If one day you were to stand in front of an organ that was once belonged to you, how would you feel? This happened to a girl named Jennifer Sutton from Hampshire, England on 4th September, 2007. On that day, Jennifer’s old heart was displayed at the exhibition in the Museum of Medical Science in London, England. In June 2007, Jennifer went through a heart transplant surgery because of restrictive cardiomyopathy. This was the first time she looked at the ‘old heart’ face to face; Jennifer said excitedly, “When it was still inside me, this strange-shaped muscle had brought me a lot of pain and sufferings. Now I am looking at the part of my body lying quietly in front of me, I feel very strange. It is like a stranger to me and no more meaningful to me.”
What has faith changed you? Has your life quality changed? Has your spiritual sentiment changed? Have you changed in your attitude toward life and the direction of your life? Has faith changed your pursuit of eternal value? Or, has your religious belief increased your appearance of devoutness, as if covered by a layer of veil, but the internal self is still selfish, proud, greedy, filled with sensualism and indulgence?
Have you seen your own heart? How can you see it?
<Gospel of Matthew 12: 34 – 35> Prophet Isa (Jesus Christ) said, “……………… For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil.”
<Gospel of Matthew 15: 2> Devout Pharisees and scribes questioned Prophet Isa (Jesus Christ), “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
Prophet Isa answered: <Gospel of Matthew 15: 3 – 6>
“Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? “For God said, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,’ and, ‘HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.’ “But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,” he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
Prophet Isa scolded them for their hypocrisy in their religion and morals:
<Gospel of Matthew 15: 7 – 9>
“You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:
‘THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. ‘BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.‘
Prophet Isa explained the truth to his disciples that it is not what enters into the mouth which defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.
<Gospel of Matthew 15: 17 – 20>
“Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?
“But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.
“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.
“These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”
Our mouth is the fruit of our heart! Our mouth will reveal our heart! Even a smart person will let the cat out of the bag. Their mouths will betray them.
Prophet Isa taught his disciples the methods to distinguish between true and false prophets:
<Gospel of Matthew 7: 15 – 20>
“Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
“You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
“So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
“A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
“So then, you will know them by their fruits.
The Gospel (Injil) is warning us to stay away from those religious followers who pose as persons with high morals.
We are good at judging other people, but we cannot see the real condition of our own lives and this is a crisis!
< Bible > Proverbs 16: 2 All the ways of a man are clean in his own sight, But the LORD (Allah) weighs the motives.
<Quran> Surah 5: 99 The Messenger’s duty is but to proclaim (the message). But Allah knoweth all that ye reveal and ye conceal.
<Quran> Surah 11: 5 Behold! They fold up their hearts, that they may lie hid from Him! Ah even when they cover themselves with their garments, He knoweth what they conceal, and what they reveal: for He knoweth well the (inmost secrets) of the hearts.
<Quran> Surah 14: 38 “O our Lord! Truly Thou dost know what we conceal and what we reveal: for nothing whatever is hidden from Allah, whether on earth or in heaven.
<Quran> Surah 16: 23 Undoubtedly Allah doth know what they conceal, and what they reveal: verily He loveth not the arrogant.
<Quran> Surah 21: 110 “It is He Who knows what is open in speech and what ye hide (in your hearts).
Therefore, let none of us be arrogant but humble before Allah SWT. May Allah SWT have mercy on us. We should not judge others but carefully guard our own hearts because as it is written in < Bible > Proverbs 4: 23 “Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.”
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Note:
- All Bible (including Gospel) verses are sourced from New American Standard Bible with codes (1995), with thanks.
- All Al-Quran verses are sourced from English Translation of Al-Quran by Abdullah Yusuf Ali, with thanks.