July 11, 2023
Passage Read: Matthew 15-16
Meditation Verse: 16:12
Thought
The teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees are both subtle and invasive. Only a little yeast is needed for a batch of dough, but it works its way throughout the whole loaf. The Pharisees loved to debate fine details in an attempt to be faithful to the text, but they ended up making their own rules that led to violating the plain meaning of God's Word. The Sadducees denied the spiritual aspects of Scripture: angels, demons and the resurrection. They denied things in Scripture they couldn't understand or taste, touch and see. Both are extremes that do violence to the Word of God, denying it by creating new doctrines or outright crossing out clear revelation. Both make man the arbiter of truth and deny God His rule.
Application
I need to be careful not to think I'm smarter than God, either by coming up with better rules or by setting aside anything revealed in Scripture. If Scripture says it, it's true; if Scripture doesn't say it, neither should I. But that temptation is subtle and pervasive, and I need to guard against it. Either error leads me astray, and if I'm teaching others, harms them too. It is not good to be an original thinker when it comes to God and His Word; He wants faithful servants and ambassadors who accurately represent and repeat His message.