Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a [person] can make [that person] ‘unclean’ by going into [the person]. Rather, it is what comes out of [the person] that makes him [her] ‘unclean’ . . . He went on: “What comes out of a [person] is what makes [the person] ‘unclean.’ For from within, out of [our] hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a [person] ‘unclean.’ ‘ ” Mark 7″ 14, 20, KJV.
Gracious God, please direct our study, and please speak to each individual heart as we have need to hear from You. In the blessed name of Jesus we pray. Amen.
Today we are continuing with our topic from yesterday, “The Enemy Within!” I believe that the topic is very relevant to humankind on a whole. But given the condition of our present society, I believe it is not only relevant, but indispensable! The media seem to be having a field’s day with people’s minds, and therefore, their lives. The topics of some of the TV programs are shocking, to say the very least! There seems to be no limits to what can be seen and heard on our television sets. We wonder how people in positions of responsibility, knowing the consequences if they are caught in certain acts, or committing certain deeds, can be snared into committing these felonies. Well wonder no more! Just spend a few hours in front of your television set (I do not recommend that you do this, without first commending yourself to the care of the Holy Spirit! I am not exaggerating!) and you will begin to understand why people would be willing to risk all that they have worked for, the love and respect of family and friends, and the honor they could bring to God, in exchange for the “thrills” offered them, by the media.
Hollywood is not a multi-billion dollar enterprise by chance. They have to come up with very creative ways of keeping people “entertained.” The problem with this, is how our brains function. The more excitement it gets, is the more excitement it wants; until it becomes very hard to satisfy these desires for excitement without going to dangerous extremes, not to say, bizarre extremes. Imagine beginning this process of exciting the brain at a very early age, when the mind is like a sponge soaking in everything it sees and hears! May God be merciful to the little ones whose nanny is Mrs. TV! Jesus, who created the mind, and knows how it works, has left us with sufficient warnings that none need stumble and fall! Today, let us go back to one of the concepts that we began unfolding in our study yesterday – that of sweeping the dirt under the rug. Let us continue to unpack it as it relates to our minds. Just an additional thought on what we spoke about yesterday: When on the outside, we are doing things just for people to see, we tend to indulge, on the inside, in the things we really want to do, within the secret chambers of our minds. Our minds become the bottom of the rug, where the dirt is hid! Would to God, that we were as conscious of the fact that God sees everything we do or think, as we are of impressing people!
As Jesus continued His Sermon on the Mount, He went on to correct the way we perceive sin – as an act. He who created the human body and mind, took it much further. He took it to a deeper, and, higher, level. He took it inside of us. Before sin is acted out, it is thought out! Notice, according to both definitions, that we looked at yesterday, the mind is in control of the totality of our actions, whether conscious or unconscious! For this reason, if for no other, the mind must be carefully guarded (Proverbs 4: 23)! Listen to the following: ” ‘You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.’ Again, anyone who says to his brother, ‘Raca’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell” (Matthew 5: 21, 22)! Why in danger of hell? Because, in our minds, we have already committed the act of homicide!
We will continue this conversation tomorrow!