Backup

By Matt

I put in the Bible Experience CD today not quite sure where I was last time and lo and behold I found another condemnation/salvation reference that I had caught the first time listening but forgot to dLog about when I got to the computer. We're looking at Matthew 12:36-37 and it says: "But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."

Now I found this very interesting because we so often here that there's nothing we can do that will save us but apparently there are things we can say. It's frustrating to me that Jesus doesn't quite spell out what good things we can say to be acquitted by but if you backup a little bit earlier in the paragraph I think you get some ideas: "For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." So, basically if you have a good heart, you'll be saying good things and maybe it's the good heart that's saving you. But doesn't God already know what's in our hearts to begin with? Why would he need to hear what we say to judge us quick or dead? That doesn't quite make sense to me.

Next I looked at Matthew 15. The Pharisees are up to their old tricks of trying to catch Jesus at some legalistic hoopla but, of course, Jesus has none of it and sticks it to 'em. The disciples, in their typical display of brilliance, point out, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?" (Verse 12)

Jesus replies: "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit" (13-14).

I think this obviously goes back to the parable I discussed in my previous post where Jesus talks about the parable of the good sower who sows his field and then his enemy goes and sows weeds in the same field. Here Christ is condemning those who ought to know better, the religious leaders. Kind of confirming my hypothesis so far!