SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
6/20/2012 8:55:00 AM
My Worship Time Focus:
Declaration & Explanation
Bible Reading &
Meditation Reference:
Mark 7:14-23
Message of the verses: We will look at two different sections from
Mark seven in today’s SD.
Declaration (Mark 7:14-16): “14
After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them,
"Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: 15 there is nothing outside the man which can
defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are
what defile the man. 16 [["If
anyone has ears to hear, let him hear."]]”
These double brackets and what is in them means that many manuscripts do
not contain these words in them.
What Jesus
is declaring in these two verses is that the source of holy living is from the
inside of a person and not from the outside like the Scribes and Pharisees were
trying to accomplish with their rituals that meant nothing at all in the eyes
of God except displeasure. When it comes
down to it, as Dr. Wiersbe explains “He was declaring null and void the entire
Mosaic system of ‘clean and unclean’ foods; but at that time, He did not
explain this radical truth to the crowd, but later, He did explain it in
private to His own Disciples.”
The enemies
of Jesus did understand what He was talking about, and of course they did not
like it because it went against, not only the Law, but also the rituals. When Jesus died on the cross the Law was
fulfilled, and therefore this part of the Law with all of its different foods
that the Jews could and could not eat was also fulfilled. We must understand that when God gave these
different laws of the foods the Jews could eat and could not eat He was showing
that there was a difference between the Jews and the Gentiles, and the Gentiles
were to investigate as to why this was happening to the Jews and then this
would give a chance for the Jews to tell the Gentiles about God. Unfortunately this did not happen too much
and in fact the Jews thought this was a way that they could work their way to
heaven by doing these laws, and did not see that it was a heart issue. Dr. Wiersbe writes “Moses made it clear in
Deuteronomy that God wanted love and obedience to come from the heart, and not
be merely outward obedience to rules (note Dert. 6:4-5; 10-12; 30:6, 30)
Our Lord’s Explanation (Mark 7:17-23): “17 When he had left the crowd and
entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. 18 And He *said to them, "Are you so
lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into
the man from outside cannot defile him, 19
because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is
eliminated?" (Thus He declared all foods clean.) 20 And He was saying, "That which proceeds
out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 21 "For from within, out of the heart of
men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,
22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as
well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 23 "All these evil things proceed from within
and defile the man.’”
The
disciples did not understand what Jesus was teaching in the parable that He had
just spoken to the crowd and so He will now explain it to them in private. We must remember that we are close to 2000
years on the other side of the cross and so we have grown up eating what we
wanted to eat or what we had on hand to eat, but these disciples had grown up
under the strict Laws that were found in Lev. 11, where it tells what and what
not the could eat. I must say that I
have read a number of different dietary books that have taught me that the diet
that the Jews were eating was a very healthy diet, but that was not the total
point of why God had given that Law. Another
thing to remember is that Peter knew this truth, as the others did when Jesus
explains it here, but Peter had to be taught a lesson in order to take the
Gospel to the Gentiles and this lesson is explained in Acts chapter ten.
6/20/2012 9:34:05 AM Okay back from my golf game: 6/20/2012 4:13:09 PM
When I look
at lists such as we find in these verses I know that I may not be prone to the
types of sins that are in this list, or maybe I see myself as having trouble
with one of the sins that are in this list.
My point is that there are different lists like this one in different
parts of the NT, especially in the Epistles, and everyone’s name is one and
probably more than one of these sins that you have trouble with or struggle
with or tempted by. So if you don’t see
anything that you have a problem with, by all means don’t be proud.
Dr Wiersbe
writes “He (Jesus) realized that man is a sinner, unable to control or change
his own nature; and that is why Jesus
came to earth—to die for lost sinners.”
Jesus certainly realized this truth but how many liberal theologians
will come out and say that man is basically good. Now think about that for one minute. If that were true then why did Jesus have to
come to earth and become a man so that He would have to die for our sins, for
my sins?
Dr. Wiersbe
writes that the problem between Jesus and those who were accusing His disciples
of sinning because they were not keeping up with their traditions. Jesus knew that their traditions were not in
keeping with Scripture. Dr. Wiersbe
writes, “Before we leave this section, however, it might be good for us to contrast
man’s traditions and God’s truth.
Man’s Traditions God’s
Truth
Outward forms—bondage Inward
faith—liberty
Trifling rules Fundamental
principles
Outward Piety True
Inward Holiness
Neglect, replace the Word Exalts
the Word of God
Spiritual meaning for my life today: Part of the last verses we went over remind
me of Galatians chapter five where Paul writes about the fruit of the Spirit,
but first looks at the desires of the flesh and so I thought that I would put
the verses from Galatians in this section:
“16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will
not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the
Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one
another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not
under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the
flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife,
jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things
like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those
who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy,
peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things
there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ
Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by
the Spirit. 26 Let us not become
boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.”
My Steps of Faith for
Today: This part of my SD has not changed for a while for it is my desire
and step of faith to remain (abide) in the Vine as seen in the 15 chapter of
John’s Gospel.
Memory verses for the week:
2Peter 1:1-2: “Simon Peter, a
bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those
who have received a faith of the same kind as ours, by the righteousness of our
God and Savior, Jesus Christ: Grace and
peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord;
6/20/2012 4:43:14 PM
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