Psalm 51 & Mark 7

This Sunday I will be preaching on Mark 7:1-23. I have been struggling with the text all week. So today, after struggling to focus, I simply began reading the Psalms. If you don’t have any Psalms memorized, begin with Psalm 1. “…and on His Law he meditates day and night…” He meditates day and night. That led me to begin reciting the few Psalms that I have memorized, Psalms 1, 23, 46, 51, 96, and 103. When I began to recite Psalm 51, the Spirit sweetly refreshed my thoughts on Mark 7.

By this point in Mark’s gospel, the Pharisees are looking for any way to discredit Jesus and his disciples. Even to the point of trying to make him look bad by not honoring the tradition of the elders. Since Jesus knows what is in the heart of every man, (John 2:25) He cuts to the chase and says that Isaiah spoke of these men when he said

“These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. In vain do the worship me, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.”

Wow. Jesus lays it on pretty thick over a tradition! We do many things in our culture that are “traditions”. That doesn’t mean we are worshiping in vain, right? Then Mark continues to record Jesus’ words.

“…whatever goes into a person cannot defile him…What comes out of person defiles him…For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts” etc.

Now back to Psalm 51. Listen to verses 10-13:

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence, O God,
And take not you Holy Spirit from me.
Return unto me the joy of your salvation,
And uphold me with a willing spirit.
Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
And sinners will return to you.

Do you see the connection? We are so often concerned about the outward actions of ourselves and others. So much that we often become legalistic. We begin holding these traditions higher than the commandments of God!

So then how do we keep from becoming legalistic? Answer, we start with ourselves. We plead, as David did, for the Holy Spirit to work on our hearts! Do you see the pattern? Line 2, 4, and 6 all deal with the spirit. Once the Spirit works on our hearts, then we can teach transgressors God’s ways (not ours). Then sinners will return to him.

I never cease to be amazed with the Word of God. From the beginning to the end it is sufficient, satisfying, and life-giving!