3rd lesson =Importante lesson about Peter

Jesus the Master of all masters. The best school in the world.

 

Grace and peace to all beloved guests of our website and our Bible School.  One more time we will see what the Bible teaches us about Peter and the other disciples as they followed Jesus. Every day, they learned more and more lessons; being taught by the master of all masters. I love watching Peter’s reactions and try to analyze whether if it would be this way that I would react or if I would be more observant as the other disciples.

There are people who like to be observing,  to be analyzing and gradually apply the lesson in their life. But Peter liked to question, understand and discuss the issue at hand. I think maybe some of the other disciples might have suggested him, ask him if ....  Probably all of them wanted to learn but some were shy and were intimidated to ask. Let’s open our Bible in Matthew 15 and we will read verses 7-20 to get an idea what was going on at the time when Peter asked the Jesus the question.

We see in this passage that the scribes and pharisees inquired Jesus about his teaching and because of the fact that his disciples did not keep the laws as they were told. These scribes and pharisees behaved as if they were those who ruled the kingdom of God, as per say, for they were the leaders of the temple and the synagogue. They acted as if they were the owners of the truth. And actually when they confronted Jesus, they confronted the truth; because Jesus is the truth. (J0 14: 6). Jesus answered to this question showing them that they actually were  the wrong ones, and he explained this through a parable. Let's read verses 7-20 here.
Matthew 15: 7-20[i]

7 “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:

8 ‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS,  BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME.

9 ‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’”

10 After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand.

11 “It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”

12 Then the disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?”

13 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted.

14 “Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

The Heart of Man

15 Peter said to Him, “Explain the parable to us.”

16 Jesus said, “Are you still lacking in understanding also?

17 “Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?

18 “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.

19 “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.

20 “These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”

Both Peter and the other disciples were used to being trained and taught by the teachers of the time; who where criticizing Jesus. But Jesus takes his time to open their eyes to the true teaching that they should learn. Jesus showed them all, that if we serve our ego and teach as our carnal mind wants to operate; in this case we are in deception. The scribes and pharisees taught perfection according to their own theology such as being perfect in sight of everyone..

Jesus however, shows them in fact that if the heart is not pure and submitted to God in this case we are living in deception. Peter approaches Jesus and said: “Explain the parable to us”. Jesus said, “Are you still lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?  But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”

Jesus was teaching them in theory and in practice. And Jesus goes on to explain. "Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?  But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. "

Evil thoughts and plans are in the heart (flesh). Our heart is our soul, and if we follow Jesus, in it’s great majority the teaching of Jesus will achieve its leadership in our thinking. Now if we have Jesus as Lord and Savior then we will reason within our mind as Jesus did. The disciples were with him learning to think as Jesus thought. Many times there were tough lessons to understand. But Jesus was patient to teach to them as he has with you and me.

Jesus goes on to say: "Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man. "Let's think and meditate a little about this response of Jesus. Should a follower of Jesus have this in his heart? NO! Jesus came to free us from it, and this was exactly the lesson for them on that day. Jesus also wants to disciple you and me, he wants to make us his followers. To follow means copying the way of thinking, conduct and of lifestyle in every detail. Jesus does not teach us to host evil thoughts in our hearts, nor deaths, tamper both in thinking as in action. Jesus does not teach to steal, take anything that does not belong to us; being possessions, or whatever it is that others own. Scripps or messages we should not steal, that is plagiarism. We must be correct before God. God is righteous and his children carry the same trustworthiness as HE has. We are made righteous through Jesus as he died for us on that cross. We have to be disciplined and trained and taught however to live as Jesus did. The Bible tells us that Jesus learned obedience unto death.

Let us quote some verses about obedience here:

Jesus learned obedience. Hebrews 5: 8 "Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which He suffered."

2 Corinthians 7:15 "And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him."  (KJV)

2 Corinthians 10: 5 "Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;" (KJV)

Peter as well as the other disciples learned to be obedient unto Jesus. Every disciple must learn to listen and practice what Jesus teaches. Me and you too, amen?

God bless us.

Miss. Antonina Penner.

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[i] http://biblehub.com/context/matthew/15-7.htm