What Message Are You Giving?

What is it about autumn that calls all gnats into my kitchen like the plagues of Egypt? And woe to the one who leaves out the banana peelings.

Jesus’ message in Matthew, chapter 23, seem meant for me in my gnat infested world.

“Blind guides,” Jesus rebuked in a litany of strikes against the Pharisees, “who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel.” Matthew 23:24 (NKJV).

Those Tiny Insects

Gnats, those tiny insects flying around my fruit, according to the law given to the Israelites in Leviticus, were not kosher. And camels, the largest land animals in Palestine, were also unclean.     

Intent on the letter of the law, rabbis strained wine to remove even the smallest unclean insects. Piously they didn’t want to swallow one by mistake, which is pretty easy to do. I know.

According to the laws of cleanliness, if a gnat is swallowed, the entire person becomes unclean.

Jesus showed them the ridiculousness of their piety, “who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel.” I rather like the way He put that, but the rest of His remarks are not so easy to… “swallow.”

Zealous in Mosaic law, the scribes and Pharisees laid heavy burdens on the shoulders of those to whom they preached. But, Jesus called out the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy.

“…For you shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces….For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves…” Matthew 23:13-15; (NKJV).

Those are harsh words from a loving and compassionate Savior.

Messages We Give

Sometimes messages on social media swarm with the uncleanness of pesky gnats and gallop with smelly camels. Often postings filled with divisions, opinions, and declarations, are slathered with the oil of self-righteousness without facts.

The problem with self-righteousness is that we aren’t righteous. God is. But we do rather like the look of being so. The issues of our thinking and re-thinking, posting and reposting, often swirl around slander, unkindness, and gossip which is severed from God’s truth. It’s a snare, rather than a help, to others. And most certainly, not righteous. And the message it gives is messed up.The problem with self-righteousness is that we aren’t righteous. God is. Share on X

Jesus warns the religious rulers that they might look good on the outside, but they were full of hypocrisy and evil inside.

Paul’s words to Timothy further demonstrate that even believers can be guilty.

Remind them of these things, and charge them before God not to quarrel about words, which does no good, but only ruins the hearers. 2 Timothy 2:14 (ESV)

Paul’s instruction encourages faithful representation of God’s Word as we speak with others. 

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 (ESV)

Paul challenges us to be students of the Bible.

But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. 2 Timothy 2:16-17 (ESV)

The Words We Say

Unrestrained and untested words spilling onto media pages push people away from Truth not toward it. And by them we can   “… shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces…,” while the message spreads like gangrene.

I have such a difficult time keeping the gnats and camels at bay. I find myself easily caught up in what others say, disturbed, angered, and defensive. And it ends up rumbling in my gut.Unrestrained and untested words spilling onto media pages push people away from Truth not toward it Share on X

Jesus alone offers true redemption from sin. Undeserved. Unmerited. It flows from the love and grace of Jesus’ forgiveness and brings inward transformation not just outward reformation. His Spirit works in every way within us, in what we do and how we speak. We all have such a lot to learn and a long way to go in the process of becoming more like Christ.

If our message draws people to anything other than Jesus, we are just gnat swatting. If ours is a system rather than a Savior, a Christian fad rather than Scriptural truth, or if we adhere to a Body void of its Head, we are like those religious rulers declaring a false gospel

May our message humbly move people toward the source of truth.