Banquet With The King

Tuesday, July 28, 2026

The Blind Can See

When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man to Jesus, and they begged him to touch the man and heal him. Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then, spitting on the man's eyes, he laid his hands on him and asked, "Can you see anything now?" The man looked around. "Yes," he said, "I see people, but I can't see them very clearly. They look like trees walking around." Then Jesus placed his hands on the man's eyes again, and his eyes were opened. His sight was completely restored, and he could see everything clearly. Jesus sent him away, saying, "Don't go back into the village on your way home." Mark 8:22-26 NLT

Meditate. Read these verses again and think about restored sight.

The blind will see--even without glasses.

Normally, no one wants to be spit on—in the face or at all. Here Jesus spit on the blind man’s eyes. Yuck! But what a wonderful thing! It was a slow process. Spit. Laying on of hands. Test eyesight. Laying on of hands again. Success! It must have been difficult healing for it to take two times of Jesus laying His hands on this gentleman to restore his eyesight. But Jesus’ power is just that—powerful. The man could see—not just like trees walking around—but truly see. Would his people have brought this man if they had known that Jesus would spit on him?

If someone spits around us, we see it. Yuck! The blind man was after all, blind. He didn’t see Jesus spit on his eyes. But this was good spit. It came from Jesus—the Messiah—the Son of God—God Himself—the healer, teacher, and the most powerful man on earth. Maybe everyone at that time didn’t see Jesus in that way, but after this blind man was healed, he did. Jesus told him not to go back into the village—just go home. Actually, He was telling that guy to tell no one. Don’t show yourself to those who knew you were blind, just go home.

What do we learn about Jesus’ character from this passage?

Prayer ~ Dear Jesus, that was part of Your mission—to make the blind see. Those who were physically blind and those who were spiritually blind. Today there are still people in both categories. Those who can not see—maybe legally blind—and those with blinders on so that they are spiritually blind. We can get so caught up in our own selfish desires that we miss the spiritual aspect of our lives. There are still people who just don’t get it. Take the scales or blinders off their eyes so that they might see and understand You as their Savior, Jesus. We are all going to live forever—whether joyfully with You or miserably without You. Help me to see and serve You more each day, here and now.

Verses of Salvation ~ All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 1 Peter 1:3-5 NLT

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

Monday, July 27, 2026

Don’t You Get It?

But the disciples had forgotten to bring any food. They had only one loaf of bread with them in the boat. As they were crossing the lake, Jesus warned them, "Watch out! Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and of Herod." At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn't brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, "Why are you arguing about having no bread? Don't you know or understand even yet? Are your hearts too hard to take it in? 'You have eyes—can't you see? You have ears—can't you hear?' Don't you remember anything at all? When I fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread, how many baskets of leftovers did you pick up afterward?" "Twelve," they said. "And when I fed the 4,000 with seven loaves, how many large baskets of leftovers did you pick up?" "Seven," they said. "Don't you understand yet?" he asked them. Mark 8:14-21 NLT

Are you hungry for bread or truth?

Later, after they crossed to the other side of the lake, the disciples discovered they had forgotten to bring any bread. "Watch out!" Jesus warned them. "Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees." At this they began to argue with each other because they hadn't brought any bread. Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, "You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread? Don't you understand even yet? Don't you remember the 5,000 I fed with five loaves, and the baskets of leftovers you picked up? Or the 4,000 I fed with seven loaves, and the large baskets of leftovers you picked up? Why can't you understand that I'm not talking about bread? So again I say, 'Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.'" Then at last they understood that he wasn't speaking about the yeast in bread, but about the deceptive teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Matthew 16:5-12 NLT

Meditate on understanding.

Don’t you get it? Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees. The disciples were hungry again and arguing about bread, but Jesus wasn’t warning them about the bread. Jesus had created bread out of almost nothing to feed 5,000 and then 4,000 men and their families, so He could have easily fed those few disciples. But He bluntly told them that He wasn’t talking about the bread, but about the deception of the Pharisees and Sadducees. They were false teachers. The bread of truth was what those disciples…and everyone…needed. Who declared Himself to be the Bread of Life…the Way, the Truth, and the Life? That was Jesus Himself.

Jesus replied, "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry again. Whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35 NLT

Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. John 14:6 NLT

Jesus repeated His warning. 'Beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.' The fraudulent words of the Jewish leaders were like yeast. They didn’t trust Jesus, so they wanted to discredit Him…and to ultimately kill Him. Yeast puffs up bread…and that is just what the Jewish leaders were. Puffed up with hot air…and false teaching centering on their traditions. He asked the disciples if they had eyes to see and ears to hear. Do you?

What do we learn about Jesus from these scripture passages?

Prayer ~ Open my eyes, my ears, and my heart, Lord Jesus, to Your truths. Help me to apply them to my life and to share them with others.

Verse of Salvation ~ Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right for the sake of your own salvation and the salvation of those who hear you. 1 Timothy 4:16 NLT

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

Sunday, July 26, 2026

Watch the Sky and Take Warning

One day the Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus, demanding that he show them a miraculous sign from heaven to prove his authority. He replied, "You know the saying, 'Red sky at night means fair weather tomorrow; red sky in the morning means foul weather all day.' You know how to interpret the weather signs in the sky, but you don't know how to interpret the signs of the times! Only an evil, adulterous generation would demand a miraculous sign, but the only sign I will give them is the sign of the prophet Jonah." Then Jesus left them and went away. Matthew 16:1-4

Red sky in the morning…sailors take warning. Red sky at night…sailor's delight.

Anyone can watch the sky…and predict the weather. Sunrise yesterday was beautiful…one friend called it stupendous! To me it is like God is warning up with dramatic clouds to practice for the Rapture. That will be an awesome day. The clouds were dramatic at sunrise, but when they hung around all day it got a bit dreary and then rainy. We need the rain—so I won’t complain. It was raining at sunset so there wasn’t enough light for the clouds to interact and get colorful. No red sky tonight.

The Pharisees were trying to test Jesus. Demanding a sign from Jesus—what did they want? Some lightening…stars falling…or how about some fire and brimstone? What kind of sign did Jonah provide? He refused to obey God and sailed away—only to be cast overboard and swallowed by a great fish. Being in that fish for three days has been suggested to represent the three days that Jesus was in the grave before His resurrection. Would the Pharisees ever give up and just believe in Him? We know the “rest of the story” and they were relentless to the end…to the cross.

Do you need a “sign” from Jesus to believe in Him?

Prayer ~ Jesus, like Jonah You were in the depths for three days. I don’t need another sign…I just pray that You will come quickly…and that more Jews would have their eyes and hearts opened to believe in You as their Messiah.

Verse of Salvation ~ Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News. Don't be intimidated in any way by your enemies. This will be a sign to them that they are going to be destroyed, but that you are going to be saved, even by God himself. - Philippians 1:27-28 NLT

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

Saturday, July 25, 2026

Another Hungry Multitude

Loave and Fish Mosiac
Near the Sea of Galilee
Israel

Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And I am unwilling to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.” And the disciples said to him, “Where are we to get enough bread in such a desolate place to feed so great a crowd?” And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” And directing the crowd to sit down on the ground, he took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. And they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over.

Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. And after sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan. Matthew 15:32-39 ESV

In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.” And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?” And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them. And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. Mark 8:1-10 (ESV)

Meditate on the compassion and generosity of Jesus.

Teaching. Healing. Compassion. Feeding Thousands. That was a big part of Jesus ministry. It looks like a pattern. It was what He came to do.

He was teaching people in their towns and villages. Telling them about how God loves them and wanted them to learn to please Him— to trust and obey for He is the one true God. In His mercy, compassion, and power, Jesus healed them—in their towns and when ever they came to Him—wherever He was. And they came and came and came. Multitudes.

What was He to do but to Teach, heal, and feed them. These 4,000 men and their families were thought to be Gentiles. Jesus came to the Jews first… and then the Gentiles. The Jews were Gods chosen people—descendants of Abraham. So glad that He came to us Gentiles, too. We are offered the same grace and mercy of eternal life with Jesus—as well as the benefit of His teaching, healing, and compassion. Faith. That is all we need. Believe. Those people that Jesus healed believed that He could do that—and He did.

Jesus gave thanks for those seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. In blessing it Jesus multiplied it to feed all 4,000 men and their families, who had not eaten for three days. Seven loaves of bread yielded seven baskets of leftovers. When was the last time that you fasted for three days or when you received a blessing like that? Do you regularly give thanks for your food before a meal?

What do we learn about Jesus character from these passages?

He declares Himself to be compassionate.

Prayer - Lord Jesus, Thank You for Your compassion, for Your generosity, and for Your obedience. You are amazing. I wasn’t there when You fed this multitude of 4,000 men and their families, but I believe in Your power and majesty. I believe in You—as the Son of God, as God, and as Savior of the world. Come quickly. We are waiting for Your return.

Verse of Salvation -

For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” Acts 13:47 (ESV)

All scripture quoted from the ESV unless otherwise noted.

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Friday, July 24, 2026

Put Your Fingers in His Ears

Jesus returned to the Sea of Galilee and climbed a hill and sat down. A vast crowd brought to him people who were lame, blind, crippled, those who couldn't speak, and many others. They laid them before Jesus, and he healed them all. The crowd was amazed! Those who hadn't been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel. Matthew 15:29-31

Jesus left Tyre and went up to Sidon before going back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns. A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him. Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man's ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man's tongue. Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, "Ephphatha," which means, "Be opened!" Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly! Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news. They were completely amazed and said again and again, "Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak." Mark 7:31-37

Meditate on Jesus’ healing methods.

Matthew and Mark don’t quite agree on the place in this story. Whether it was in Sidon, north of Tyre, or by the Sea of Galilee, it doesn’t matter. This was another example of great miracles of healing by Jesus.

Do you know any deaf people? Lots of people are now wearing hearing aids as our hearing gives out as we get older, but this young man was truly deaf. I have known a couple of people who were deaf at birth, but I never learned sign language to communicate with them. They were great lip readers. Usually, it’s not just their hearing that is impaired, but also their speech, since we learn to speak by hearing others and ourselves make particular sounds. This deaf man had the same problem.

Jesus is so amazing. He put His fingers into the man’s ears. Can you imagine the power going through that guy’s head? Then, Jesus spit on His own fingers and touched the man’s tongue. He sighed. Sighed. Was He sad? Exasperated? He knew that once that guy could speak, he would tell everyone what had happened to him! Jesus gave the command, “Be opened!” Sure enough. That young man could hear and speak normally!

Don’t tell. But everyone in the crowd was amazed and you just know that the news spread quickly. Don’t tell. Jesus kept pleading with people not to tell—but no one could keep secret this good news of the miraculous healing. There were no secrets with the celebration of healing…and opportunity for more of the same! Those who hadn't been able to speak were talking, the crippled were made well, the lame were walking, and the blind could see again! And they praised the God of Israel. Are you praising God for these miraculous healings, too?

What do we learn about Jesus from these scripture passages?

Prayer – Lord Jesus, You are amazing. I recognize, appreciate, and praise You for Your continued compassion. These people were so eager to receive Your healing. Their faith was enormous. Are we lacking faith today?

Verses of Salvation ~ For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. Titus 2:11-14

Friday’s Feast at the King’s Table

When was the last time you made bread or rolls? In our study of Jesus, He will soon be “making bread” to feed 4,000 men and their families. It is pretty well known that sour dough bread is one of the best and most digestible bread these days. During Jesus’ time, bread was probably like the Naan or pita bread that we might eat today.

Give us today the food we need…give us this day our daily bread.

One of my family’s favorites, usually over the holidays, has been 60-minute rolls.

60 Minute Wheat Rolls

2 pkgs. Active quick-rise dry yeast
3 Tbsp. sugar or honey
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. powdered milk (optional)
1 1/2 c. hot tap water

2 Tbsp softened butter or olive oil, at room temperature
4 to 4 1/2 c. unsifted flour (half wheat and half white)

Thoroughly mix 1 cup flour and dry ingredients. Gradually add water and butter to dry ingredients and beat 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Add remaining flour and beat to make soft dough. Place in greased bowl, cover, and rise 15 minutes. Turn out onto floured board. Knead about 5 minutes, until not sticky. Shape dough into rolls and place on greased baking sheet. Cover and let rise again for about 15 minutes. Bake at 400 degree Fahrenheit oven about 12 minutes (depends on the size of the rolls). Makes 16-20 rolls.

[Quantities adjusted from an original recipe baked by the chef at a Larry Burkett Financial Planning Workshop, in Georgia, 1988.]

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

Thursday, July 23, 2026

Do Your Dogs Eat the Scraps Under Your Table?

Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Gentile woman who lived there came to him, pleading, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely." But Jesus gave her no reply, not even a word. Then his disciples urged him to send her away. "Tell her to go away," they said. "She is bothering us with all her begging." Then Jesus said to the woman, "I was sent only to help God's lost sheep—the people of Israel." But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, "Lord, help me!" Jesus responded, "It isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs." She replied, "That's true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their masters' table." "Dear woman," Jesus said to her, "your faith is great. Your request is granted." And her daughter was instantly healed. Matthew 15:21-28

Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre. He didn't want anyone to know which house he was staying in, but he couldn't keep it a secret. Right away a woman who had heard about him came and fell at his feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil spirit, and she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter. Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia, Jesus told her, "First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews. It isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs." She replied, "That's true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children's plates." "Good answer!" he said. "Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter." And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone. Mark 7:24-30

Meditate on good answers.

Sweet Clover
No feeding this puppy under the table!

Jesus was in the Galilee region and decided to go up north to Tyre and Sidon, in the known Gentile area beyond the Israeli borders. Here, a mother pleaded with Jesus to heal her daughter who was possessed by an evil spirit. Jesus’ reputation for the ability to cast out demons had obviously preceded Him. By this time in His ministry, Jesus had dealt with many demon-possessed individuals. Another in the Gentile area was the man in the tombs with the legion of demons who were sent into the pigs that drowned in the Sea of Galilee. Had this Phoenician woman heard about this healing? Were there more demon-possessed people in Gentile areas? Jesus and all of His disciples had been healing inhabitants of the Jewish regions, and now Jesus was in this Gentile region. He declared that He came to help the Jews first…but this lady was persistent and persuasive. She compared the Gentiles to dogs being fed under the table. She had such creative devotion—so much faith. Jesus healed her daughter immediately.

Is this an example of our need to plead with Jesus when we pray? Do we need to be persistent and persuasive?

What do we learn about Jesus from these scripture passages?

Prayer – Lord Jesus, I know You heard that Phoenician woman when she asked for her little girl to be healed and that You hear our prayers. Thank you for answered prayers…and for those on which we still wait. Your grace is sufficient.

Verse of Salvation ~ But I keep praying to you, LORD, hoping this time you will show me favor. In your unfailing love, O God, answer my prayer with your sure salvation. Psalm 69:13

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Over One Million Pageviews

May all my thoughts be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the LORD. Psalm 104:34

Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice! Philippians 4:4

Meditate on rejoicing.

My favorite photo on this blog.
Camel Crossing
Judean Desert - Israel
Want to ride this camel to the King's Banquet?

Rejoice with me! I am amazed. Over One Million Pageviews of this blogspot in the last almost 15 years! When I saw this number on my statistics page, I was just blown away. 1001099. And growing.

Rejoice with me and Praise the Lord! The Holy Spirit has guided me through all my writings on this blog. There have been times when I have read a blog entry from a couple of years ago…and thought, “Who wrote this? It’s good!” It was the Holy Spirit—not me! To God be the Glory! May your heart be touched as you continue to read Banquet With The King.

I look forward to a huge banquet that all believers will have together in Heaven one day. A banquet with The King of kings! I hope you know Jesus as your King...your Savior…and will be at His banquet, too!

Prayer – Lord Jesus, I celebrate in Your love and grace. Thank you for inspiring me over these last fifteen years to write this blog for You. May You be glorified and honored. May my thoughts be pleasing to You for I rejoice in You.

Verses of Salvation ~ Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever. Cry out, "Save us, O God of our salvation! Gather and rescue us from among the nations, so we can thank your holy name and rejoice and praise you." Praise the LORD, the God of Israel, who lives from everlasting to everlasting! And all the people shouted "Amen!" and praised the LORD. 1 Chronicles 16:34-36

Comment below.

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Be Safe

After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death. John 7:1

Meditate on traveling by foot…to stay safe.

Galilee. Judea. Where are those regions? How’s your geography? I had to look it up in the maps section of my study Bible and then Google “map of Israel at Jesus’ time” to plainly see that Judea is the southern region of Israel from Joppa and Ephraim to almost Beersheba near Idumaea, where the Edomites resided in the Old Testament times. Judah was always the southern part of the kingdom when it split after King David. Jerusalem was in this Judah…and then Judea region.

The Galilee region is basically the area west of the Sea of Galilee, north of Samaria, including Nain and Nazareth to Chorazin. That was a vicinity in which Jesus and His disciples would be safe from the Jewish leaders who were planning to destroy Jesus. There were plenty of small towns to which Jesus could minister and teach. The long dusty roads and distance from Jerusalem was likely a deterrent for those Jewish leaders to follow Jesus around the countryside, but that didn’t stop them from plotting. At this point in this third year, Jesus is ending His great Galilean ministry and beginning a year of opposition. He continues to heal, feed, and teach a wide variety of people. Keep reading to see what happens next.

What do you learn about Jesus from this passage?

Prayer – Lord Jesus, if I were there in Israel when You were, I would want to keep You safe from those knifing Jewish leaders! But all this was part of God’s plan—for You to be a sacrifice for the sins of mankind. Thank You for being willing to go to that cross.

Verse of Salvation ~ But He gives us more and more grace [through the power of the Holy Spirit to defy sin and live an obedient life that reflects both our faith and our gratitude for our salvation]. Therefore, it says, "GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD and HAUGHTY, BUT [continually] GIVES [the gift of] GRACE TO THE HUMBLE [who turn away from self-righteousness]." James 4:6 AMP

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP),

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm.

Monday, July 20, 2026

What Defiles You?

Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. "All of you listen," he said, "and try to understand. It's not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart." ... Then Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowd, and his disciples asked him what he meant by the parable he had just used. "Don't you understand either?" he asked. "Can't you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? Food doesn't go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer." (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God's eyes.) And then he added, "It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person's heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you." Mark 7:14-15, 17-23 (Underlined to answer question.)

Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. "Listen," he said, "and try to understand. It's not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth." Then the disciples came to him and asked, "Do you realize you offended the Pharisees by what you just said?" Jesus replied, "Every plant not planted by my heavenly Father will be uprooted, so ignore them. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if one blind person guides another, they will both fall into a ditch." Then Peter said to Jesus, "Explain to us the parable that says people aren't defiled by what they eat." "Don't you understand yet?" Jesus asked. "Anything you eat passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer. But the words you speak come from the heart—that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you. Eating with unwashed hands will never defile you." Matthew 15:10-20

Meditate on Jesus’ explanation.

Would sushi "defile" you?
It is not what you eat...but your
heartfelt thoughts that can make you impure.

What defiles you? What makes you unclean? Jesus is very specific. Out of a person's heart come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. It isn’t what you eat that defiles you since that food goes through you. It is what is in your heart. So, what is in your heart? What’s your thought pattern…your focus? Will you let Jesus change you? Are you willing to let your behavior from your heart, not just your mind, be changed? Are you willing to be forgiven, to be transformed? Jesus offers forgiveness from all those sins that He calls out in these passages. He went to the cross just for our sins. Will you accept His forgiveness?

What do we learn about Jesus from these passages of Scripture today?

Prayer – Lord Jesus, forgive me for wallowing in my selfishness and the very sins that You explained are defiling me…all humankind. Thank You for forgiveness—for that gift of faith that allows me to accept what You have done for me.

Verses of Salvation ~ For it is by grace [God's remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation]. Ephesians 2:8-9 AMP

All scripture quoted from the New Living Translation (NLT) unless otherwise noted.

Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified® Bible (AMP),

Biblical search from Blue Letter Bible - http://v3.blueletterbible.org/search.cfm