Re:Verse reading–Mark 7:1-23 (day one)
” This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.”–v 6.
It is a problem.
No, it is THE problem.
And religion doesn’t make it better. Worse actually. Because religion hides from us the severity of the issue and the urgency of a fix.
We don’t WANT to do GOD’S WILL. Not when it is costly or uncomfortable. Apologize! Wait on the Lord! Rejoice in the Lord! Honor your parents! A clear and comprehensive list rising from an ancient picture of who He wants us to be. Clear. Unbending, and sometimes unwelcome.
In Mark 7, Jesus confronts the Pharisees on this issue. Ignoring the 5th Commandment, they have found “religiously acceptable” ways to NOT care for their parents. A loop-hole. A rationale.
Proof and warning, isn’t it? It is one thing to SAY that we love the Lord. It is ANOTHER to surrender our hearts and DO His will.
