Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

“You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” – Mark 7:8

In some ways, I feel like the same theme continued to come up in this week’s devotions, and that same theme is coming up again today. That theme is that Jesus seems to care more about what’s going on in our hearts rather than what our exterior actions and words look and sound like. In today’s reading, Jesus speaks pretty bluntly about this to the Pharisees.

I have a confession to make. I think I tend to drift toward the mindset of the Pharisees. I mean, they’ve been studying the law and then even created traditions outside the law to help them ensure that they would keep the law. If you look at it from that perspective, it sounds like they seem to really care about doing things the right way. And I don’t think wanting to do things well is the sin of the Pharisees that Jesus condemns—rather it’s the idolatry of external religious perfectionism, if you will, over the law/traditions intent to direct you to God Himself.

The Pharisees in this passage have taken notice that some of Jesus’s disciples were eating with unwashed hands. This goes against their tradition. Not the actual Mosaic law itself, but simply the tradition of the elders. Now, I think this tradition could have come about from a healthy intention, and I don’t think Jesus is necessarily saying this tradition should not be. But rather, it seems the Pharisees have become so keenly focused on keeping traditions that it has become another form of slavery for people rather than from a place of genuine worship in their hearts. I think the Pharisees enjoyed their rules and traditions because they provided a convenient way to measure “righteousness” in their own way.

But Jesus calls them out by quoting Scripture, applying the words of the prophet Isaiah to them:

Ouch. Jesus is saying the Pharisees may look good on the outside because they’re so focused on keeping their extra laws. But Jesus says these acts are in vain because the state of their hearts is far from God. He also points out that what the Pharisees are teaching as God’s law is actually just the commandments of men.

Earlier I confessed to you that I think I tend to drift toward the mindset of the Pharisees. What I meant by that is that sometimes it can be easier for me to care about doing all of the “right” things that church culture has taught us, so much so that I actually miss the underlying heart for why those things even matter in the first place. In other words, it can be easy for me to be consistent in reading Scripture every day so much so that I can care more about checking that task off of my to-do list than actually taking time to pour over the Scriptures and spend time with Jesus Himself, letting Him use that Scripture to mold my heart and equip me to share His love with those around me.

The questions I want to ask of you are ones I’m also asking of myself: Are you honoring God with your lips but not your heart? Are you holding more tightly to the traditions of man than you are to the way of Jesus? Take the next few moments to be still and reflect on these things. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you and reveal the answers to these questions to your heart.

Reflection:

• Grab your journal and write out the questions I just asked. As you spend time with the Holy Spirit, write down what He reveals to you.
• If, like me, you struggle with spiritual perfectionism over presence, confess that to the Lord, ask Him to help you, and spend some time in silence with Him listening. Be intentional about being present with the Lord.

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence.

Family Application: Mark 7

Author: Nichole McCardle

In Mark 7, Jesus continues teaching many and healing the sick. As we said earlier in the week, not everyone was happy with all the attention that Jesus was getting. He did things differently, and that often challenged authority. Some of the religious leaders were upset because Jesus was not exactly following some of the rules and traditions that they followed. They were mostly focused on their outward behaviors to make themselves look good. They were letting this distract them from seeing the miracles that Jesus was performing and hearing the truth about God that Jesus was teaching. True importance is not found in church traditions like what you wear to church, what verses you have memorized, or how well you can sing the songs during worship. True importance is found in your relationship with Jesus, recognizing when you have made mistakes, and seeking forgiveness from Jesus when you have made mistakes. We need to make sure to open our hearts to the voice of God through our Bible reading, prayer, and KXP lessons, so that we do not miss the miracles He has for us and the lessons that He wants to teach us.

• In Mark 7, Jesus says that people do bad things when their hearts are far from God. How can you make sure that your heart is close to God?
• This week, we have learned about lots of miracles that Jesus performed. Be sure to share some of the amazing stories of Jesus with a friend this week!
• Prayer: God, You are mighty and amazing! Thank You for cleansing our hearts and giving us grace when we stumble! Help me to keep You as the most important part of my life. Amen.