Luke 11:37–41

As I was reading this, many things came to my mind.

The Pharisees, who wanted to obey every rule, were watching how Jesus did not wash Himself before meals. This was considered wrong according to the law. Yes, the Pharisees were obeying every rule, but they could not recognize the Messiah.

This is a good lesson for us who are saved by the mercies of God. We try our best to show that we are doing everything right. Our families are all doing the right thing. We may even speak about how we serve God and how our families serve God. But when someone comes into our midst who does not meet our Christian standard, we look down on them. We may not say anything, but our actions show it.

Many times, my family has shown me that I do this too. So I want to turn away from outward appearances and instead check my heart and my inner attitudes.

As this hymn says:
Search me, O God, and know my heart today
Try me, O Saviour, know my thoughts, I pray