Openness

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

OPENNESS

Matt 22:41-46

41 While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42 "What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?" "The son of David," they replied. 43 He said to them, "How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him 'Lord'? For he says, 44 "'The Lord said to my Lord: Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet." '    45 If then David calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?"  46 No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.

NIV

It would seem the Pharisees thought of themselves as spiritual men, knowledgeable in the scriptures and thus both the Law of Moses and the prophets. They considered themselves superior to the average Jewish person, being puffed up in their religiosity and adherence to law. Here Jesus humbles them with a puzzle which confounds them. If they believed the Messiah was from the line of David, then how could David call his son Lord, was what they could not answer. Surely in the humanity of Christ he was from the line of David. However, he was not merely human, as he was conceived in the womb of Mary by the Holy Spirit and thus he was divine in nature. This in fact made him Lord over both David and the Pharisees. What he told them was those words David wrote, calling his descendant Lord, was Spirit directed, inspired by God. They just could not wrap their heads around this truth, or they simply refused to see the truth. This serves to show us we need to be open to the truth. They were so ingrained in their form of religion they refused to see the truth. They had the long awaited Messiah right there with them, yet they would not acknowledge him. There are times when we are faced with truths that challenge our long held beliefs. Are we as stiff-necked as the Pharisees were in refusing to accept a truth which may either contradict or modify our long held beliefs? Are we open to seeing a view of scripture which changes the way we think about it? Surely they are many views which differ which is one of the reasons for so many denominations. There are differing interpretations of scripture which could cause a person to wonder if anyone has the right view or truth for that matter. So if we are willing to accept all those views or consider them as being valid views then would we be like infants tossed to and fro by every teaching and doctrine? So then it would seem we do not find that truth and live by it and it alone. But then which truth, which interpretation do we adhere to? Do we first find some denomination we can agree with based on our views? Or do we base our views or conform our views to agree to a denominations statement of faith? Are we open to considering they could be right and we might be wrong? What if we are right and they are wrong? How do we deal with truths we might view differently than others? The Pharisees were, of course, being taught by the Lord, himself, the pure truth. Yet, on the other hand, so are we. Jesus told us that he would send the Holy Spirit who would lead us into all truth. If we have the Spirit dwelling within us then we should be able to discern the truth, the pure truth. But at the same time others have the Spirit dwelling within them and should be able to discern the truth. So then why are there differing truths? Which should we be open to and which should we reject as biased by human thinking rather than Spirit lead? Whatever we hear, whatever is presented to us as the truth, we are to test it.  

1 Thess 5:19-22

19 Do not put out the Spirit's fire; 20 do not treat prophecies with contempt. 21 Test everything . Hold on to the good. 22 Avoid every kind of evil.

NIV

Although the Pharisees would not test the truth presented to them, they were not willing to even test it, examine their long held beliefs in light of this new evidence presented to them, we should at least be willing to. This may not mean we should change our views, but we should at least examine our long held beliefs in light of new or differing opinions of the truth. It still comes down to listening to the still small voice of the Spirit within. This means not our views, not our human understanding, not our highly educated deductions, but on the leading of the Spirit, and being open to seeing the truth, even if it challenges our long held views.