November 19th Daily Devotion

A SERIES OF DEVOTIONS BASED ON THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW 

THE POT CALLING THE KETTLE BLACK      

Matthew 15:8-9 (Read verses 1-9) “ ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ “  I’m sure you have heard the idiom, The pot calling the kettle black. This idiom goes back in history to the early 1600’s in the country of Spain. It spread from there and is found in most every culture today. It is used when someone wants to point out to another person their hypocrisy. It accuses a person of being guilty of a behavior similar to one they have criticized someone else of having. They fail to see their own fault(s).    

Jesus, in today’s devotional verses says the Pharisees had broken, not Jewish traditions, but Yahweh’s Fourth Commandment. They considered themselves the masters of keeping the Law. They relished when they were able to “catch” Jesus or His disciples breaking one or more of man-made laws such as here in Matthew 15:1-9.  

Lenski explains why Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites. “The hypocrite tried to appear before men as he ought to be before God and yet he was not.” The worst form of hypocrisy is that which carries self-deception to the point where it thinks that it really is what it only pretends to be.” (Lenski Commentary on Matthew, page 586)   

The Pharisees were guilty of the sin of pretense. Satan tempts you with trying to get you to think you can cover up your sins. Nevertheless, your attempts to make something that is not true to appear to be true simply adds yet another sin to those you have already committed. Rather than “pretense,” the Holy Scriptures exhort you to rely upon God’s Word to shape and control your thoughts, words, and deeds. Man made laws, rules and regulations are simply that. God’s word alone is always true. There is no pretense associated with His Word. Jesus taught you to pray, “Not my will, but Thy (God’s) will be done.”   

Prayer: Lord, help me to guard my thoughts and my tongue, that I speak only Your Word of truth. In Jesus’ name. Amen. 

Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing My great Redeemer’s praise,  
The glories of my God and King, The triumphs of His grace!  

My gracious Master and my God, Assist me to proclaim,  
To spread through all the earth abroad, The honors of Thy name. 

Jesus! The name that charms our fears,   
That bids our sorrows cease;  ‘Tis music in the sinner’s ears,   ‘Tis life and health and peace. 

He breaks the pow’r of canceled sin; He sets the pris’ner free.  
His blood can make the foulest clean; His blood avails for me. 

Look unto Him, ye nations own Your God, ye fallen race.  
Look and be saved through faith alone, Be justified by grace. 

See all your sins on Jesus laid; The Lamb of God was slain.  
His soul was once an off’ring made For ev’ry soul of man. 

To God all glory, praise, and love Be now and ever giv’n  
By saints below and saints above, The Church in earth and heav’n.  

Oh, For a Thousand Tongues to Sing // LSB 528