What man thinks about is what man speaks about (Lk. 6:45).  What man thinks is also what he is (Prov. 23:7)–he becomes what he thinks about.  Religious man has forgotten God’s command to implant His Words in his (man’s) mind, to DO every thing he DOES (bodily) according to God’s Word “FOR (to serve as) a sign upon his hand.”  Man is also to THINK about His (God’s) Words which would be “AS frontlets between his eyes.”  The Words “FOR” and “AS” in His statement shows that Jesus is using symbolism.  Contrary to Jewish custom, God’s people are not commanded to have His Words in a leather box strapped to their right hands and hanging on their foreheads.  Jesus is saying that His Words must guide everything a man does (symbolized by His Words on man’s hand) and thinks (symbolized by His Words on man’s forehead).

Man has also forgotten to teach his children God’s Words and to speak of them when he sits in his house, when he walks by the way, when he comes in, when he goes out, when he lays down and when he rises up.  Blessings and curses from God depend on whether a man obeys or disobeys God’s Words.  Jesus finishes this command by reminding those who call themselves by His name that to not obey His Words is to worship and serve other gods (Deut. 11:18,19,26-28).  Note that He did not say that to disobey His Words would make people APPEAR to be serving other gods, but that they WOULD be serving other gods.  God doesn’t see things as man does.  Man must see things as God sees things.  With God, one is either all in or all out.  One cannot serve two masters, for he will “hate one and love the other,” whether or not he realizes it or means to do so.  The only way to see things God’s way is to study His Word using the study method He laid out in Isaiah 28:9,10.

One of the commands found in God’s Word involves prioritizing one’s actions.  This is the lesson Jesus teaches us using His visit with sisters Mary and Martha.  The episode is found in chapter 10, verses 38-42 of Luke’s Gospel.  In verse 40 we are told that Martha was “cumbered about (with) much serving.”  Her mind was on what she could DO to satisfy the zeal she felt she must exhibit while caring for their important Guest.  Having become exasperated with Mary’s failure to follow her example, Martha complained to Jesus that Mary was not fulfilling her hostess duties as prescribed by Middle-eastern religious custom.  Her complaint sounded something like this: “Lord, do you not care that Mary refuses to help me fix lunch for You and your disciples?  There is water to be drawn, a fire to be built and food to prepare.  Tell her to help me.”

Listen to the Lord’s response: “Martha, Martha, you are concerned and troubled about many things; but (ONLY) ONE THING IS NECESSARY, and Mary has chosen THAT (ONE) GOOD THING.  I will not stop her from doing THAT GOOD THING.”  Notice that He did not say “A” good thing,” but rather “THAT” good thing.  “THAT” is what is known as a “definite article,” meaning that nothing else will suffice, that only THAT ONE AND ONLY THING is acceptable at that point in that situation.

Note that Jesus did not speak to Martha about her misguided priorities until she complained about Mary not joining her.  The lesson here is that God will allow religious man to revel in his religiosity and to feel good about doing so.  He allows man to “know” that he is pleasing Him (God) even though he is pleasing Satan.  Martha was well pleased with her efforts and attitudes because she “knew” that she was pleasing their Guests and His disciples.  Mary, she told Jesus, was a problem that He needed to solve.  Her sister was not pleasing Him and He needed to tell her that.  His response must have been hard for Martha to embrace.

Both sisters had the power of choice.  Martha had chosen to follow religious custom.  Mary, on the other hand, had chosen to do the only thing Jesus would call “good” under the circumstances surrounding that specific incident.  She had humbly listened to Him.  No doubt she knew that Jesus expected her to obey the Words He was speaking to her.

Modern churchman has adopted Martha’s attitude toward the Word of God recorded in the Holy Scriptures and taught by His chosen apostles.  Churchman believes that, having been instantly “saved” after following a prescribed ritual, he needs only to do what his religious organization, called “the church,” prescribes.  He is to attend church each Sunday, pray at meals and at bed-time, read a Bible passage each day and tithe on his income.  He “knows” that doing these things satisfies all of the Lord’s expectations.  But Jesus tells us that hearing (or reading) His Word is only STEP ONE on the path to salvation.  Other passages tell us that we must obey what we hear in order to become righteous and holy which, He tells us in Romans 5:21 and 6:22, are necessary for salvation.

Churchman deliberately leaves out the obedience part because, as he has been told many times, obedience is both impossible and unnecessary.  Churchman “knows” that Jesus, being aware that man cannot obey God, obeyed God for him.  His righteousness supposedly substitutes for man’s unrighteousness.  Churchman sins and gets away with it because he lives under the spiritual covering of Christ’s righteousness and holiness.  All man is expected to do is believe it, go to church, etc.  There is a t.v. advertisement running now in which a world-famous evangelist tells the listener that he needs only to repent of his (church defined) sins, repeat words that will be fed to him, accept Jesus as his savior and, presto, he is instantly saved and born again.  Then the new convert is instructed to call the preacher’s headquarters, probably to be told that he is most assuredly “saved.”  I am sure that such “truth” puts a smile on Satan’s face.

Jesus summed up His commands to those who would become His disciples (followers) and apostles (ministers) with two, all-encompassing Words: “FOLLOW ME.”  Note that He did not mention any specific areas of His life that man must follow.  WE MUST EMULATE HIM IN EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES–EVERYTHING WE THINK, SAY AND DO.  This command is graphically and symbolically declared in Matthew chapter 3.  Here we find John the Baptist baptizing people in the Jordan River.  They have come to receive “John’s baptism” (Acts 19:3,4) which serves only for the “remission of sins” following repentance (vs 6/ (Lk. 3:3).  Read the series titled John’s Baptism.  Key word–John’s.  In verses 8, 11 and 12 John makes statements concerning salvation that are universally rejected because they imply the necessity for WORKS on the part of the convert in order to be saved–placed in God’s “barn” (church).  John tells the people that his baptism is only for removal of their (PAST) sins (Rom. 3:25), that they must bring forth “fruits (works) of (true) repentance,” meaning that they must exhibit righteousness and holiness in their thoughts, words and deeds–their total “walk.”  John tells the people that there is One coming after him Who will aid them in that endeavor, Who will reveal exactly what He means when He says to salvation seekers: “FOLLOW ME.” L.J.