Feb 6: Mark 7:1-7
Key Verse: Mark 7:7
They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.
Devotion:
I can just picture scenes like this during Jesus’ ministry – the teachers of the law getting so upset with Jesus and the disciples because they did not follow all the rules and regulations laid down my them! Here the Pharisees were complaining about the disciples not washing their hands in the ceremonial manner they had deemed necessary…
Jesus answer to their complaints was straight forward and easy enough for us to understand, but I don’t think the Pharisees saw it that way at all. They had become too embroiled in their ways and in their traditions, leaving the truth behind and making rules which no longer honoured God but honoured men instead.
This is the same trap we face in our modern world. We look to the traditions and ways of man because, somehow, we think man's ways are good enough for God! Nothing we can do will ever be good enough to impress God; but what we can do is to offer our hearts in truth to God because that is what He is after. He does not want us to come up with the most sophisticated ways in which we can worship Him but simply to show Him we love Him in humble ways!
Here the Pharisees had made up more and more elaborate ways they could show off to each other instead of worshipping God with their hearts. God does not want us to worship each other – He wants us to worship Him with our hearts!
Points to Ponder:
How often have you got caught up in traditions?
How often have you got caught up in worshipping God with your heart?