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 Deut. 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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