Daily New Testament - Quarter 1Sample

The Pharisees continue with their rule-following, and Jesus opposes them strongly. The Pharisees are concerned with the appearance of goodness, while Jesus is concerned with the heart. He makes an observation that is kind of gross. People put good things into their bodies, but what comes out is nasty. It is the same with behavior; people have a tendency to do wrong things even when they have been well-taught, like the Pharisees. He also has an interesting interaction with a woman who is not Jewish. She believes in Jesus and wants her daughter to be released from demon possession. Jesus resists, but she persists. That’s quite a contrast to the Pharisees! The Pharisees knew the Bible well, but missed Jesus. The non-Jewish woman had not been taught the Bible, but believed in him.

Our backgrounds don’t matter; it’s what we do with Jesus! Some people have all the advantages and still don’t find the truth; some don’t have any advantage and find it. It seems more likely that those who have been taught the truth would find it, but it doesn’t always work that way.