Appearances Today's Three-minute Bible Study Print, Study and Apply Title: Appearances-------------------------- Date: 8/14/2001 Keyword: "appearances" "heal" "lawful" Welcome to eXXit, the web site designed to help you stand strong in the face of sexual temptation. Passage: Luke 14:1-6* 1. And it came about when He went into the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread, that they were watching Him closely. 2. And there, in front of Him was a certain man suffering from dropsy. 3. And Jesus answered and spoke to the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, "Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath, or not?" 4. But they kept silent. And He took hold of him, and healed him, and sent him away. 5. And He said to them, "Which one of you shall have a son or an ox fall into a well, and will not immediately pull him out on a Sabbath day?" 6. And they could make no reply to this. Questions 1. Do you have the appearance of leading a God-honoring life?   2. What's more important — what people think of your moral character or what you know it is?   Practical help In today's passage, Jesus is challenging the Pharisees on a matter of priorities. While keeping the laws concerning the Sabbath was intended to honor God, loving your neighbor (or son or ox) as yourself brought even more honor to God (see Matthew 25:30-40). Sabbaths can take many forms in contemporary life. Some might even claim that maintaining the appearance of a moral and upstanding life is a "higher priority" than admitting they're in the clutches of a porn habit. What they need more than appearances is healing. If this is where you're at, then let your need for God's love and compassion raise you out of that porn pit. Seeking God's healing for what's really wrong brings Him much more honor than your appearances. eXXit homepage Index of three-minute studies Copyright 2001 by eXXit *"Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, © Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission."