Day 195 "Is that the truth you see or is it simply your truth?"

Day 195 Matthew 23:29-32 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you build the tombs of the prophets and adorn the monuments of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.’ “Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt.” If hindsight is 20/20, then you would think that these religious leaders would be able to see that Jesus is the Christ, correct? However, hindsight is only 20/20 if you are paying attention to the past; otherwise, it will more often than not repeat itself. In actuality, we all tend to see things differently. Yes, we may be equally passionate about what we see; however, if what we see differs, one of us must be wrong. There is a video on the Internet showing people playing basketball, and you are given specific instructions before watching it. If you are like most people, you will simply see people playing basketball. However, when the same video is played in slow motion, a person in a bear suit slowly dances across the floor, and even though you know something is going on, at first glance, you will not see it. So, which video is correct, the one that you see the bear dancing in or the one you don't? Of course, the obvious answer is that the bear was there whether you saw it or not; the truth is, there is a bear in the video. For many of us, it is very easy to be somewhat judgmental against the Pharisees and scribes; after all, how could they miss the fact that Jesus was the Messiah? All the proof they needed was right in front of them. Were they not looking for it, were they divinely blinded, or were they so convinced that they were correct that, subconsciously, their minds prevented them from seeing the obvious? Truly, we don't know. We can, however, assume by Jesus’ dialog with them that they had purposed in their hearts to do what they wanted to do regardless of the facts–their minds had been made up. The result of this intentional decision for them, by the way, is the spending of eternity in Hell–probably not worth being right in their own mind. However, all of this does cause one to wonder (does it not?) about our own motivation at times. We truly must ask ourselves if we are allowing ourselves to be blinded, led astray, or somehow avoiding the truth in our own lives at times. The human mind is such a complicated and intriguing thing; even though unable to understand or comprehend itself, it is perfectly capable of manipulation to the point of absolute belief of an obvious untruth. There are simply too many things we do not understand to be able to understand them; therefore, we need help, we need boundaries, and we need the Word. Yes, I have said it again and I will many more times in my lifetime–we truly cannot trust ourselves or anyone else when it comes to absolutes. The only thing I can and will put my absolute trust in is the Word of God–it is and must be our cornerstone. Therefore, we probably should spend more time reading the Word than we do talking or thinking about it. After all, did I really see what I saw or is it just my memory? Daily Prayer: Father, we truly are a complicated people: a people whom You have made, a people who see many things the way we desire to see them rather than in the truth of what they are. Please remove the veil from our eyes in order that we may see and hear Your desire for us and our lives. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen. "Is that the truth you see or is it simply your truth?" Gene Burroughs, Pastor