Isaiah 60

 

The last verse  of Isaiah 60 says a lot, "In its time I will do this swiftly." There are often times in our lives now that we wish God would hurry it up. However, it does seem that God takes his time. The promise here is when the time is right God will do it quickly. This causes me to think of my grandmother's Peanut butter fudge recipe. Mix two cups of sugar and one cup of milk over medium heat until it reaches the soft-ball stage. Once mixed you don't stir it again until after it reaches soft-ball and it takes what feels like forever. You have to watch it because if the heat is too hot the mist will boil over and it is a mess to clean up. Once it reaches soft-ball the waiting is over. Don't take it off the heat early or late even by 1 degree. However, once it reaches the right stage you remove it from heat and quickly add one cup of peanut butter until fully mixed in then pour it into a pie plate. The reason this reminds me of this Scripture is because after waiting and waiting and waiting sometimes over 30 minutes you need to have it mixed and in the pan in less than a minute and then you're done (do wait for it to cool, before eating). I see God doing this is why it's so important not to wait to respond to God because the wrap-up phase will happen quickly. 

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Numbers 15

 In the previous chapter, God told the people they would not be allowed to enter the promised land. At least not for another 40 years. The people tried and it ended badly but here at the beginning of this chapter, God is giving a command for what they are to do when they enter the promised land. This seems to me to be a reminder that though they cannot enter the land now there is coming a time when they will be able to. These commands give the people hope after a great defeat.

What do you do with a sabbath breaker? The commands were pretty clear yet it seems the people were not quite ready to do what God had commanded. From what we have just read right before this about sinning in ignorance and defiantly, I have to think this person was doing it defiantly. Yet the people aren't ready to kill a person for breaking the Sabbath. God, however, makes it clear, he must die. This isn't a judgment carried out by one person but by everyone.  Everyone was to see what happened and everyone had to take part. There was no hiding from what was taking place. For me, this method both reminded everyone of the consequences of sin and would keep them from ignoring injustice. 

 

Mark 9

 This is just a reminder that these are my rough sermon notes.

Mark 9:14-29

When they returned to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them, and scribes arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were filled with awe and ran to greet Him.

“What are you disputing with them?” He asked.

Someone in the crowd replied, “Teacher, I brought You my son, who has a spirit that makes him mute. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked Your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable.”

“O unbelieving generation!” Jesus replied. “How long must I remain with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring the boy to Me.”

So they brought him, and seeing Jesus, the spirit immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.

Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has this been with him?”

“From childhood,” he said. “It often throws him into the fire or into the water, trying to kill him. But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

“If You can?” echoed Jesus. “All things are possible to him who believes!” Immediately the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”

When Jesus saw that a crowd had come running, He rebuked the unclean spirit. “You deaf and mute spirit,” He said, “I command you to come out and never enter him again.”

After shrieking and convulsing him violently, the spirit came out. The boy became like a corpse, so that many said, “He is dead.” But Jesus took him by the hand and helped him to his feet, and he stood up.

After Jesus had gone into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why couldn’t we drive it out?”

Jesus answered, “This kind cannot come out, except by prayer.”

 

Help My Unbelief

Chapter 9 of Mark begins with a promise that some of those gathered would not see death until they had seen the Kingdom of God in power.

 

6 days later they saw transfiguration of Christ.

 

An interesting note that it came 6 days later. The sixth day of creation was when God created man and now God is showing the disciples what he plans to do in the restoration of man.

 

Jesus becomes something more. His clothes become whiter than any bleaching agent in this world the fulfilment of Daniel 7.

 

1 Corinthians 15:20 “But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”

 

In this story it says that Peter didn’t know what to say so said something – how human.

 

Jesus had been trying to teach them that his ministry was going to lead to the cross and here Peter is trying to set up a place where Jesus, Elijah, and Moses could meet with people.

 

Why Moses and Elijah? One because the represented the Law and the Prophets but also it could be they too lead ministries where people did a bad job at listening.

 

God tells them what they should have already know, Listen to Jesus.

 

They focused on Elijah from the prophecies but Jesus wants them to also see the prophecies speak of the Messiah suffering.

 

And now, we come to the scripture reading, Jesus comes down from the mountain with Peter, James, and John and there is an argument.

The disciples, the crowd, and the teachers of the Law.

 

We aren’t told what each was saying but we learn that everything is about a father who brought his demon possessed son to Jesus.

 

Jesus isn’t there and the disciples are unsuccessful.

 

Jesus says what the problem is: Unbelief.

 

Before this time they had been able to do this. Something seems to have changed in the disciples we aren’t told exactly but unbelief had settled into their hearts.

 

They no longer had the faith they did.

 

So how does faith come?

 

Romans 10:17 “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”

 

From all that we are seeing it seems the disciples weren’t listening. There are times in our lives when it seems that our faith is weak

 

So, Jesus addresses the father.

 

The Father sees a mute spirit seeking to kill him. This has been going on since childhood. It is possible that the father has been trying to keep his son alive for years.

 

Then comes one of my favorite exchanges in the Bible:

But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”

“If You can?” echoed Jesus. “All things are possible to him who believes!” Immediately the boy’s father cried out, “I do believe; help my unbelief!”

 

The father is desperate for any help.

 

Jesus responds, “If you can?”  It’s like Jesus is saying do you know who you’re talking to?

 

Then he points out that faith/belief can make all things possible.

 

This isn’t a carte blanche statement that you can get anything you want but it is a promise that if your faith is in God that God can work in you life in ways that are impossible any other way.

 

The father says the truth: “I do believe; help my unbelief!”- I need help

 

Jesus doesn’t send him away he intervenes.

 

Jesus cast out a Deaf and Mute Spirit.

 

The father thought the problem was that the boy couldn’t speak, the problem was far deeper he couldn’t hear.

 

Side note: This is also the problem of the disciples they didn’t hear. Their problem was as you can see in 30-33 is that when they didn’t understand and they didn’t ask for help.

 

The father here asks and if we need answers we too need to ask. James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”

If you lack faith, pray and I would also add, do what God instructed, get into the Word.

 

However something interesting happens when Jesus intervenes. The child falls down and looks like a corpse.  It seems Jesus has killed the boy.

 

We aren’t told how the father responds but how would you respond if you go to someone for help and they kill your child?

 

Jesus goes over and raises the boy up and he is well.

 

There are times if we are going to have life or see a miracle we have to go through death and loss.

 

This is the way of the cross. This is in some way teach the disciples what Jesus was telling them earlier and preparing them for what is to come.

 

The sad thing is they at least they don’t yet, get that message.

 

They want to know why it didn’t work.

Jesus said that these come out by prayer.

 

But didn’t Jesus kind of say it was unbelief in verse 19?

Yes, but St. Augustine explains it well  in his New Testament Lessons, “Where faith fails, prayer perishes. For who prays for that in which he does not believe?... So then in order that we may pray let us believe, and let us pray that in this same faith by which we pray may not falter.”

 

If you aren’t praying then maybe you need to look at your faith?

Are you faithfully engaging the Word of God?  

Are you willing to die?

Psalm 90

 This psalm was one written by Moses and there are many times it could have been written because too often Israel disobeyed God and faced his anger. Yet, I have to wonder if this took place not long after God promised that the older generation would not enter the promised land. Moses speaks of the length of men's ages and that they swiftly pass. It speaks of being taught to number our days so that we might gain wisdom. It speaks of God establishing the work of their hands and God would eventually. No matter when it was written it speaks of God's judgment and his faithfulness.  

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Numbers 14

 

I am amazed how I can read a scripture many times and not see something that is clearly there. This was true when I reread this passage and read that the ten spies were killed in a plague before God. These guys saw God's vengeance quickly. One might wonder, why? My thought is that these men were not just spies but were to be advisors to the people. They were leaders to tell the people all about the land God promised them. God always holds leaders accountable. In today's world, we may not see anything this extreme and immediate but the Bible is clear, leaders are responsible for where they lead others. 

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Numbers 13

 

The two who chose rightly about the ability to take the land were Hoshea (Joshua) from the tribe of Ephriam and Caleb from the tribe of Judah. The interesting fact about these two is that their families will carry the names of two nations that will develop after the reign of Solomon. Ephriam will often refer to the ten northern tribes by many of the prophets. Judah will be the two tribes in the South who will remain faithful to the family of David. 

The second thing I notice is Caleb is ready to go up immediately to take the land. The people don't. I wonder how often we like Israel talk themselves out of a blessing because we take time to reflect on what God says rather than just doing it. Yes, the Bible in Proverbs says taking counsel is good, but only when the counsel is good or maybe I should say, faithful to God. At the end of the day, if God says do it (if it's in the Bible) then do it. Don't wait to get talked out of it. 

Isaiah 59

 As I looked at the beginning of this chapter I concluded that the problem was the people. The solution however is not the people. In verse 16, we see that God says there is no one to intercede, no one to intervene so God will do it. God will do what is needed. This was true in ancient Israel and it is ultimately true in the person of Jesus, God in the flesh. 

Jesus brings salvation and He will one day bring justice to the entire world. Jesus will do it all; Justice and Mercy, forgiveness and retribution. Jesus will bring both because there is no justice without retribution. The question of course is whether the retribution going to be paid by Jesus or ourselves. 

Numbers 12

 

What stands out in this chapter isn't that God brings correction or God isn't pleased but that Moses isn't complaining. Moses isn't crying out to God about his brother and sister. Moses we are told is humble and it is God who is angry over how they are treating His humble servant. Moses cries out at other times but this time he is waiting and God steps in. There is a time to bring a complaint to God but perhaps we should be more like Moses and let God handle it. 

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Mark 8

 

Mark 8:22-29

 When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.  So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then He spit on the man’s eyes and placed His hands on him. “Can you see anything?” He asked.

The man looked up and said, “I can see the people, but they look like trees walking around.”

Once again Jesus placed His hands on the man’s eyes, and when he opened them his sight was restored, and he could see everything clearly.  Jesus sent him home and said, “Do not go back into the village.”

Then Jesus and His disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way, He questioned His disciples: “Who do people say I am?”

They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.”

 “But what about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered, “You are the Christ.”

And Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about Him.

 

Seeing Clearly

Chapter 8 begins with another long teaching section, three days and Jesus again has compassion and tells the disciples to feed the crowd.

They had only 7 loaves and once again Jesus provides with 7 baskets left.

12 baskets = 12 tribes (geography) 7 baskets = 7 days (complete)

Pharisees demand a sign, Jesus says no.

WHY? The truth is that they claim they want one, but they really don’t. We see later in the resurrection of Lazarus that though they said it was real they still denied Jesus. They even consider killing Lazarus (the sign) Signs won’t change your heart.

Leaven of the Pharisees and Herod = Pride puff up to look like more than it is. They tried to look good but compromised so they could get what they wanted.

***BLIND MAN

Jesus took him outside. Jesus wasn’t trying to just get a following.

Yet this miracle fits perfectly here as it is a picture of the people around him.

***Jesus came to the world that was blind to the truth and gave them truth from his lips.

Why did Jesus spit? This miracle was more than just a healing it was a picture/illustration to those around as to their own spiritual life.

John Calvin said Jesus did the miracle this way to prove his sovereignty. He can do the miracle the way he wants to.

Jesus laid his hands on his eyes.

We need both what comes from Jesus lips, we need his touch.

epitithémi: To lay upon, to place upon, to put on (lay a burden on)

This man was probably not born blind as he knew what trees looked like.

After first touch some sight was restored but not all of it.

Jesus needed to touch him again for his sight to be fully restored.

This is a picture of the disciples and also of us.

We often need more than one touch from Jesus so that we can see.

The Disciples did.

****Jesus is at Caesarea Philippi. The gates of Hell.

1.    Located between Dan and Manasseh

2.    Temple to Caesar (rise to godhood)

3.    Temple to Pan (party in hades)

***Who do People say that I am?

Peter gets it right.

Peter has as it were both received Jesus word and the touch of God.

Jesus begins to make things clearer.

***Mark 8:31-33 He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again. He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.”

But Peter isn’t seeing clearly. He tries to teach Jesus what a messiah is.

Satan- accuser

Get behind me – Follow don’t lead.

***We make the same mistakes when we look at things from a human perspective rather than a Godly one.

The good news is that God will correct up. (This is GOOD!)

We need to have our minds set on the things of God not on the ways of humanity/world.

Now Jesus begins to teach the crowds.

This is important because what Jesus is going to say isn’t just for the few, the radical, or the chosen ones. Jesus is going to teach something that is true for ALL of His followers.

***Mark 8:34-38 Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life  will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it. What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

***The Way of the Disciples:

1.    Deny themselves

2.    Take up their cross

3.    Follow Him

Deny Themselves:

Augustine: How hard and painful does this appear! The Lord has required that whoever will come after im must deny himself. But what he commands is neither hard of painful when he himself helps us in such a way so that the very thing he required may be accomplished. For whatever seems hard in what is enjoined, love makes easy. (Sermons on NT Lessons)

Way of the Cross:

“The cross is laid on every Christian. The first Christ-suffering which every man must experience is the call to abandon the attachments of this world. It is that dying of the old man which is the result of his encounter with Christ. As we embark upon discipleship we surrender ourselves to Christ in union with his death—we give over our lives to death. Thus it begins; the cross is not the terrible end to an otherwise god-fearing and happy life, but it meets us at the beginning of our communion with Christ. When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”

― Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

***We live a culture that is adverse to pain. We look at pain as the ultimate defeat.

Yet, there are things worth fighting and suffering for. They are usually the things that really matter.

There is some truth to the old phrase, “No pain, no gain.”

How does one lose?

1.    Gain things rather than salvation

2.    Try to buy your own salvation

3.    Ashamed of Christ / Embarrassed by the Gospel

CONCLUSION:

I was recently asked if everyone has to be deeply committed to God (as the apostles). I paused for a moment because although I know that God has much patience, the call to Christ is to follow him not just believe in him. Paul makes it clear that if we are to follow Christ, be disciples, we have to die to sin and live unto God. This, of course, isn't some drab, puritan-looking life, but it is a surrender of everything. However, the answer I had to give was, YES. We are called to be just as deeply committed to Christ as any apostle or saint of old. We are called to follow Christ not just believe in Him.

What that looks like for each of us is different in some ways but in other ways, it means that we should be the same. We should all want to be a part of a group of believers (yes, a church). We should be spending time getting into the Word of God (faith comes by hearing the Word).

Yet for some, they believe but struggle with wanting to go to church or reading the Bible. What can you do?

****Pray!

James tells us that if we lack, we need to ask God. He is speaking of wisdom but the wisdom to begin loving the church and the Word is something we may really need. So, ask. Pray, "God, help me love your church," and "God, help me love your Word."  Prayer works, this is why Jesus tells us to pray for our enemies because when we pray for them, we can learn to love them as he commands.

You may say what if the prayer isn't fully sincere? Pray anyway. I have learned from my own experience that God will answer prayers offered in faith even when that faith is lacking. 

What if you're struggling with the thought of making this kind of commitment? You know you should but part of you doesn't. Then I will give the same advice. Pray, Pray, pray.

What if you feel God isn't listening? You know the answer...PRAY!

 

 

 

 

Psalm 47

 

Let's sing to God! Clap your hands! Shout unto God! These are all things we can do to worship God. There is much argument over what should and shouldn't be done in worship. However, we have the Psalms that give us much to learn from. Whatever we do should be directed to God and as Paul would say in Romans and Corinthians not to try and cause offense. So sing to God our King. 

KING means he's in charge not us.

Photo by Samuel Regan-Asante on Unsplash 

Numbers 11

 

Be careful who you listen to. In this chapter, it was the rabble, the mixed multitude, who had traveled with Israel who started the complaining. The problem was that Israel rather than correcting the complaints joined in. For me, this is a reminder that we need to make sure and listen to the people of God and not the people who are hanging out with the people of God. Be careful who you listen to. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:33 "Do not be misled: “Bad company corrupts good character.”

Later in the chapter, the Spirit of God falls on Eldad and Medad and they prophecied. They were elders but they weren't the ones chosen to join with Moses but God had other plans. They may not have been chosen by men but God chose them. Moses showed great wisdom and let God elevate who he wanted. 

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Numbers 10

 

There is a clear order in how things went in the wilderness which is very admirable. It is a reminder to me that God does things in dignity and order. At the end of the chapter, we hear the words of Moses when the ark set to and when it stopped. These words are a reminder to me that though God goes forth and conquers his foes his resting place is in Israel (with us).

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Isaiah 58

 God begins by condemning the fasts (not eating) of the people because though they are giving up food they aren't living for Him. To say it another way, they gave up food but wouldn't give up their sins. What I find interesting is the promise that ends this chapter. If the people would live right (give up their sins) and fast correctly then God promises they would "Feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob." The end of serving God faithfully is a feast. Amen. 

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Numbers 9

 As we read through the book of Numbers we will see Israel didn't always do the right thing. When we get into Deuteronomy we will see other ways the people of Israel do wrong. However, it seems that at least in one aspect they did it right and that was if it was time to move. What does that tell us? First, don't see only the wrong people have done. Israel did a lot of good, yet to hear many preachers, Israel in the desert was filled with generally bad people. They got it right a lot actually. However, this takes us to the second thing we need to look out for in ourselves. Just because you are doing a lot of good that doesn't mean that you're okay. If I'm a brittle diabetic and say I obey my diet and only eat an entire sheet cake once a week then I'm not okay. I'll probably be dead soon. The great six days don't erase the choice I made on the seventh. For now, I want to rejoice that Israel got this right.

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Mark 7

 Here again, are my notes for my sermon this week. Remember these are my notes (I don't read these) and there are lots of spelling and grammar mistakes. 

Mark 7:1-23

 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.)

So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?” He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:“ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”

Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.”

He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

That Which Defiles:

Helping the Community

As we begin this section, we see that the Pharisees are criticizing the disciples. At this point the disciples as well as Jesus are doing ministry. The Disciples at this point have been out preaching and bringing miracles. So now instead of just one person out there preaching and doing miracles there are 12 more.

So the Pharisees are both criticizing these but indirectly criticizing Jesus.

Jesus and his disciples are bringing something we have heard about previously a teaching and power. Jesus and the disciples represent a threat to their position and power. Previously when people had religious questions or needed help they looked to the priest, they looked to the Pharisees, now they are being pushed to the sidelines.

Before we get started, we need to understand the motivations of the people making the claims. It’s like if someone criticizes a church or even a policy be it political or ecclesiastical (church), sometimes the question we need to ask is why are they doing it. Unfortunately the reason reveals not a concern about being right but a concern about losing something politically its usually power or greed, but sometimes it about losing the ability to do something else or many times in the church the permission to sin.

We don’t see it right off the bat in this section but looking through the gospels it is clear that the Pharisees didn’t want to lose power or prestige. ****

So what is the complaint?

1.    They eat with unwashed hands (could spread disease)

2.    They weren’t respecting the elders.

3.    Jesus wasn’t teaching then well (Implied)

God gave command about washing but not to the extent that the Pharisees took it.

By the way, they were correct. Washing as often as they said would be a benefit to the community. Unwashed hands we know today are one of the main reasons diseases are transmitted.

The traditions of the elders if followed meant people were less likely to get sick. The traditions would help the community. Helping the community was what the elders were to do.

The problem was they weren’t bringing it up as a concern for the health of people. They were trying to discredit the competition. ****

They were trying to trap Jesus

1.    Yes, I’m wrong.

2.    I don’t respect the elders

***Jesus sets the issue aside and deals with the bigger issue.

***Jesus is going to address three groups

1.    Pharisees

2.    Crowd

3.    Disciples

 

The Pharisees

Jesus says they are like the people Isaiah Prophesied about.

“Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:“ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’

Jesus was saying that these people worshipped God, but their hearts were in the wrong place and they used human rules to bypass the intent of the law.

Church Father Irenaeus said of this in is book Against Heresies: It this their rabbis suppress some of the commandments, add new ones, and gave others their own interpretations, thus making the law serve their own purpose.

They used the traditions of the elders, so they could do what they wanted to do.

The tradition of washing was to help the community, help others. The Pharisees it seemed were doing it not as a method of helping but doing it to make others think that they were.

It like a person using hand sanitizer when the nurse is watching so they look like they care, but really they don’t care.

Jesus had a great example. CORBIN

The idea was that you could give something to God and therefor bypass giving it to your parents.

The even could give it to God and then didn’t have to give it to their parents.

They could tell their parents who the law said they were to honor. I would help you. but I gave the money to God (if you need it ask him).

Example: you need a house but sorry I gave it to the church. Then redeem it for 2/5 value and pocket the difference.

Redemption in the OT was there to help but the Traditions of the Elders changed it so it added to their greed.  

Today it might be I would have helped you but I gave it to the church in your honor (not a bad thing but could be).

Jesus was pointing out that they had a heart problem. They weren’t trying to help the community by pointing out what the disciples had done, they were doing it for selfish purposes and trying to look spiritual.

By the way, Jesus was hoping to help them not condemn them in front of others. This wasn’t Jesus writing an “open letter”

The CROWD

“Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.”

Jesus told the crowd not “eat whatever you want,” he was telling the crowd you need to deal with the what is on the inside of you that is what is going to get you into real trouble.

EXAMPLE: A person cussing, the real problem is why.

Jesus throughout his ministry was trying to deal with mankinds real problem, their heart and the sin that comes out of it.

The DISCIPLES

After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.”

He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

You’re DULL- You haven’t got it yet?

By this time, they had listened to Jesus quite a bit. Though not recorded in Mark they had listened to the Sermon on the mount in at least some form at least twice and I would say it was realistic to say a lot more than that. Just in that message it is clear that the real problem is on the inside.

****Jesus wasn’t saying they shouldn’t wash their hands he was saying that the real issues come from inside you.

Evil (evil, wicked, malicious, particularly as active)[1] comes from within

***YET: if the inside is changed, then the outside will do what is right.

(Once it knows to)

Jesus did address the Pharisees brought up. However, Not by telling them to wash their hands but dealing with their real problem. Their heart.

Because when the inside is changed then what you do will change. Then you can be a benefit to the community.

You want to truly help your community? Let Jesus change your heart.

Jesus isn’t looking for you just to do your equivalent of washing your hands, he wants what will cause you to be good in every circumstance.

***

How do you change your heart?

1.    Make Jesus Lord

2.    Learn from his Word

 

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[1]

Alexander Souter, A Pocket Lexicon to the Greek New Testament (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1917), 210.)

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