APRIL 24, Matthew 5:8

Do you ever forget to wash your hands before eating? I think we would all forget to do it at some point. While I am sure that it is a good thing to always wash your hands before eating, according to Jesus, there are some other things that are far more important.

The religious leaders during the time Jesus lived, were called “the Pharisees”. They were very very concerned about outward cleanliness. They had many religious laws and traditions which they followed to make sure that nothing unclean went into their mouth. One day some of these religious leaders asked Jesus why His disciples were not keeping their tradition of washing their hands before they ate. Jesus answered these religious leaders by telling them that what comes out of the mouth is more important than what one puts into it. He said that the words that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and those words show whether we are clean or unclean.

I am sure that you have heard of the children’s rhyme “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.” That sounds nice, but it is just not true. Words can hurt. We can all remember a time when we have been hurt by someone’s mean and hateful words. God hears every word we say and he knows every thought we have in our heart. It is very important for us to be careful about the things we think and say, because hateful words come from an unclean heart.

Thought: Do I have clean hands and a pure heart?

Prayer: Heavenly Father, let the words that come out of my mouth, the thoughts that I have, and the actions I take, be clean and pure, so that they are pleasing to You. O Lord, please help me avoid temptations and give me the courage to stand firm when I feel pressured or tempted to do wrong things. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.