In Jesus Holy Name August 26, 2018
Text: Mark 7:5,7,21,23 Pentecost XIV
“Meaningless Worship=Sins Unforgiven”
Mark records for us today another encounter with the Pharisees. Jesus was constantly being challenged by the Pharisees. They challenged His authority to heal on the Sabbath. They challenged His claim to cast out demons. They challenge His willingness to eat with “sinners” like Matthew and Zacchaeus, both tax collectors, collaborators with Rome. They challenged His claim to be the long expected Messiah, for whom they were waiting. Mark makes 4 points with this encounter between Jesus and the Pharisees.
1. Their man made traditions were replacing the commandments of God.
2. They were expecting to earn salvation by doing good works, keeping the traditions but not realizing that even their evil thoughts which come from a “heart” were breaking God’s commandments.
3. Their worship. Their songs. Their prayers. Their Sunday (Sabbath) attendance was on their lips and visible but their commitment, their worship was not real.
4. Then to demonstrate that God’s salvation is for Gentiles, non Jews, Mark tells us that Jesus went to non Jewish territory of Tyre. He even entered a house there. He healed the daughter of a local woman.
In Jesus’ day the problem was over enthusiasm regarding their Jewish traditions. The Pharisees were men who had a great deal of respect for God’s law. If God said, “thou shalt not do this or that,” the Pharisees took Him very seriously. Indeed, in order to make sure they didn’t do “this or that”, they decided to add their own laws to build a fence around God’s original rules. Then to make doubly and triply sure they had it right, they did it again.
This they did so they could feel safe and secure, so that on Judgment Day they could look God in the face and say: “Hey, Lord, I did good. Excuse me for saying so, but I was pretty near perfect.” (Sermon by Rev. Ken Klaas)
The Pharisees were expecting to enter heaven still carrying their sins. (On Facebook this week a friend shared an Illustration of Jesus carrying suitcases) Jesus is saying to them: “I see your baggage, your suitcases are full of your broken ethics, rules and commandments. Let me carry them for you.”
Now you should know respecting God’s commandments is a good thing. Jesus told the disciples and us that if we want to show God that we love Him. If we want
to show Jesus that we love him….then we would demonstrate our love by obeying His commands.
Jesus said: “If you love me, you will obey what I command.” (John 14:15) “Who ever has my commands and obeys them he is the one who loves me.” (John 14:21) What is His command? To obey the ten commandments. To love the lord our God with all our heart soul and mind, and love your neighbor as your self. (Which is exactly what our congregation this year when we supported our mission team to Guatemala. Which is exactly what we did when we supported “Break the Chains”, Rescue the Children, “Kratt elementary, Heart and Hands. And accepting one another though ethnically different.)
Which is not what the Pharisees were doing. When a rich young Jewish lawyer, an expert in the “law” asked Jesus: “What must I do to earn eternal life?” Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan. Jesus was making the point that you can not earn eternal life… it is God’s free gift by faith in Jesus.
Pastor Ray Stedman, Graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and Pastor of Peninsula Fellowship in Palo Alto, California explains this passage:
“Do not read this text as though these were dirty disciples, as though they never bothered to wash their hands before they ate. This is not a problem of hygiene at all. I’m sure they did wash their hands before they ate. I do not doubt it in the least. But what bothered the Pharisees was that they did not do it in the right way. You see, among the Jews, you could have washed your hands with the finest of soaps, and scrubbed like a doctor preparing for surgery; but if you did not do it a certain way, you were just as unclean, ceremonially as though you had not washed at all.
Here is the Jewish rule: “the hands had to be held out, palms up, hands cupped slightly, and water poured over them. Then the first hand was used to scrub the other, and then the other hand would scrub the first hand. Finally the hands are to be held out, with palms down, and water was poured over them a second time to cleanse away the dirty water the defiled hands had been scrubbed with. Only then would a person’s hands be ceremonially clean.”
Then the Pharisees went on to make similar rules about cleaning pots, cups
and tables. Do you remember the story of Jesus at the wedding in Cana? There were 6 large stone jars filled to brim with water just for the rite of washing hands. Of course we know what Jesus did. He ruined those jars by filling them with the finest wine…. Thus they were no longer available for this Jewish tradition.
The Jews preserved their religious and national identity through practices associated with food laws, hand washing, Sabbath laws and rules about with whom you could associate with or even touch. I’m sure these rules where made because they just wanted to help people demonstrate their love for God. Unfortunately they added to God’s Ten Commandments by adding an extra 613 laws, 365 negative commands and 248 positive laws. I’m sure originally somewhere in the past these rules were created out of the goodness of their heart….but ultimately they began to believe this would earn them God’s love.
My gosh, I have a hard time getting my confirmands to memorize 10 commandments. Imagine trying to memorized 613 laws 365 negative commands and 248 positive commands. What a burden for a soul seeking peace with God.
In their mind if Jesus was really a “good” rabbi, he would make sure that his disciples would obey the traditions of the elders. What kind of teacher would let his pupils, his disciples, violate the revered teaching of Jewish elders, passed down for generations.
You see, nobody, not even these good deed doing Pharisees could keep God’s
Ten Commandments and they knew it. They, like you and me, were sinners. I know I’m a sinner because my conscience keeps pointing out my flaws, failings, my disobedience, broken ethical standards, the many ways I disappoint the Lord. The Pharisees’ sinfulness showed up when they said: “Not only do you have to follow God’s commandments; you have to follow ours as well.”
Jesus was not going to let their comments, nor their poor theology stand. Jesus who was God’s Son, knew what God really wanted. God is holy. He expects those who enter into His presence in heaven to be holy as well.
Their rules led to meaningless worship, but did not forgive sins. All the outward signs of worship were present. A great dress code for the temple. Cleansing rules kept. Singing hymns. Reading the bible. Attending synagogue, church. By doing these rituals they believed that God would wink at their broken commandments, and their good works outweighed their bad behaviors.
Don’t we have the same problem in America? How many funerals have you attended when the people there express “their theology” about entrance into God’s forever presence? He was a good man. She was a wonderful, caring person. Better than most. God is a God of love. Surely He would not keep them out of heaven. Wrong.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes into the Father’s presence except by faith in me.”
The Pharisees worship was meaningless because their theology lacked what they needed most. Forgiveness. Forgiveness of broken ethics. Forgiveness for broken commandments. The Pharisees created a false standard of righteousness. Their rules became a burden without providing security. Accountability to God is replaced by accountably to men.
Jesus said: “You look good to the general public. You may look good on Sunday morning. Your lips speak the right words. Your voices sing the right songs. But your hearts are not engaged with me.”
Jesus responds to the question: “What comes out, not what goes into a person, makes them unclean. God judges the heart for holiness. (read Mark 7:20-23) In other words are your thoughts breaking any of the commandments. What are you doing in secret? Pornography? Gossip thoughts but not spoken.
Jesus was telling them and us that the Lord has a plan for salvation and nobody should mess with it. He wanted them to understand that eternal life would only be through faith in His blood shed on the cross. Just as in your human body was created by God so that your red blood cells, liver and kidneys work to “clean away filth and harmful bacteria, so the blood of Jesus washes away our sins and allows believers in Jesus to stand “holy” and “righteous” before God forgiven. (II Cor. 5:21) ( Romans 5:1-6)
This morning if each of us knew the strange, unhealthy thoughts we hold in our hearts and head we would all be too embarrassed to be here in the presence of God. That is why we are here to receive forgiveness at His altar, at His invitation. Traditions can be good. Traditions can point others to God. Some
traditions could communicate…to others: “oh, you don’t belong.”
Just a casual reading of the bible tells you that Jews did not associate with non Jews. At the end of this encounter with the Pharisees Mark tells us that Jesus even challenges their rules about to whom they could associate.
Mark tells us that Jesus left and entered the city of Tyre, in Gentile territory. He stayed in a house there and heals the daughter of a woman’s of Syrian-Phoenician heritage. God’s acceptance, God’s love for people goes beyond and breaks ethnic boundaries, and so must those who are His disciples.
Let me share one final story about team ministry in the family of God. It is a story about the friends of Herman Ostry, who lived near Bruno, Nebraska, and what did for him. From what I was told, a number of years ago Herman purchased a piece of property and put up a barn. Thins went well until the nearby creek flooded and put the floor of Herman’s new barn under 29 inches of water. 29 inches of water on your barn floor is not a good thing.
Inspecting the mess, Herman joked to his family that if they only had enough people, they could lift the barn and carry it to dryer footings. Herman’s son, Mike took him seriously. Using his calculator, Mike estimated the barn’s weight at 19,000 lbs. Further, he guestimated that in order to move the barn they would need 344 people who could life 55 lbs. 344 people seemed a doable number.
Mike moved forward in faith and devised a web of steel tubing which he nailed, bolted and welded to the inside and outside of the barn. On June 30th Herman had his 344 volunteers. 344 people ready to lift that barn and move it. Herman shouted, “one, two, three…lift” To everyone’s astonishment, the barn when up. Then, moving as one, they with shuffling steps, took the barn 143 feet uphill. Three minutes later placed it on its new foundation. A few people, committed to a cause went forward in faith and made a change.
When we start any of the work the Savior has entrusted to us, we must remember that it is our job is to share the message of God’s love and forgiveness. Our job is to continue to know that God has brought us together for “team” ministry to accomplish what he wants accomplished. We are to keep the message of salvation alive for the generations that follow us.
