints on the outside of your 'cup'

Have you seen his fingerprints from inside?

There is nothing within or without

that you can do to keep what is inside hidden.

God cares more about the inside of you

than your physical appearance.

To God you are a crystal goblet...

An exquisite sparkling cup.

You are a treasure to God...

He created you to be beautiful in all ways.

It is your responsibility to keep

 the crystal cup bright and shining.

If you set your priority to keep the inside of the cup

clean you will be able to see God's 

fingerprints on the outside.

Blessed...

Did not the maker of the outside 

also make the inside?

~~~Peace~~~

Designer Frauds

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

 

When we are living meticulously by the law alone we are just fooling ourselves.

The law governs your external attitude.

The law prescribes certain procedures to be carried out at specific times.

The law may restrict the the inner spirit.

 

Jesus came, not to abolish the law, but to expand the view of law.

Jesus knew that even if you followed the law exactly

you were not necessarily a model or holy person.

Following the law may just be a matter of going

through the prescribed actions.

 

The presence of Jesus leave those around him perplexed

as he challenges their understanding of the laws.

Strictly living within the confines of the law can be deceiving.

Jesus often found himself delivering

his message outside the boundaries of the law.

 

We can sometimes become so caught up in the

'outside of the cup' that we overlook

what is happening inside the cup.

The outside of our cup may not be who we really are inside.

Jesus says to the Pharisees

"...Did not the maker of the outside also make the inside?"

 

Why are you spending so much time on the outside...

the external appearances?

Do you not know that the maker of the cup also

intimately knows the inside of the cup?

 

Washing the hands is not symbolic of ones internal cleansing.

Outward appearances can be deceiving.

Underneath the external facade there can be a host of maggots and decay.

 

Just because you may dress well or drive a fancy car or

 live in an expensive home; none of these things may represent

what lives inside your heart.

 

Today Jesus is saying pay more attention to your internal intentions

and less about the external ritual laws.

Today Jesus is saying even if you go through all of the prescribed laws

and your heart is not in the proper place

you are a fraud.

 

Several years ago I was introduced to a place

where you could purchase 'designer' handbags at a greatly reduced price.

Apparently if you knew the right thing to ask the sales clerk

you gained access to the 'special' room.

 

Little did I know at the time that this 'special' room

containing the 'designer' products was illegal.

All of the products were frauds.

All were rip offs of the real thing.

All were copies made to look like the actual designer handbag

to the unsuspecting buyer.

To the untrained eye you could not tell the difference.

 

I think this is exactly what Jesus is warning us about today.

Are you a true disciple of his or are you just going through the motions?

In other words, are you really a good imitation...a fraud?

 

Don't be offended by these words just examine your own heart.

Just be honest with your self.

Only you and God know the truth.

It really does not matter what anyone else sees or thinks.

 

 

Above all of the laws and rules there is only one thing that matters in the end.

Have you been true to your call to love others...

not only as you love yourself,

but more importantly as God has loved you?

 

You see what really matters is the

'inside of the cup'.

One spec left inside the cup can contaminate the whole contents.

It is time to focus on the inside of the cup.

 

Sometimes Jesus did not follow the prescribed laws

in order to make his point.