Mark 7
May 10, 2022
“Jesus went on: ‘What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.’” (v20-23)
Jesus says what defiles us is not our unwashed hands, but unwashed hearts. And in the Bible, ‘the heart’ isn’t just the blood-pumping organ that keeps us physically alive; the heart is the seat of our will, our emotions, our hopes, our dreams, our aspirations, and our loves. Our heart is what determines what we pursue and what we give our lives to. And Jesus (in contrast to Disney) says that our hearts are messed up, unclean, and defiled - which is why He offers a heart-cleansing that no hand-washing can ever achieve. Jesus’ invitation is simple: ‘Whoever wants to receive this cleansing – can freely come to Him, the Living Water, the One whose cleansing is not just skin deep, but goes all the way to the heart.’
I praise You, Father, that You made a way for my sinful heart to be cleansed through the shed blood of Christ. I confess that there is nothing I can do to clean myself up. And I rejoice that there’s nothing more I need to do than run to the cross of Christ. For it’s at the cross, where there is a Fount of cleansing, which is why I sing:
What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus…
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus…Oh! Precious is the flow that makes me white as snow;
no other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus…
— Pastor Joshua Brooks
Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…
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Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
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Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
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➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?
