Matthew 15:1-11

Matthew 15:1-11 
New International Version (NIV)

  It feels good when we can rank ourselves near the top.  It's a nice boost for our ego.  To do so, that means we need to find others to rank beneath us.  That's easy to do if we're ranking according to easily measurable things, like height, but when it comes to spiritual matters, it's a little harder, mostly because we're not scored for our faith.  God doesn't love us more if we're ranked near the top of the class -- he loves us unconditionally, and Scripture reminds us that we're all on the same level -- the failure one, but that also happens to be where God finds us, scoops us up in those loving arms, and restores us to grace through the blood of Jesus Christ.
  The Pharisees were eager to rank, though.  They wanted to know who was in, and so they defined who was out and how they got there, and they would be sure that everyone knew that they were the best.  They thought they were winning. 
  But finding other people to put down in the name of Jesus doesn't mean your heart is in the right place.  Making rules that exclude people from God's love doesn't lead you closer to the Kingdom.  Dividing and demeaning doesn't restore us to grace.
  So Jesus has to be harsh with the Pharisees, because he loves them.  He wants more for them -- he wants them to experience the unconditional love and pass it along to others.  He wants abundant life for them, but they first have to let go of some false idols.
  So do I.  And I bet you do as well.  Trust in God that what he has in store for you is greater than you can ask or imagine!