Greatness: Matthew 14-20Sample

Travelling abroad for the first time was in part a scary experience for this mild germaphobe. So many new places to see, and so many new pathogens to worry about! Thankfully, I had my trusty travel-sized bottle of hand sanitiser that temporarily soothed the worries so I could enjoy the adventure.

In Jesus’ day, the concept of cleanliness was less about hospital-grade hygiene and much more about a spiritual state of purity or holiness. The prominent Jewish thinkers of the time, the Pharisees, were highly concerned about fulfilling the law of Moses, which outlined various dietary and ceremonial procedures that needed to be followed. The Pharisees even added further layers to these laws to ensure they were extra protected, like wearing two layers of gloves while cleaning something dirty.

Jesus radically upturned the teaching of the Pharisees by stating that what makes someone spiritually unclean is directly related to the state of their heart — something that no cleaning procedure or product could ever scrub. Therefore, all these rules were utterly useless.

Today, you and I can be utterly grateful for the spiritual cleansing we received from Jesus’ death and resurrection. A complete scrubbing of our hearts that has made us pure before God, and given us new desires and a cleansed conscience. Much better than my travel-sized hand sanitiser. Safe travels!

Today, ponder this: Next time you are washing your hands, ponder the good news that Jesus has purified you inside and out.