The Pilgrim Path---Mark 7: 8—13

“You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and ‘Whoever reviles father and mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)---then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

THE PHARISEES, MONEY, AND ACCLAIM

Will people “use” religion for personal advantage? Will people use so called “spiritual” enterprises merely to advance themselves. You mean people will use the things of God---for personal glory and gain? My response: “Sure---it has gone on since the Garden of Eden: in a neighborhood near You.”

---The rabbis had divided the Law into 613 segments: 365 prohibitions / 248 positive directives for living and practice. Then they had some massive distinctions about the “gray areas” in between these Laws. Their teaching effecting everything from travel to meals---it could be hair-splitting.

---The LORD Jesus Christ is tending to the Pharisees here: They are really “not” honoring their parents as the fifth commandment requires (Exodus 20:12). What if your parents had financial needs? What if they could not pay their rent? Pay their doctor bill? Handle care payments for an aide at night? The Pharisees were using a custom called “CORBAN”---“I’ve dedicated my monies to Adonai / to the God of Glory---sorry Mom & Dad---I will not be able to help You…” The LORD Jesus knew they had their money “available” ---it was liquid. Often, with many Pharisees---this money was simply reserved for themselves…They “covered” their money with religious forms---so as to escape having to contribute--- to a current family need. Those Pharisees…No wonder the denunciations in Matthew chapter 23 are as harsh and biting…Woe…Woe…Woe…Then Jesus says, “many such things you do.” When you are a transgressor, you never want the Savior to end part of your “court case” with these words, “and many such things you do.”

“He reproves them for their hypocrisy in pretending to honor God, when really they had no such design in their religious observances (v. 6, 7); They honor me with their lips, they pretend it is for the glory of God that they impose those things, to distinguish themselves from the heathen; but really their heart is far from God, and is governed by nothing but ambition and covetousness. They would be thought hereby to appropriate themselves as a holy people to the Lord their God, when really it is the furthest thing in their thought. They rested in the outside of all their religious exercises, and their hearts were not right with God in them, and this was worshipping God in vain; for neither was he pleased with such sham-devotions, nor were they profited by them.” Matthew Henry

Well I do not think it’s fair that their “custom” should be taken as a law and rule of right belief. If we’re to take custom as proof of what is right, I’d be wholly justified in bringing forward from my side the custom that we follow here! If they reject “our” custom, plainly we aren’t obliged to follow theirs. Therefore, let the God-breathed Scriptures judge between us. On whatever side we find the doctrines in harmony with God’s Word, on that side the truth will cast its vote… St. Gregory Of Nyssa

“It must not content us to take our bodies to church if we leave our hearts at home. Th eye of man may detect no flaw in our service. Our minister may look at us with approbation. Our neighbors may think us patterns of what a Christian ought to be. Our voice may be heard foremost in the praise and prayer. But it is all worse than nothing in God’s sight, if our hearts are far away. It is only wood, hay and stubble before Him who discerns thoughts, and reads the secrets of the inward man.” J. C. Ryle

How happy all thy servants are! How great thy grace to me!

My life, which thou hast made thy care, Lord, I devote to thee.

Now I am thine, forever thine, nor shall my purpose move;

Thy hand hath loosed my bonds of pain and bound me with thy love.

From Psalm 116: 12—19

Isaac Watts

Grace and Peace in Jesus Christ Our Risen LORD, Pastor Jason