What do you trust in?

Bryan Jackson

Central Truth

Right standing with God has nothing to do with external actions and everything to do with whether Jesus Christ is enthroned in your heart.

"This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me." (Mark 7:6b)

Traditions and Commandments

1 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly,^{1

7:3
Greek unless they wash the hands with a fist, probably indicating a kind of ceremonial washing} holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.^{2

7:4
Greek unless they baptize; some manuscripts unless they purify themselves} And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.^{3

7:4
Some manuscripts omit and dining couches} ) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
7 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)^{4

7:11
Or an offering} — 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

Footnotes

[1] 7:3 Greek unless they wash the hands with a fist, probably indicating a kind of ceremonial washing
[2] 7:4 Greek unless they baptize; some manuscripts unless they purify themselves
[3] 7:4 Some manuscripts omit and dining couches
[4] 7:11 Or an offering

I often tend to think that I have to earn my salvation. Blame it on our works-based society, our role as men as dictated by movies, whatever. We're taught from an early age to work to prove ourselves. And I guess that at times I've carried that over to my relationship with Jesus. I know I'm saved by faith, but I have to fight against the urge to prove myself to Him. I've caught myself thinking: "If I could just do more than the next guy, I'd be more valuable." Or my favorite: "I don't have to be honest with my accountability group. I'll just work harder than everyone else, and they'll not think I'm messed up." What silly logic when I remember my condition before a just and holy God.

During Jesus' ministry He often ran into scribes and Pharisees who would do the same things. They were masters at following the letter of the law (at least they thought they were). Externally, they were great. They loved their traditions and looked down on those who didn't live like they did. They checked all the boxes on their to-do lists, but never experienced any internal change. In this passage they were angry that Jesus' disciples didn't ceremonially wash their hands before eating as they did. Jesus responds with a quote from Isaiah 29:13:

"Because this people draw near with their words
And honor Me with their lip service,
But they remove their hearts far from Me,
And their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote."

Notice that Jesus didn't explain or justify the disciples' actions. Instead, he boldly called out the religious leaders who professed to honor God with their behavior, but did not really honor Him in their hearts. In their attempt to keep others from breaking the Law, they added their own legalism to it.

The Pharisees, like all of us, trust in something. They trusted that they were holy because of their religious adherence to the law and traditions. What do you trust in? Who or what is enthroned on your heart?

1. Can you recognize a time recently when you tried to work your way to God?

2. We are not saved by our ability, but by faith in Christ who became sin that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Galatians 2:21 says that if we could keep the law on our own, then Christ died for nothing. How does this truth change the way you view your sin?

3. What do you need to let go of to follow Christ with your whole heart and not merely your actions?

FAMILY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. Why do you go to church on Sunday mornings?

2. Reread verses 6 and 7. What does it mean to honor God with your lips, but your heart is far from Him?

3. How can you honor God with your heart this next Sunday morning and not just with your lips?

4. When you are getting ready for church this Sunday, pray that you will come to church to learn, and not just because your parents are bringing you.