Thoughts speak as loud as actions
I suppose there are all kinds of things that go off in our heads that we would never act on. Dreams that we pursue, things we wish for, and feelings that we would never express – some good, some bad.
But Jesus reminds us that if those thoughts are wrong, it is no better to just think them. Thinking them is as bad as doing. Our faith is as much about what we think as what we do.
What harm can it be to think something? It’s not hurting anyone. Well it does. It hurts us. It messes with our lives and our relationships. And it comes between us and God. There will always be people who press our buttons, but how we respond is more likely to effect us than them.
And so Jesus wants us to do something about it.
I love the whole picture of getting to church with your offering, remembering someone you’re arguing with, so putting your offering down whilst you go away and sort it out. I can imagine if we did this, there might be quite a pile of offerings in church waiting for people to come back. But what smiles and lightening of hearts there would be as people came back having sorted things and presented their offerings to God.
It is only in sorting out our arguments that we can truly come to God in offering. We are bringing ourselves, not held back by all those things we’re thinking. We should be thinking about God, and focussing on him.
Paul admonished the Corinthians for squabbling and told them to get on with it. Jesus here wants people to leave those things behind, they just get in the way, and to come to God unburdened and at peace with the world.
Can we do that? Can we sort through our feelings? If the action would be wrong, then thinking about it probably is too. It’s not easy, but it will be worth while. Can we put those thoughts down, sort out our differences, and get on with being and doing what God asks of us?
In the immortal words of Noel Gallagher
“Don’t look back in anger”
Sort it!
Lord
we come to you.
There are things in our minds and hearts
that should not be there.
Release us from them.
Help us to sort out our relationships
and offer ourselves to you;
not burdened by unnecessary and unhelpful baggage,
but clear and free
working together for you.
Pam's Perambulation 