God’s word

Who sets the pace?

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“…and many such things you do.” Mark 7:9-13 ESV

Jesus is not yet finished with the Pharisees. In fact he is just getting warmed up on the subject of man’s traditions versus the commandments of God. Now it should be noted that “tradition” here is not referring to hanging stockings or drinking eggnog at Christmas. It is tradition with teeth and consequences. It is placing the expectations of men over other men with an eye toward enforcing compliance. In effect, these traditions had the force of law, superceding even the law of God. This is what Jesus was attacking.

The specific issue was denying support to parents when a vow had been taken to devote one’s means to God. Vows were (and are) very important and bound a man to fulfill them, but never should have been allowed to nullify God’s clear commands, as in this case the fifth commandment. To make matters worse, the rabbis prohibited a man who had taken such a vow to help his parents in any way, while never ensuring that any of the means actually were given to God! As bad as this sounds – and so obviously wrong, even to outsiders – Jesus adds that this is just one example of the many ways the Jews avoided obeying the Lord.

Has this sort of thing ended, or does it still exist today? One need look no further than the divisions that exist between Christians over matters of doctrine or theology or eschatology, all while claiming the same source of authority: the Scriptures. On a sillier note, we joke about congregations splitting over the color of the carpet. Even style of worship, music or dress can distract us from praising God. And where money is concerned, we hear of preachers encouraging folks to give sacrificially, above and beyond what they can afford. God will bless you, they say, because you can’t outgive God. Well did James say, “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that?” (James 2:15-16 ESV).

Copyright 2019 David J. Cooley

Ins and outs

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“Why do your disciples not walk according to…” Mark 7:1-8

The scribes and Pharisees again come out from Jerusalem to take another look at Jesus and his teachings. They readily observed that the disciples were eating with unwashed hands. And their implication was that Jesus was negligent for not requiring them to do so.

This time their complaint seems incredibly picky to us, but to them it was of tremendous importance. They do not mean that the disciples were eating with dirty hands, but that they had not followed the prescribed ritual to rid themselves of all unholy contamination caused by contact with the outside world. The Jews were well known for their slavish devotion to this tradition, which not only including washing their hands up to the wrists but extended also to cups, pots and pans. And tradition it was. The Law never required such cleansing. But their traditions were held in such regard that they even superseded the law of God.

Jesus is quick to point this out. He quotes from the respected prophet Isaiah, saying that these religious leaders were hypocrites (play actors), portraying themselves as something they were not. They knew which words to say about just about everything, but their hearts were not in tune with God and the intent of His word. Further, their worship was self-serving and of no worth to God because they exalted the ideas and commands of men above even what God had to say.

We may wonder what all the fuss was about, but then we have enjoyed a couple of thousand years of freedom in Christ. But that does not mean our lives as Christians have not been impacted by the pronouncements of religious leaders and organizations above and beyond what God requires. The pressure to define who’s “in” and who’s “out” permeates even our Christian society. However, we humans lack the resources to judge even those most like ourselves.

The trick is to keep in mind who you are trying to please. If it is a person, the rules may well change with every person you happen to meet. If it is God, rest assured He will look past your outward appearance and actions and examine your heart, seeing what you are really about.

Copyright 2019 David J. Cooley

Gone to seed

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“Know ye not this parable?” Mark 4:1-20

Jesus liked to teach in parables: simple stories drawn from everyday life that no one would regard as far-fetched or fantastic. The sower is such a story. Everyone knew what he was doing. They may have done it themselves. They even may have seen a sower at work on their way to hear Jesus.

But that’s where the easy comparison stops. What kind of farmer would waste his seed on rocky soil, or on a road, or in the middle of a patch of thorns? What was Jesus trying to say?

One thing was certain – Jesus was not teaching a course on effective farming methods. Even his disciples were confused and asked him privately for an explanation. Jesus was in fact teaching them something about the nature of the kingdom of God. The seed is God’s word and the various kinds of soils are the kinds of hearts within men and their receptiveness to that word. Not all soils can be cultivated to produce a good crop.

What? Does that mean God deliberately makes people that cannot respond to him? Not necessarily. People have the ability to choose how they will respond to God. “Cannot” is entirely different from “will not.” Apparently some folks have already determined to resist God by the time an opportunity to receive his word comes along. (The entire history of Israel is an example of this)

Jesus doesn’t sow his word among the thorns to demonstrate how resistant some people can be. He sows in the hard places with the hope that some, even if only a few, will respond. It cannot be said that Jesus has ever failed to give anyone the chance to come to him.

Copyright 2019 David J. Cooley

Having purified your soul

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We have a fresh start, a second chance. We can continue living as we always did, feeding our heart and minds with things that will eventually rot and fall apart. Or, we can nourish our new imperishable nature with things that are likewise imperishable.

Purity is maintained by obedience. What is so important for us to obey? Jesus stated it simply: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35 ESV)

God’s word is imperishable. It does not change or need an update. It is a never-ending source of strength and comfort, needed to accomplish even simple things like loving one another. No wonder it is called the good news.

1 Peter 1:22-25

Copyright 218 David J. Cooley