The discipline of fasting is the topic in today's text, but Christ's message is that which matters most to him: a pure heart. Fasting was and is a practice used to deny oneself in order to fervently seek and draw near to the Lord, and to glorify God. However, in this passage, we learn that the Pharisees would often draw attention to themselves while fasting, ultimately glorifying self and stealing the glory from God. Similarly, when we serve or work in his name and do this with a self-centred attitude or motivation, the Lord sees this hypocrisy and rejects it. Conversely, he also recognizes the pure motivation of genuine heart which seeks to glorify him above all else. God rejects what is false, but blesses what is real!
In this, the conclusion of our series A Word to the Church, Jesus addresses the believers in Laodicea, a place that had become self-sufficient...
At Christmas, we celebrate the arrival of Jesus—the Light who entered a dark world. This verse reminds us that Jesus didn’t come just to...
As we continue our examination of Paul's letter to the Philippians, we are reminded of the need to stay focused on the true gospel...