clean my soul

Last night in Crave (Our 18-20something group that meets in RueBar) the discussion was rooted on our individual life foundation. We each have a foundation-a platform for life that we live by. This platform or lens we look at life through, that is present in our life is our choosing, whether it's by design or default. Every experience we go through, we base our responses off of that foundation. Whether our foundation or belief system is in God or not we all have this in common.

In Matthew 7 Jesus tells the classic tale of the man who built his house upon a rock verses the man who did so on sand. In Ancient Palestine you could build a structure on a piece of land that appeared to be solid, but when the seasons changed and when the rain appeared your house and all of your possessions could have been destroyed. Something that appeared to be securely structured was nothing but sand.

Jesus tells this story in order to relate it back to Him and how humanity should build their lives upon the eternal rock...Jesus. So when the storms come, whether it’s a light drizzle or a hurricane we can stand strong and know that it will be okay.

After Jesus taught this, Matthew 7:28-29 records, the people were astonished. Not because He was some master story teller, but because he spoke with authority. He was either a spokesman for God or a heretic. History proclaims He was more than a spokesman He was God...

Jesus then began His descent down the mountain he was teaching from. A leper appeared wanting and asking to be healed. Jesus declared that He was willing to cleanse this man.

Just as He is willing to cleanse us.

Jesus touched the man to impart in him his healing. The act of touch by Jesus was something he didn’t have to do, but did so to disrupt any religious ideology. Any Jew knew touching a leper would physically and spiritually defile them. But with Jesus the opposite occurred. Jesus wasn’t defiled Jesus cleansed.

He did this to show he cared...

We are very quick to clean(se) our house when company is about to arrive or a guest is at our front door...

We are quick to clean(se) our closet when it gets a little crowded...

We are quick to clean(se) our garage when it gets to messy...

But when is the last time we cleaned out our soul?

God should be our rock...the rock we build our life on. 

And know that God is willing...willing to cleanse us... eternally and daily...