Seek First CLC

09/09/2026

A Desire for Righteousness

“Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully. He will receive blessing from the LORD and righteousness from the God of his salvation.”
Psalm 24:3-5 ESV

“The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
Luke 6:45 ESV

The same David who wrote Psalm 24, speaking about clean hands and a pure heart, was the David of Psalm 51.

Many know the story of how David sinned with Bathsheba. He allowed sin to take root in his heart, and that sin eventually produced devastating consequences.

But instead of focusing on the sin, let's take a look at David's response.

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!”
Psalm 51:1-2 ESV

David didn't simply ask God to help him behave better.
He asked God to change his heart.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”
Psalm 51:10 ESV

This is where I think we miss the point.

We look at Scripture and see all the behaviors Be righteous. Be kind. Speak good. Don't lie. Don't slander. Don't live in sexual immorality. Don't steal and we turn those things into a list of rules we need to follow.

If it were only about our behavior and what we do with our hands, then changing our actions would be enough. We could simply modify our behavior. Stop doing this. Start doing that. Say the right things. Make better choices.
But it isn't that simple.

Psalm 24 doesn't only say clean hands. It says clean hands and a pure heart.

Jesus reminded us of this as well.

“You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.”
Matthew 23:26 ESV

You see, our hands represent what we do.
But our heart represents who we are.

When we change only our actions, we may look different for a while. But when the circumstances of life become heavy or something traumatic happens, what is truly in our hearts will eventually be revealed.

Jesus said, “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”

The problem isn't simply what comes out of our mouths or what we do with our hands. The problem is what is stored up in our hearts.

David understood this.

After his sin, he didn't simply ask God to help him do better next time. He asked God to create something new in him.

“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”

And he specifically recognized the work of the Holy Spirit:

“Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.”
Psalm 51:11 ESV

When we focus only on behavior, our response is rarely to ask God to come closer or to welcome more of the Holy Spirit, we try to hide away like Adam and Eve in the Garden.

True repentance is more than feeling bad about what we have done. It is turning back toward God and recognizing that we cannot transform ourselves.

And that transformation produces what we read about in Proverbs 21:21

“Whoever pursues righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness, and honor.”
Proverbs 21:21 ESV

The righteousness we pursue is not simply a desire for good behavior, true righteousness is what we find when we allow God to change us from the inside out. From our Hearts to our hands.

08/31/2026

Galatians 1:1 “Paul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead—” (ESV)

Throughout the New Testament, we find thirteen letters written by the Apostle Paul. Today, these writings are quoted across social media and preached from church stages week after week. Many of these messages focus on the hope they provide, while others address the specific behaviors believers should or should not engage in.

In the opening of Galatians, Paul reminds us that he was ordained by Jesus Himself. While we read of his initial encounter with Christ in the book of Acts, he underwent a three-year transformation prior to his public ministry and the writing of the letters we now hold as Scripture.

These letters were written to churches where Paul had previously preached the Gospel. Often, they were written to address the manipulation of the truth regarding the nature of Christ and the Holy Spirit. This was a deeply frustrating issue for Paul. We see his heart in 2 Corinthians 11:

2 Corinthians 11:1–6 “1 I wish you would bear with me in a little foolishness. Do bear with me! 2 For I feel a divine jealousy for you, since I betrothed you to one husband, to present you as a pure virgin to Christ. 3 But I am afraid that as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning, your thoughts will be led astray from a sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 4 For if someone comes and proclaims another Jesus than the one we proclaimed, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or if you accept a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it readily enough. 5 Indeed, I consider that I am not in the least inferior to these super-apostles. 6 Even if I am unskilled in speaking, I am not so in knowledge; indeed, in every way we have made this plain to you in all things.” (ESV)

These passages are full of passion. When we consider the purpose of Paul’s message, we can see why he was so upset by any distortion of it. When Paul says, “I am not so in knowledge,” he is referring to epignosis—the experiential knowledge of Christ gained through his personal encounter and his years of intense study.

My desire to speak on this was sparked by an advertisement for a t-shirt, and later by a popular internet pastor who used the phrase: “If Paul were here, we’d be getting a letter.” This was followed by political banter, labeling the behaviors of certain political parties as "good" or "bad" based on Paul’s writings.

The message of Paul’s letters that truly needs to spread is that virtue only follows epignosis—the experience of “knowing God” as Paul did. This experience corrects behavior because the Spirit dwells within us. Through this, we can live as followers of Christ, leading others to His love, kindness, and mercy, rather than toward the retributive justice we often wish to bestow on those who are different from us. Those who have yet to have an intimate experience with Christ.

The book of Romans reveals the true heart of Paul: a man thankful for salvation, yet understanding that as humans, we will struggle and remain in need of God's mercy. Because of that mercy, we have a responsibility to treat others as God treats us. This inherent change allows us to discern right from wrong based on the premise that our choices should benefit others, rather than simply doing what is "right" to avoid negative consequences. This is the difference between true morality and mere behavior.

Romans 13:8–10

Fulfilling the Law Through Love

[8] Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. [9] For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” [10] Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. (ESV)

The internet pastor’s message was steeped in hate toward certain groups of people, they were called many names. There was no suggestion made to pray for them or to engage them in conversation and invite them to your table for an opportunity in discipleship, but to alleviate yourself with any interactions with them and went on to use Paul's scriptures to say they were representatives of Evil.

Ephesians 6:10–12

The Whole Armor of God

[10] Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. [11] Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. [12] For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (ESV)

I believe that if Paul were writing us a letter today, it would sound alot like Ephesians 5:15–21

[15] Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, [16] making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. [17] Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. [18] And do not get drunk with w**e, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, [19] addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, [20] giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, [21] submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. (ESV)

Send a message to learn more

08/17/2026

Last week we looked at Colossians 3 and our call to action. We discussed that we have a choice to make daily in our walk with Christ.

These choices are based on our continued desire to have an intimate relationship with Christ and the peace that comes from that, not simply on a set of rules to be followed or obeyed.

The continued discussion of whose beliefs are right or wrong is not a new concept. In fact, the Scriptures referenced last week in Colossians were not the earliest discussion of what disagreement in faith looks like. At that time, the discussion centered on the traditional theology of the Jewish people and the new followers of Christ.

Perhaps the better question we can ask ourselves is: What kingdom do I want to live in?

James asks this question in the context of how we interact with others.

Warning Against Worldliness
[1] What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? [2] You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. [3] You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
James 4:1–3 (ESV)

It’s interesting that the first offense mentioned here is murder. This may seem extreme, but James is writing to an audience that had been raised on the law. A behavior addressed in the Ten Commandments was murder.

It may seem severe, but as James discusses quarrels, we have to remember what Jesus said in Matthew 5:

[21] “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ [22] But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.”
Matthew 5:21–22 (ESV)

This anger is rooted in selfish desires.

In order to live in the knowledge and peace of Christ, that we discussed in Colossians 3, we have to submit ourselves to Him and to His kingdom.

When we find ourselves desiring an intimate relationship with Christ, we choose to live in a new way. This is why marriage is such a strong symbol of the relationship between Christ and the Church. We do things differently when we find that person we want to share our life with. We want to be the best version of ourselves for them.

In the same way, our relationship with Christ should change the way we live. Our desire for intimacy with Him should lead us to make different choices, not simply because we are following a set of rules, but because we want to honor the One we love.

08/13/2026

Colossians 3: Called to Action

We are living in an era where it can feel like our role as Christians is to defend our faith.

Social media is filled with Christian apologetics, and people like Cliff Knechtle and Wes Huff have helped me understand how knowledge of the Gospels can equip us to teach and evangelize rather than simply argue.

But I have also noticed something in myself when listening to some apologetic content. At times, I find myself wondering, "Is the goal to teach and evangelize, or simply to win the argument?"

I do not know these people personally, and I cannot judge their hearts. I can only speak from what I have experienced. But I think it is a question worth asking.

Civil discussion can reveal the truth about Jesus. The problem is that social media often seems to have replaced civil discussion with the desire to argue and be right. And sometimes, our desire to be right can actually push people further away from the Gospel and the Church.

So what is our true call to action?

Colossians 3 was written to believers. Paul tells those who have been raised with Christ to "seek the things that are above" and to set their minds on Christ.

We are called to put away anger, wrath, malice, slander, obscene talk, lying, and the sinful desires of our old selves.

But we are also called to put on compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, patience, forgiveness, love, and the peace of Christ.

Colossians 3:10 says that our new self is "being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator."

That word knowledge carries the idea of knowing God deeply and personally, not simply knowing facts about Him.

And that knowledge changes how we respond.

David gives us a picture of this in Psalm 55. He was betrayed by someone he trusted and surrounded by conflict, yet his response was to call upon God:

"But I call to God, and the LORD will save me."

David's circumstances did not determine his response. His knowledge of God did.

That is what it means to put on the new self.

We will still experience anger, hurt, frustration, and disappointment. But those emotions do not have to determine how we respond.

Maybe the greatest call to action in Colossians 3 is not to become better at defending Christianity, but to become better at living Christianity.

We are continually being renewed in our knowledge of Christ. And as we grow in knowing Him, we learn to let His peace rule in our hearts. Colossians 3:15

[15] And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. (ESV)

Know Christ. Live like Christ. Let Christ determine how you respond.

Send a message to learn more

08/10/2026

Mark 7-31-37 ESV

Jesus Heals a Deaf Man

[31] Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. [32] And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him. [33] And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue. [34] And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” [35] And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. [36] And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. [37] And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

The Gospels are full of recorded miracles, but Mark 7 presents something unique.

“Ephphatha,” as stated in verse 34, means “be opened.” This word actually represents an aramaic phrase. Mark, did not translate this phrase into Greek, as he did with a lot of his other writings, and as the other Gospel writers did as well.

It is often that we have a certain perception when we read the miracles that Jesus performed. It is not surprising that our minds focus purely on the supernatural physical change that takes place in someone's life.

This phrase encompassed not only the physical, but the mental and spiritual as well. So, when we read this, Jesus was not only healing what physically ailed this man, but He was restoring him mentally and spiritually from everything that changed inside of him.

Jesus taught us that He was not only the restorer of the physical, but also the spiritual and mental. Outside of this miracle, we see that many times Jesus told those He healed that they had been made well and to go and sin no more.

I think we all walk a stressful journey throughout life. I think of the traumatic situations that my family has walked through over the last two decades. Most of my family have dealt with a cancer diagnosis, the loss of a loved one, the grief experienced through miscarriages, or an accident that left them in physical pain that has somewhat negatively affected their lives.

I know that for myself, this has left me with a deep loss of joy. Even when things were good, and we were walking through milestones that were good, I have had a hard time finding joy. That has been my specific prayer over the last few months, even as we continue to walk through difficult situations in our family. I have asked people to just pray for my joy to be restored.

As I read this today, I felt the need to pray for my mind and soul to “be opened.” I pray today that God would heal my family through this phrase. A complete restoration, that our hearts, minds, and bodies would “be opened.”

There are two other important concepts in this passage of Scripture.

1) Community
Verse 32 says, “And they brought to Him a man.”
Something changes when we lift up others before God. We need others to stand with us, and today we need to lift up those who need things to “be opened” in their lives.

2) Supplication
“And they begged Him to lay hands on him”

Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” (ESV)

Supplication, as defined by Webster, is a humble cry to God for something.

But In the context of Roman and Greek antiquity, it was a ritualistic act of begging following changes that affected their people.

This mans friends came with a faith that Jesus would heal him. And they begged Him to do so.

We can pray with supplication. We can pray without ceasing. Our faith is in Jesus, the One who provides holistic healing. and we can be amazed just as his friends were and say
Praise God, He has done all things well.

Send a message to learn more

07/27/2026

Mark 5 starts with an incredible story of Jesus freeing a man from demon possession.
We are told that Jesus arrives with the disciples in Gerasenes
and that this man immediately comes to Jesus,
He calls Jesus Son of the Most High God- I've often read this passage of scripture and marveled at the demons recognition of Jesus as God, and although its important, their address to him as his true Identity was not completely out of reverence. Pagan worship and practice at this time believed that if you called someone by there true name, than you would have dominion over that person, and that is how possession took place. They would soon realize, they had no dominion here. Today I want to focus on the man who Jesus healed, and what we can learn from his story.

Mark 5:18–20

[18] As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. [19] And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” [20] And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled. (ESV)

There is something in Mark 5:18-20 that has been on my heart.

After Jesus freed the man who had been living among the tombs, his first desire was to go with Jesus. Who could blame him? The One who had lifted his burden, restored his mind, and given him a new life was now leaving. Remaining with Jesus seemed like the only logical response.

But Jesus told him something unexpected.

"Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how He has had mercy on you." (Mark 5:19)

Jesus didn't call him to stay. He called him to go.

The greatest testimony this man could offer wasn't a sermon. It was a transformed life. The people who knew him had witnessed his torment. They had seen the chains that couldn't hold him, heard his cries from the tombs, and watched his life unravel. Now they saw that same man clothed, in his right mind, sitting peacefully at the feet of Jesus.

Yet instead of rejoicing, they were afraid.

Why?

Part of their fear was certainly that they had just witnessed a power they could not explain. The authority of Jesus over the spiritual world was undeniable. But I also wonder if the loss of the pigs revealed something deeper. Freedom came at a cost. Their community had just experienced a significant loss, and perhaps they recognized that following Jesus would require surrender. Submission has always been difficult for the human heart.

I think that still describes us today.

We often pray for Jesus to change our lives, but we want Him to leave untouched the things we've learned to depend on. We ask for freedom, but hesitate when freedom requires surrender. We want peace without laying down control. We want transformation without sacrifice.

Sometimes the greatest obstacle to experiencing Jesus isn't that we doubt His power. It's that we're afraid of what His power might ask us to release.

Fear has a way of keeping us from fully experiencing the mercy Jesus is offering.

The man who had been delivered understood something the crowd missed. He wasn't focused on what he had lost. He was overwhelmed by what he had gained. While others asked Jesus to leave, this man wanted nothing more than to be with Him.

Yet Jesus sent him back home.

"Go home to your own people, and report to them how much the Lord has done for you and how He has had mercy on you."

That is discipleship.

We don't simply receive freedom. We become witnesses to it. The people who knew this man's bo***ge would now become the very people who heard about the mercy of Christ through his life.

Our testimony isn't just about what Jesus brought us out of. It's about inviting others to trust Him enough to surrender whatever is keeping them from experiencing the same freedom.

Perhaps the question for us isn't whether Jesus has the power to set us free.

The question is whether we're willing to surrender whatever stands between us and the freedom only He can give.

07/25/2026

“On that day, when evening had come, he told them, “Let’s cross over to the other side of the sea.” So they left the crowd and took him along since he was in the boat. And other boats were with him. A great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking over the boat, so that the boat was already being swamped. He was in the stern, sleeping on the cushion. So they woke him up and said to him, “Teacher! Don’t you care that we’re going to die? ” He got up, rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Silence! Be still! ” The wind ceased, and there was a great calm. Then he said to them, “Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith? ” And they were terrified , and asked one another, “Who then is this? Even the wind and the sea obey him! ””
‭‭Mark‬ ‭4‬:‭35‬-‭41‬ ‭CSB‬‬

Storms will come, even when Jesus is in the boat.

In Mark 4:35-41, the disciples weren't caught in the storm because they had wandered away from God. They were in the middle of God's will. Jesus Himself had told them, "Let's go to the other side."

These were the same men who had watched Jesus teach with authority and perform incredible miracles. They had seen His power with their own eyes. Yet when the wind began to howl and the waves filled the boat, their circumstances became louder than what they knew to be true.

How often does the same thing happen to us?
We have seen God answer prayers. We have witnessed His faithfulness. We have experienced His grace. Yet when the next storm comes, fear can still begin to overshadow our faith.

Jesus' question wasn't, "Why is there a storm?" Storms are a reality in this broken world. His question was, "Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

Faith is not renewed by pretending the storm isn't real. It is renewed by turning our eyes back to Jesus. The disciples' fear didn't calm the sea. Going to Jesus did.

Without the storm, we would never experience the beauty of His mercy. We would never know the peace that only He can give in the middle of chaos. We would never witness His power displayed in ways that can only be seen when everything around us seems out of control.

The storms in our lives will come. Relationships will struggle. Diagnoses will happen. Jobs will change. Loss will come. None of those things mean Jesus has abandoned the boat.
The presence of the storm is not evidence of the absence of Christ.

When the wind is loudest, don't let your circumstances have the final word. Go to Jesus.

The One who is with you in the storm is also the One who has authority over it. Without the storm, we could never fully experience his mercy.

07/24/2026

“Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you yourselves not recognize that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless you fail the test.”
‭‭2 Corinthians‬ ‭13‬:‭5‬ ‭CSB

Mark 10 18-22 the rich young ruler

Luke 10: 25-37 The Good Samaritan

One of the easiest things for us to do is separate ourselves from the sin we see in others while ignoring the condition of our own hearts. We become skilled at pointing out what is broken in someone else's life because it allows us to avoid dealing with what is broken in our own.

It's like a small water leak in a home. At first, it seems insignificant. You may not even notice it because the damage is hidden behind the walls or beneath the floor. But water is persistent. Day after day, it quietly erodes the structure until one day the damage can no longer be ignored. What was once hidden eventually becomes visible.

Our hearts are no different. The things we refuse to surrender to Christ don't simply disappear because we choose not to acknowledge them. They continue to shape our thoughts, our relationships, and our witness. Eventually, what has been hidden will reveal itself.

The difficult reality is that our choices may not even seem illogical. They may be completely legal. We may agree with man made laws and live according to what society or religious constructs considers good, fair, or acceptable. We may even convince ourselves that because we are following the rules, we are following Jesus. But obedience to culture, or even to the religious expectations, is not always the same as obedience to Christ.

Jesus illustrated this in the parable of the Good Samaritan. A man had been beaten, robbed, and left for dead beside the road. A priest and a Levite both saw him and passed by. We can speculate about why they did it. (We don’t have a history of this man, just that he had a different set of beliefs) They may have believed they were remaining ceremonially clean. They may have had responsibilities that seemed more important. Their decisions may have even been understandable within the religious culture of the day. But Jesus was not revealing what was acceptable according to tradition. He was revealing the heart of the Father. The Samaritan, the person least expected to respond, chose compassion over convenience and mercy over self preservation.

We see the same truth in Mark 10 with the rich young ruler. He came to Jesus believing he had done everything right. He had kept the commandments from his youth. By every outward standard, he was a good man, both morally and legally, Yet Jesus looked beyond his actions and into his heart. The issue was never simply about his wealth. It was about what he loved more than Christ. Jesus invited him to surrender the one thing he was unwilling to let go of, and the man walked away grieving because his possessions had become his master.

Both accounts above reveal the same truth. Jesus is not simply concerned with whether we have broken a rule. He is concerned with what rules our hearts. We can justify ourselves because we have obeyed the law, followed tradition, or lived within the expectations of society, while still missing the heart of God.

The gospel calls us to something very different. Before it calls us to examine others, it calls us to examine ourselves. It invites us to bring every hidden place into the light of Christ, trusting that His conviction is not meant to shame us but to restore us.

The truth of the gospel is that we will continually be faced with a choice between Jesus and self. Sometimes that choice requires us to surrender something that isn't illegal or even considered wrong by society. Sometimes it requires us to lay down something that everyone around us applauds. Sometimes it requires us to love the person everyone else has decided to walk past. Jesus is not simply asking for lawful behavior. He is asking for wholehearted devotion.

When we choose Jesus over self, we stop using the failures of others as a distraction from our own need for grace. We stop measuring ourselves by culture, comparison, or self justification. Instead, we allow Christ to search our hearts and transform us from the inside out.

The greatest evidence of discipleship is not that we can identify the sin in someone else's life. It is that we are willing to let Jesus expose and change what is hidden in our own. When our hearts belong completely to Him, we begin to see people the way He sees them, and we respond with the same mercy He first showed us.

07/22/2026

“Jesus entered the synagogue again, and a man was there who had a shriveled hand.

In order to accuse him, they were watching him closely to see whether he would heal him on the Sabbath.

He told the man with the shriveled hand, “Stand before us.”

Then he said to them, “Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to kill? ” But they were silent.

After looking around at them with anger, he was grieved at the hardness of their hearts and told the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and his hand was restored.
‭‭Mark‬ ‭3‬:‭1‬-‭5 ‭CSB‬‬

One of the things that stands out to in Mark 3:1-5 is that Jesus knew exactly what kind of reaction He would receive before He healed the man with the withered hand. The religious leaders weren't there because they cared about the man's suffering. They were watching to see if Jesus would heal on the Sabbath so they could accuse Him.

Jesus responded with a question that still challenges us today:

"Is it lawful to do good on the Sabbath or to do evil, to save life or to kill?" (Mark 3:4)
They had no answer.

It strikes me that Jesus refused to allow a rule to become an excuse for withholding compassion. He wasn't dismissing God's law. He was exposing how they had distorted it.

Their interpretation of the Sabbath had become more important than the person standing in front of them who needed mercy.

Then Mark tells us something profound: Jesus looked around at them "with anger, grieved at the hardness of their hearts" (Mark 3:5).

His grief was because their hearts had become so hardened that they could watch a man continue to suffer rather than see him healed if it meant preserving their tradition. I think this has something to say to us today.

There are moments when people are hurting, hungry, frightened, or desperate. Sometimes those people have broken laws. Sometimes they have made poor decisions. Sometimes they are in situations we don't fully understand. The question Jesus asks still echoes: Is it lawful to do good or to do evil? To save life or to allow suffering?

Showing compassion to someone is not the same thing as approving every decision they have made. Jesus never confused mercy with endorsement. He consistently cared for people while also calling them toward truth.

I believe followers of Christ should be known first by hearts that are soft toward human suffering. We can believe that laws matter and that order has value while refusing to let those convictions harden our hearts toward people made in the image of God.

If our commitment to being right causes us to lose compassion, we've missed something essential about the heart of Christ.

Jesus was grieved by hardened hearts then. I wonder if He is still grieved whenever we become more concerned with protecting our positions than loving the people standing right in front of us.

Mercy does not erase truth. But truth without mercy begins to look a lot like the hearts that grieved Jesus in the synagogue.