THE KING’S BUSINESS
546
Tuesday, June 29. Mark 7:14-23.
w as so nice th a t h e w o u ld n o t eat w h en he cam e in fro m c o n tact w ith o rd in a ry people u n til h e h a d “b ap tized ” h im self (v . 4. See G reek an d m arg in R . V .)- T h e y n o t only b ap tized th em selv es, b u t cups, p o ts an d b razen vessels, etc. T h e q u estio n th e P h a ri sees a n d S crib es p u t to o u r L o rd in v erse 5 w as a p erfectly p ro p e r one, th o u g h it w as n o t ask e d fo r in fo rm a tio n b u t u tte re d as a com plaint. Je su s a n sw ered th e ir q u estio n by ask in g a fa r m o re im p o rta n t one, “W h y d o ye also tra n s g re ss th e com m an dm en t of G o d because o f y o u r tra d itio n ? ” ( M a tt.,15: ' 3 R . V .) . W e o u g h t to w a lk a cco rd in g to th e tra d itio n o f th e eld e rs w h en th a t tra d i tio n ag rees w ith th e W o rd o f G od, b u t w hen th e tra d itio n o f th e eld ers tran sg re sse s th e W o rd o f G od w e o u g h t to tra n s g re ss th e tra d itio n o f th e eld ers. Je su s d id n o t m in ce w o rd s in a n sw e rin g th e criticism o f th e P h arisees. H e called th em rig h t o u t by th e ir rig h t nam e, “h y p o crites.” ' “ H y p o c rite ” m ean s “one w h o is p lay in g a p a rt.” G od h a d a lre ad y describ ed th ese P h a rise e s a n d S crib es th ro u g h th e p ro p h e t Isa ia h (v . 6 cf. Is. 2 9 :1 3 ), th ey h o n o re d G od w ith th e ir lip s ; th ey sh o u ld h av e h o n o re d H im w ith th e ir h e arts. B u t G od h a d d eclared a n d Je su s n ow re ite ra te s “th e ir h e a rt is fa r from m e.” T h e m an w h o h o n o rs G o d w ith h is lips w h ile h is h e a rt is fa r from H im is a “h y p o crite.” I f o u r h e a rt is full o f love to G od, w e w ill also h o n o r H im w ith o u r lip s (M a tt. 1 2 :3 4 ). T h e ir lip w o rsh ip w as u tte rly v ain an d n o t acceptable to G od (v . 7 ). T h e ir w o rsh ip w as v ain b ecau se th ey ta u g h t as th e ir doc trin e s “th e p recep ts o f m an ” (v . 7 ). T h ey h ad left th e com m an dm en t o f G od th a t th ey m ig h t h o ld th e tra d itio n o f m en (v . 8 R. V .) . T h e r e - a r e m an y S crib es a n d P h a r i sees in o u r ch u rch es to d a y w h o a re d o ing th e v e ry sam e th in g . Monday, June 28. Mark 7 :6-13.
I t is n o t th e fo o d w h ich a m an tak es in to h is b o d y th ro u g h h is m o u th th a t defiles th e m a n 'i n G o d ’s s ig h t; it is th e w o rd s th a t p ro ceed o u t o f h is m o u th a n d rev eal th e e v il-s ta te o f h is h e a rt th a t defile th e m an in G od’s estim atio n . T h e re a re m an y to d ay b o th erin g th e ir h ead s a n d g e ttin g in to a m o rb id sta te o f m in d ab o u t w h a t th ey shall e at an d w h a t th ey sh all n o t eat, lay in g dow n fo r th em selv es m o re law s th a n a re fo u n d in th e P e n ta te u c h ; all such n eed to learn th e lesson o f th e v erses w e a re stu d y in g to d ay . N o t w h a t y o u e a t b u t h o w y o u u se y o u r to n g u e is th e p rin cip al th in g in G o d ’s sig h t as re g a rd s th e u se o f th e m o u th . W h a t a p ictu re w e h av e o f th e u tte r d e p rav ity o f h u m an n a tu re in o u r L o rd ’s d escrip tio n o f th e th in g s th a t com e o u t o f th e h e art. It is a d ark , d a rk p ic tu re b u t a la s! it is a tru e p ictu re, a n d w e m ay w ell th a n k G od th a t by g ra ce w e m ay o b tain a n ew h e a rt o u t o f w hich w ill p ro ceed fa r d ifferen t th in g s from th ese (G al. 5:22, 2 3 ). T h is w om an ’s p o sitio n w as in d eed d is c o u rag in g , o u tsid e th e co v en an t p rom ises an d b lessin g s (M a tt. 15:22, 24, 2 6 ), in so re d istress, h e r d a u g h te r h a v in g fallen in to th e p o w er o f th e u n se e n b u t re a l a n d aw fu l p ow ers o f d ark n ess, th e disciples u n sym p a th etic a n d even th e S a v io u r ap p are n tly u n heeding. B u t th is w om an g o t th e b lessin g sh e so u g h t in sp ite o f all. H e r fa ith co n q u ered a n d m ad e h e r a tru e ch ild o f A b ra h am a n d h e ir o f th e p rom ises. H e r p ra y e r w as a m o d e l: it w a s e a rn e st, d irect, b rief, definite, p erso n al, h um ble, b elieving, p e r sisten t, p rev ailin g . I n th e en d th e w om an g o t fa r m o re th a n sh e so u g h t, sh e so u g h t h ealin g fo r h e r d a u g h te r b u t b esid e th is she o b tain ed testin g , in stru c tio n an d com m en d atio n f o r h erself. Wednesday ; June 30. Mark 7 :24-30.
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