Daily Lesson for June 11, 2014

Today's Daily Lesson is from Matthew chapter 16 verse 6:

 Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 

This summer marks 20 years since I first gave my life to Christ and this past spring I celebrated 9 years of ordained ministry.  You would think that by now I would pretty much get the Gospel.

But even after all these years voices still come into my head that are contrary to the Gospel Christ came to bring.  These voices tell me my worth is something to be earned.  They tell me I should receive more because I have worked more. They tell me I really am a good boy because I tithe, or give up vacations to go do missions, or because I wake up early and go to church every Sunday, or woke up and am writing this devotional today, and a little more recognition would be nice - and a lot of recognition would even be nicer.  These voices tell me my religion is better than yours and that ours is better than theirs.  They tell me mine is mine and yours is yours.  They tell me there are clearly good people and bad people in this world and I'm one of the good - unless I've been bad.  They tell me people get what they deserve in life - or should anyway; and that reward system is something I have built my life on, am counting on, but am also angry about and truth be known secretly dread.  The voices tell me God only loves the holy - and the holy includes me, and my family, and about half our country. They tell me security is priority one - whether it be job security, home security, national security, or financial security.  And they tell me the failure to prevent breaches in security is something to be shamed over.  They tell me winning isn't everything - it's the only thing and that I need to win whatever the costs.  In other words, they tell me there is nothing worse than failure - whether it be the failure of a business or marriage or the failure to raise a good child or at least a successful one.  And, of course, they tell me that after failure there is no Resurrection.

These voices are what Jesus meant when he warned his disciples to beware the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.   A little leaven spoils the whole loaf. So beware, because just one or two of these thoughts can make us forget that all is grace.