LEARNING DAILY

Matthew 3:1-2, 8, In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."  (8) Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

The Beatitudes give truths to being a disciple of Jesus Christ. As mentioned yesterday they can be seen as relating to each other. Being “poor in spirit” is sensing one’s spiritual need for God. That leads one to “mourn” over their weakness(es) in relation to God’s standards. Each build on the previous truth.

The first few deals with the condition of one’s heart. Others deal with one’s relationship to Christ. The last few are about relationships with others. It is interesting that Jesus seems to begin with one’s heart. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” When one “hungers and thirsts for righteousness”, Jesus is looking at the inner condition, the spiritual condition of the heart. To “hunger and thirst for righteousness” is to have an active spiritual craving for God’s kingdom above all else.

In Mark 7, Jesus addresses the Pharisees about what defiles a person. For the Pharisees, the issue of cleanliness was not about clean hands, or even clean hearts; it was about conforming to rituals. Outward conformity was their concern instead of an inward change. In Mark 7:16-17, Jesus told the crowd listening to the dialogue that acts done “for show”, to be seen by others, had no value without a transformed heart. Jesus was saying that ungodly attitudes show the heart is defiled. The Pharisee’s attitude with eating without washing the hands has nothing to do with the cleanliness of the heart.

The disciples do not understand what Jesus is teaching, they ask Him to explain. Jesus tells them that the heart is the source of one's physical and spiritual life. Food cannot make a person unclean because it does not enter the heart. He goes on to tell them all the terrible self-centered and destructive attitudes that produce the ugly behaviors and things people do comes from the heart (read mark 7: 20-23). A person becomes “unclean” when they curse with a rebellious attitude toward God or seek out unclean entertainment or activities that they know God does not want them to have in their lives. People become unclean when their hearts convince them to do what is permitted to do in an unclean or perverted way. Jesus was concerned about the Pharisees who taught one way of living but did not follow their teaching. Those traditions that are followed have no meaning if one’s heart is hard.

Believers are not immune from the temptations of the heart. However, “the poor in spirit” understand their need to daily seek after Jesus Christ as they walk the narrow way. They grieve or “mourn” over their weakness to live God’s standard, “humbling” themselves to walk in submission to God’s perfect will each day. They want to be made righteous and conform to His will. Do you remember what Jesus said to the woman at the well about receiving the water He had to give? “The one who drinks the water He had to give would thirst no more!” John 4:14). Jesus said in Matthew 5:6, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” Jesus Himself will fill those who have an intense desire to be filled with the righteousness only He can give; that comes from seeking a right relationship with Him!