THE STORY OF JESUS: Mark 7:9-13
“You nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down.” (Mark 7:13)
Think of some of the hard teachings of Jesus.
Forgive those who hurt you, turn the other cheek, love your enemy?
These are just a few of many hard teachings that we prefer not to take literally.
‘Corban’ was an example from that time, but we have many of our own.
Ways that we slide around the plain meaning of what Jesus says.
I’ll grant you that there are many hard and tricky to apply passages in the bible.
But let’s just start with the ones that plainly tell us to love, to forgive, to serve.
How can it be that we Christians today can still find ways to ‘nullify’ them.
Our ways of escaping obedience may differ, but they are still disobedience.
Jesus is showing how the empty heart is only wants to look good, not be good.
How to love and serve God, and ourselves at the same time.
I once heard a quote by St. Augustine: ‘love God with your whole heart, and do whatever you want!’
This sounds dangerous, but his point is that sincere love for God is the key.
Those who sincerely love God will not look for loopholes, or just maintain appearances.
True love does not look for excuses or escapes.
The challenge for today is is my heart really devoted to God?
Or am I just doing enough to look good, and finding excuses for not loving Him all the way?
What do you sense the Lord saying to you?
PRAYER
Lord, show me in my heart where I am making excuses or using loopholes to justify my lack of devotion or obedience to You. Help me to strive to be good, not just look good.