Dear Student of the Word,
Jesus confronted Jewish traditions while on earth, yet He still confronts religious traditions today. Usually those traditions are contrary to God's word, yet people can become attached and devoted to those traditions. Do you have any such traditions in your life? Don't answer too quickly.
This week I wrote:
15:12 – I love the disciples! They were so much like me! They were concerned that Jesus had offended the Pharisees and weren’t the slightest bit concerned that the Pharisees had offended Jesus! The disciples still identified with their nation and people at this point and Jesus had just offended their leaders who deserved to be offended. I have always been too concerned with what other people think and not always concerned with what God thinks.
"I do not accept praise from men, but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. I have come in my Father's name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God” (John 5:41-44).
Who are you more concerned with offending, God or man?
v. 13 – Jesus did not back down from what He said. In fact, He intensified it, insinuating that some if not all of the Pharisees were not leaders that God the Father had appointed. If that was the case, then God would eventually pull up those leaders by the roots. Of course this is exactly what eventually happened when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem along with the Temple.
v. 14 – Jesus ordered His disciples to disengage from the leadership of the Pharisees. He declared that they were blind guides, who would lead their followers into a ditch. Be careful whom you follow! If they sound like they know where they are going, but don’t know where they are going, then they are to be avoided. Whom are you following? Of course, ultimately you are following Jesus.
Do the people you are following know how to get to Jesus themselves? Or are they blind guides, groping in the darkness? It isn’t enough that they have a successful ministry, drive a big car or live in a mansion. That is no guarantee of their right standing with God; it is an indication that they are good communicators and business people. The mark of a godly leader is that they have been to Jesus and know how to guide you there as well.
v. 15 – The explanation of what Jesus had said to the Pharisees seems so simple and straightforward today, but it was a radical new concept to the disciples. They had been taught repeatedly to maintain the rules of cleanliness, so as not to defile themselves. They were told since childhood to avoid dead bodies, pork, shellfish, women and Gentiles, all of whom could make one ceremonially unclean, unable to participate in the Temple worship. Jesus was now declaring that all those things could not make anyone unclean. It was what someone thought or said that rendered them unclean in God’s sight. This was indeed radical and the disciples needed time to process this new concept.
Are you stuck in any old thinking where service to God is concerned? I know many who are. For example, some believe that if they go to “church” on Sunday, they have done their duty to and for God. Some think that they are doing God a favor by going to “church.” First of all, church isn’t a building and it isn’t the house of God. It isn’t a holy place any more than a movie theater is holy. The people of God are the building of God. They are the holy place. So you see, you had better not answer too quickly as to whether or not you are stuck in some old thinking where God is concerned.
As always, I welcome your comments to this week's study. You can write them or find the studies to Corinthians, First Timothy and Mark's gospel on the site where this week's entry is posted. You can also go there to sign up to receive each week's study.
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