Leviticus 1-2, Job 34, Mark 7:1-13, 1 Corinthians 14:1-12, Psalm 70: Do you remember the story of Nicodemus coming at night to Jesus? Do you remember their conversation about being born again? Jesus was saying that you need to be born of water and Spirit. I have always thought about how at our physical birth the mother’s water breaks as the child begins to come forth. As we studied recently in a precept class our teacher was talking about the water could also have been the ceremonial cleaning that the Jewish people observed. I had never thought of it that way, but in Mark 7 today the Jewish leaders were questioning why Jesus’ followers did not wash ceremonially before taking in food.
7:3(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) 5And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?”
Jesus’ responded 6And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,
“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
7 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”
Are religious practices that we observe that are more culture and tradition and obedience to God? Even greater are we substituting things like washing for a genuine Spirit led relationship with God? The traditions will not save you. Only the Spirit will. Don’t trust in your works or your goodness. Trust in the work of Jesus on the cross. Only that saves us!