Re:Verse reading – Mark 7:1-23 (day seven)
“The Pharisees. . .did not eat unless they carefully washed their hands.” v 3.
When I was a kid, there was a character on a TV commercial. Buff. Bald. White T-shirt and pants. I still remember the jingle. “Mr. Clean gets rid of dirt and grime and grease in just a minute. Mr. Clean will clean your whole house and everything that’s in it.” The appeal to women was obvious. Handsome guy. Does housework!
But clean to Christ wasn’t about hygiene. It was (still is) about holiness. About a heart surrendered to God. Wash your hands all you want, said Jesus, but until your heart is obedient to God you are not clean. Religion’s only value is to help you see the real problem.
Puts a new perspective on worship, doesn’t it? At the end of the hour this morning, will your heart be soft? Will your courage be strong? Will you be clean?
