People ask, "What in the world is going on and what can we do to make it better." Let me suggest to you that if God is who He says He is and the Bible is His Word, we then have a source that is important to understanding life. Even all the craziness that keeps our world spinning sometimes out of control. Some people like to think of it in terms of an Owner’s Manual. So with all that is happening in our world and maybe most specifically the recent mass shootings in Ohio and Texas, it would only seem logical that we should be able to find help in getting some understanding of why these things happen. If anyone understands, it should be the creator. We all know that many people are pushing for solutions, and many of those solutions will probably have little to no effect on curbing these types of tragedies.
Matthew 15:1-20, Jesus is talking to a religious crowd of His day who were complaining about the abuses of some of the Jewish ceremonial laws. In particular, they complained that His disciples weren't washing their hands before they ate. It takes a little time, but He gets to the point that what goes into the mouth will be expelled. It doesn't stay inside, and it doesn't defile. It doesn't excuse bad hygiene; it merely draws attention back to the spiritual, which eternally is more significant. What comes out of the mouth is much more critical because it originates in the heart. What we do, good or bad starts at the very core of who we are, our heart. He elaborates on this in verse 19 when He says, “For out of the heart comes evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.” Jesus puts his finger right on the root of the real problem, our hearts, which is the inner part of who we are. The Bible tells us that sin has entered into the human heart, and we are all sinners. Romans one talks about a downward progression that happens when we disregard God and His truth. Take time to read this chapter, and you will see that when we abandon God and His truth, we begin to spiral downward, and the result is that our hearts become dark. That's the problem, the heart. People do terrible things because of their heart. They have fallen because at some point, in some way they have rejected truth. We can blame it on a weapon of any kind, but an inanimate object does not commit the murder, people do.
What’s the solution? It starts by taking a good long look at God and His claims as found in His Word. That is the only place that you will find lasting answers. God can take a dark heart and make it white through faith in Jesus Christ.
By Pastor Lynn Rettig
Musselshell Community Bible Church
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