Finding Balance

Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Matthew 16:6 ESV1

Read Matthew 16:5-12 & Mark 8:14-21

Have you noticed, as humans, we tend to live in the extremes? Like the pendulum of a clock, we swing from one thing to another. It is difficult for us to find balance in all the areas of our lives simultaneously. If we do ever achieve equilibrium, we soon realize it is impossible to sustain. This truth reminds me of something Jesus told His disciples.

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Here’s Your Sign

The Pharisees came and began to argue with Him, seeking from Him a sign from Heaven to test Him. Mark 8:11 ESV1

Read Matthew 12:38-42, 16:1-4 & Mark 8:11-13

Have you seen the billboard which reads, “If you are looking for a sign, this is it!”? Perhaps you have seen something similar on a wall plaque or in an advertisement. Jesus could have invented that saying! Whether a person knows it or not, He is the One for whom everyone is ultimately looking. And yet, He is the One who is continually asked to prove Himself. Such was the case if the following account.

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Heart Condition

“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” Matthew 15:19-20 ESV1

Read Matthew 15:1-2, 10-20 & Mark 7:1-5, 14-22

My son was born with a heart defect. Because of his condition, we learned that some of the bacteria which dwell in one’s mouth would like to thrive in one’s heart. Bacteria that causes little problem in the mouth can cause serious, life-threatening infections in the heart. To prevent such complications, when my son was young, he always had to take an antibiotic before he went to the dentist. Similarly, not only does a mouth and heart connection exist in the physical realm; it exists in the spiritual realm, as well.

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