WITH A SINCERE HEART

 

WITH A SINCERE HEART

One of the BEST COMPLIMENTS=

I ever received=

Was from a local PASTOR=

A number of years ago

He said to me=

“You are the MOST SINCERE person

I have ever met”

What a great compliment=after all

Who had a more sincere heart

Than Jesus=NO ONE

He always did

What he said

''By what authority

Are you doing these things?”                                                                             Matthew 21:23

The RELIGIOUS=at the time

Of Jesus=looked down

Upon him

In today's GOSPEL=

The chief priest and leaders

TRY to put Jesus

In a corner

But Jesus TURNED the tables

On them=and puts them

On the SPOT

Their question-

Was a TRAP=

But they were the ones

CAUGHT in it

You just can't trap Jesus=

He lives with a SINCERE HEART

“Love must be SINCERE=

Hate what is evil-

Cling to what is good

Be devoted

To ONE ANOTHER in love=

Honor one another=above yourselves”                                                                   Romans 12:9

“........let us draw near to God

WITH A SINCERE HEART

And with the full assurance

That faith brings

Having our hearts sprinkled

To cleanse us

From a guilty conscience

And having our bodies washed

With pure water”                                                                                                      Hebrews 10:20

The religious of Jesus' day

WERE BLIND-

To the heavenly source

Of the teachings

Of both John and Jesus

Jesus tells them

That BOTH tax collectors

And prostitutes

Have RESPONDED to the

Call of God=much BEFORE

The learned and the powerful

Being clean=and living

With a SINCERE HEART=

BEING HONEST

“Create in me

A pure HEART=oh God

And renew a steadfast spirit

Within me”                                                                                                                    Psalm 51:10

“Trust in the Lord

With all YOUR HEART

And lean not

On your own understanding”                                                                                      Proverbs 3:5

“Now that you have

Purified yourselves

By obeying the truth

So that you 

HAVE SINCERE LOVE

For each other

Love one another deeply

FROM THE HEART”                                                                                       1 Peter 1:22

There is a LESSON here

For all of us

Don't try debating points

But RESPOND

WITH SINCERITY=and humility

Of the heart

In Jesus' name=and in the name=of OUR EVER SINCERE and honest holy FATHER!

Robert P. Wallman

12-13-21 and 12-05-2022

Ps        INSPIRED by an article in LIVING FAITH MAGAZINE by Greg Erlandson