The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart
by Pastor Mark Lieschke
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What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean’ (Mark 7:20).
What image comes to your mind when you think of someone or something that’s ‘squeaky clean?’ Maybe it’s the image of a thoroughly cleaned baby who has just come out of a bathtub of warm, soapy water. Then after being gently dried with a big, fluffy towel, lots of powder is applied to the squeaky-clean child.
The Pharisees and teachers of the law wanted to appear squeaky clean before God because of their outward actions and appearances. Earlier in Mark 7, the same teachers criticised Jesus and his disciples for not keeping ‘all the traditions of the elders’. Jesus, quoting Isaiah, said, ‘These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men’ (Mark 7:6,7, from Isaiah 29:13).
In explaining further, Jesus told the parable, ‘Nothing outside a man can make him “unclean” by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him “unclean”’ (Mark 7:15).
God’s word helps us understand what makes us unclean. Jesus lists 13 things that are displeasing to him and are not ways he wants us to follow. He describes these as ‘heart issues’ which make us unclean: unclean thoughts, unclean actions and unclean words.
As we search our hearts, we have to plead guilty to having ‘heart problems’. And our only way forward is to humbly bow before our Lord in repentance, asking for his forgiveness.
By God’s grace, we fully and freely receive his mercy and forgiveness because Jesus took upon himself all our sin, guilt and shame. For this, he was punished, crucified and died, so that through his victory over sin, death and the power of the devil, we would receive forgiveness and eternal life!
What we could never do for ourselves – making ourselves acceptable to God by our own actions and observance of man-made traditions – Jesus has fully accomplished for us, and now, thanks be to God, we are squeaky clean – inside and out!
Loving Lord, you know our hearts; you know we have heart problems. Thank you that in your love and grace in coming to us with your forgiveness through Jesus, you have made us clean. Keep us pure by your Spirit in our thoughts, words and actions so that we may reflect your love and grace in our relationships with those around us. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
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