Practice Genune Purity - Matthew 14 - 16

In the last few verses of chapter thirteen, Jesus had moved back to Nazareth, his home town, where he found it difficult to preach and win people because he was not accepted there. “And He did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.” Note: It is impossible for me to cover all the events in the life of Christ that are recorded in chapters 14 and 15, therefore it is imperative that you read them slowly understand how each event fits into his overall plan to march forward to the cross.

As we consider this phenomenon it may appear that his people who knew him well should have had more faith in him for he had lived a sinless life before them and had performed many miracles that proved his abilities. But the fact remains that we are also judged by our heritage and his was a heritage of mediocrity. Every one knew his father was a lowly carpenter that labored for a living. No doubt, many knew the story of his unique birth to a girl that was not married at the time of his conception. Many of the leaders in Nazareth knew his four brothers and all of his sisters by name. It appears very likely to me that out of a family this size there could have been one or more prodigals; in fact, one or more could have gone beyond being reckless, wasteful and extravagant—and could have committed grievous sins.

It never seems fair, but families always suffer when one or more siblings go wrong. Jesus could have been misjudged by something one of his family members did that was not acceptable in the society of the day. His accusers named his family, and then questioned him, asking how anything this powerful, great, and miraculous could come from a brother of this family. They had little or no faith in him. They took offense at him and used it in an attempt to destroy his position as their Messiah. Jesus shrugged them off by saying that “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.”

John and Jesus had been preaching ‘repentance for sin’ and ‘necessity to practice purity’ for two or more years when John was arrested and thrown into prison. The theme for our study today is “PRACTICE GENUINE PURITY.” Before we go any further it is necessary for us to stop for a moment and examine the definition of the word purity. Webster says that purity is the state of being pure—not much help; so what does ‘pure’ mean and what are the ramifications in regards to Christianity? Any thing or any person that is pure is free of foreign matter, contamination, or corruption. Matthew tells us that Jesus dealt with both circumstances as he taught purity. Pure food and water that is for human consumption should be free from any foreign mater that would contaminate the ingested food or drink. This necessity is to prevent illness or even long-term and dangerous diseases. Sinning against the law and will of God causes corruption of the heart, sole and mind [sin corrupts] and therefore renders sorrow and regret to the sinner and usually it extends on to the members of the immediate family and even to the church and nation.

I suggest that you read again for emphasis the first twelve verses of chapter fourteen. According to Herod, John had two grievous faults that cost him his life. First, he was too popular with the people. Josephus writes [Antiquities of the Jews, 18. 5.2] that John had become very popular with the people; they worshipped him, and would follow his teachings and instructions. Herod was afraid that John would lead an uprising against him that could cost him his kingship for it seemed that the people would do anything John advised. Josephus said that it was Herod’s suspicious jealousy of John which made him kill John; because, he was like every other weak, suspicious and frightened tyrant, could think of no other way of dealing with a possible rival other than killing him. In this scenario, Herod’s IMPURITY was greed and desire for political power.

His second fault was that he preached against sin regardless of who was offended. Herod had a brother, Phillip living in Rome and his wife’s name was Herodias. Earlier in life, Herod had traveled to visit his brother in Rome, fell in love with Herodias, and seduced her to leave Phillip and marry him. John preached against lust, divorce and living in adultery and name Herod and Herodias as an example of the guilty. Herodias had a daughter, probably sixteen to eighteen years of age, and I am not sure but she was probably the daughter of Phillip, her first husband. In my mind’s eye, I can just see this mother and daughter as they discussed the horrible claims that John spoke against the sinful state of their marriage.

Herod was afraid of John because of his wide and powerful influence over the people that heard him preach—and he was probably not going to do anything about it—because he feared that there would be an uprising against him. The truth is that women are even more resentful than men…Herodias had a growing hatred for John and she planned a way to trick Herod into killing John.

At his birthday party, his step-daughter danced for him, did so well and pleased him so much that he promised to give her anything she desired. Matthew says that she was prompted by her mother to demand John’s head on a platter be delivered to Herodias. There was a law or creed that bound Herod to carry out his promise—even though he did not really want to kill John—he was trapped and could not get out of the deal. Extensive reading will tell you that this was the end of both John the Baptist and Herod, because he eventually lost his kingship and was banished to Gaul.

It is vividly obvious that the second IMPURITY in the life of Herod was a combination of lust, selfish desire, infidelity, and even murder. This is a story involving several families that were devastated because Herod did not control the lust in his heart that was for his brother’s wife.

Please remember the subject of our study for today is telling us that we must PRACTICE GENUINE PURITY. Go back now and read again for emphasis the first 20 verses of chapter 15. As I read this scripture it appeared rather difficult for me to fully understand. It seems that the Pharisees and Scribes from Jerusalem were really seeking an answer to a very simple question that had to do with the law. The people must wash their hands but the disciples do not…why? The answer was not so simple. The answer represents the division that stands between the teachings of Christ and the teaching of the ones who were asking the question. At this moment they may not have been seeking to entangle Jesus—but they were soon to become outraged when they discovered that Jesus was really talking about two different views of religion and two different views of the demands of God. The thing that hit them the hardest was that there seemed to be no possibility of any compromise and ultimately one would destroy the other.

It is here and now that Christ got down to the part about what was CLEAN and UNCLEAN…WHAT IS PURITY. They found that he was not talking about physical cleanness although he was not condemning good hygiene of the physical body. Christ told them that if they were clean they could approach God and if unclean God would not be available.

The Jewish opposition to Christ based their ideas of cleanness on what the law taught to be clean and or unclean. The basic laws that they followed are found in the eleventh chapter of Leviticus. We know from the story of the Garden incident that there was one fruit in the garden that God forbid Adam to eat. As far as I know all, or at least most all, other fruit and vegetables were considered clean. It was not so with the animals. Jews do not eat pork or rabbit, and Leviticus indicates that only fish with fins and scales can be eaten. Therefore all food forbidden was considered as unclean and could not be eaten. The point that Jesus tries to make is that it is not what enters the body that causes us to be unclean spiritually.

In the fifteenth verse poor old Peter shows that he was a little slow in learning. Christ actually ask him if he was so dull that he could not see that it had to be the things that man says and does that matters to God. He is emphasizing here that the Jews had thought they were pleasing God with the observing of rules and regulations which had to do with physical cleanness—washing their hands. Jesus tells them that religion in practice is the results of the state of a man’s heart. It is not what goes in the body that tells us what a man is thinking and doing it is what comes out…actions speak even louder than words.

It would be much easier for Baptist to abstain from certain foods and wash our hands [in a certain way] always using lava soap for example, than it is to love the lost and undone, and to help the poor and needy at the cost of our own time and money. I am so happy that our church is mission minded and that we have proof to show it. The paradox is that we must not get too excited about all of the outward observances of things we do well. We must be even more concerned about the things harbored in our hearts. Do we really care about others with a desire to see them prosper? What brings you your greatest pleasure in life? Is it what you are getting or is it the things that you give others?

Jesus was teaching us that all the good things that are observable in others can not atone for a heart where pride, lust, and bitterness are in command. “BLESSED ARE THE PURE IN HEART, FOR THEY SHALL SEE GOD”

What matters to God is not always how we act, but why we act; not so much what we do, but what we wish in our heart that we could do. Men are interested in the deed—while God is more concerned with the intention.