“Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus He declared all foods clean)” (Mark 7:18b-19).

This physical world may pollute our bodies, but unless the pollution that comes in is received by our spirit, it cannot destroy us.  Though we die, yet shall we live.  There is plenty of pollution in this world; but be on guard for your soul so that you look to the Lord and seek His will in all things.  He has promised to lead those who believe in the way of everlasting life.  He will lead those who trust Him.

Lord, You know where the pollution is in my soul.  I have taken in things that need to be removed.  I have adopted ideas and attitudes that are contrary to what You have established from the beginning.  Guide me to come out of those places to seek what is right and fitting.  Grow in me Your righteousness so that I may become ever more like You in the life You have given me here and now.

Thank You Jesus or not settling for just polishing the outside of me but working on the whole of me so that I may become a child of the Heavenly Father.  Maintain the grace You have given me and confront those places of pollution that are within me.  Do the surgery You need to do to remove the cancer that is in my soul.  I know this body will one day fail, but in Your promise, bring my soul to purity for Your sake.  Amen.

“When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable.  And He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also?” (Mark 7:17-18a)

How often do we inwardly refuse to listen to the simple words of Jesus?  I find in myself an inclination to wishful thinking rather than accepting what is real and true.  That pollution needs to be taken out of me.  Things are as the Lord made them to be.  Our wishful thinking sometimes gets in the way.  To understand what the Lord says is to accept what is real and true.  The Lord grants wisdom to those who will take in what He gives us.

Lord, help me to receive all that You will give.  Guide me to learn from You and gain wisdom.  There are things I do not like; but You are the way, truth, and life.  Help me when things I want to believe get in the way so that I may come to understand.  Lead me according to Your goodness and mercy so that I grow in the way You will grow me in the reality You have revealed through Your grace.

Lord Jesus, You know that even though I think I understand, I still need Your salvation.  Help me so that I do not stop with my understanding but step out in faith and receive the wisdom You will give me.  Guide me according to Your goodness and mercy to come into the understanding You grant by the power of Your Holy Spirit.  Lead me each step so that in faith I will trust You in and through all things.  Amen.

“After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 7:14-16).

The sin in the world is not what defiles us.  Taking the sin within is what defiles us.  This body was born in a world that is perishing.  We will have a new body.  What then?  Focus upon what is good for the body and soul.  Continue to grow in your character and live into the life for which You have been redeemed.  How often do we focus on right behavior outwardly when who we are inwardly is what Christ will create in us by grace.

Lord, I have taken many things in.  Protect me so that what comes in that would lead me away from You is rejected that I may continue along the path of Your salvation.  Guide me in Your goodness and mercy to receive what You give and watch as it grows in me what You desire.  Help me to not become a pharisee where I worry about outward appearance but make me whole from the inside out.

Lead me Lord Jesus in the way You know I need to go.  Guide me in Your goodness to understand that You have come to save me from the inside out and prepare me to dwell with You eternally.  According to the Father’s will, help me to not react only to all the things that are going on around me, but live according to the word You give me.  Aid me so that I look to You as the One who will keep me from evil.  Amen.

“[Y]ou no longer permit him to do anything for his father or his mother; thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down; and you do many things such as that” (Mark 7:12-13).

Traditions can get in the way.  What starts out as a lesson to promote obedience becomes a hindrance that promotes sin.  Take care, lest your traditions contradict the very thing you are seeking to accomplish.  Neither rid yourself of all traditions, replace them with others, nor seek to transform yourself, but listen as the Holy Spirit guides you so that You may learn what faithfulness means.

Lord, You have come because I need to be saved.  I desire to be faithful, but there are things deep within me that hinder my journey of following You.  Bring me to the place where I am willing to let nothing stand in the way of the salvation You give.  Bring me out of myself to learn how to live out the love You have given me.  Guide me in the way of salvation and help me each step of the way.

Lord Jesus, at times I have thought Your words harsh, but You speak truth.  I do not like some of these words.  Help me to understand what it is that Your word of truth is saying.  Guide me out of myself and into You.  You willingly gave up all for my sake and for the sake of all others who come to You in faith.  Help me to get out of myself and live faithfully for the sake of You and my neighbor.  Amen.

“For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, is to be put to death’; but you say, ‘If a man says to his father or his mother, whatever I have that would help you is Corban (that is to say, given to God)’ (Mark 7:10-11)

God already owns everything.  It is entrusted to us for our use in this age.  We all know how to make excuses not to do things.  Do not play games with God or with one another.  We are to love our neighbor.  Above this, we are to honor our parents.  Help those who are in need and do not use God as your excuse for not helping.  From the smaller things, larger lessons are learned.  Learn the lessons.

Lord, You know the games I play with myself and others.  You have come to save me.  I need saving.  Bring me through the muddle of my thinking.  Sin effects my behavior so that I don’t seek to do what is right in Your eyes.  Remove those obstacles that are in the way of my being faithful to Your commands.  Guide me out of the fog of sinful thinking to see things as You intend for me to see them.

Come, Holy Spirit, and minister to my heart.  Though I resist, confront me where I need it.  Through all things, help me to understand what it means to be obedient.  Where I am selfish and seek to retain ownership, free me to be obedient as You direct me.  You know all that I need and what stands in the way.  Lead me to overcome these things in my way so that I may learn obedience from You.  Amen.

“Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men.”  He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition” (Mark 7:8-9).

How often do we hold to tradition and ignore the commandment of God?  This is not a simple question.  Jesus wants us to go inward and ask ourselves, “When have I done this?”  Following the Lord and leading others so that they may follow the Lord is more important than the way we do things.  That we do things a certain way is fine, but do not let that get in the way of being obedient.

Lord, You know where I have let my traditions get in the way of the heart that You desire.  Help me to understand that the traditions are to support my behavior and not the practice of the behavior itself.  Help me to live with others in relationship and not behind the wall of a specific practice.  It is to You alone that we are to conform ourselves and not to our ideas of how this is to be done.

Lord Jesus, You know fully what You meant in saying these words.  Teach me so that I can understand.  Guide me so that I humbly submit to Your commandments, even in those times where it may compromise my traditions.  Help me by teaching me all that it means to obey all that You command.  Lord, I want to be obedient to You above all things.  Teach me how to do this by the power of Your Holy Spirit.  Amen.

And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me.  ‘But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men’ (Mark 7:6-7).

Things do not seem to have changed much.  Some will do what they do only for themselves.  The Lord seeks our heart and desires that we humbly walk with Him.  He will lift us up and out of the mire of sin to learn how to love as He first loved us.  It is not just what we do or say on the outside, but who we are from the inside out that matters.  Our Lord will lead us into righteousness.

Lord, You know the wickedness that is in my heart.  You know the places where Your grace needs to wash away my sin so that I have a heart that loves You and my neighbor.  Guide me out of the mess of sin that is within me to see things through Your eyes.  Help to love You and others the way You do.  Teach me these things and, by grace, forgive me where I get snared in what is wrong.

Lord Jesus, Your grace is sufficient.  Through the trials of this age, You will teach me what it means to love others.  Guide me now and always to humbly walk in the way You would have me go.  Guard my tongue and help the cleanness You give come from within me and for Your sake.  Let my precepts be Your precepts.  Teach me to live faithfully and not in the vanity of this age.  Amen.

“The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?”  (Mark 7:5)

It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles, but what comes out.  Yes, cleanliness is good hygiene, but the Lord has created us such that a little contamination helps our immune system.  Of course, in the past it was the opposite where lack of hygiene spread disease.  Sinful humanity tends towards fanaticism.  The Lord brings freedom and teaches us prudence and temperance.

Lord God, You have set all things in their course.  What You give us what is good and often this leads to our sinfully wanting excess.  Help me to live in the way You know I need to live, neither being fanatical, nor neglectful of the things needing to be done.  Help me to learn from You the balance I need in order that I may be guided always by Your goodness and mercy.

Holy Spirit, You know where my mind goes and the way I think of things.  Teach me to neither be defiant nor insistent as You lead me in living the life which Christ has called me to live.  Through Your guidance I can learn to respect You and others and not arrogantly insist that things be done the way I want them done.  By grace, You are more than able to lead me in the way of righteousness.  Amen.

“(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots)” (Mark 7:1-2.) 

The root of the tradition is good.  Cleanliness maintains health.  But there are times when it is not practical.  To wash is one thing, to make a ceremony of it every time is quite another.  It is not what we do that saves us, but the One who did for us what we could not do for ourselves, who saves us.  Practice common sense, but do not live just by traditions, but by the One who made all things.

Lord, I know You are not against traditions, only when they get in the way of my relationship with You.  Help me to live in relationship with You, doing what is needful, and being practical in daily life.  Lead me beyond those things which would hinder me and help me to understand clearly where I am making more, or even less, of things which may hinder me from walking in Your righteousness.

Lord Jesus, You instituted traditions, so I know they are not all bad.  Help me to learn from You where to place ceremonies in my life and where to set them aside.  Be the One who leads me, and walk alongside me today and each day, so that I may learn faithfulness from You step by step.  Guide me, Lord Jesus, in the way of everlasting life.  Help me to abide in the life You have given me through grace.  Amen/

The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem, and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed.

The traditions of men are deep in us all.  Not that all traditions are bad – we all have them – but the truth is that we are to love, fear, and trust God above all things.  Yes, it is good to wash your hands, but will we go to hell if we do not?  There is the impure in body, and then there is impurity of the soul.  One can have an unclean body and yet be clean in heart.  We are called to follow the Lord.

Lord, you know that I need a clean heart.  Help me so that my traditions do not get in the way of my faith in You.  Help me to be clean, yes, but not for my own sake, but in obedience to all that You would have me do.  Give me a heart that questions why I do what I do in order that I would learn to be obedient to You in and through all things.  Teach me what it means to be faithful.  Only by Your guidance am I able to live a life of faith.

Lord Jesus, help me to see and understand the details of what I read in the Gospel.  In all things, keep my mind curious so that I seek the wisdom You offer.  Guide me by the power of Your Holy Spirit to seek faithfulness in all that I do.  Guide me to live according to Your word and not be caught up into the traditions of men.  Also, help me to not be hostile to tradition, but understand that traditions can guide, but that You alone must lead.  Amen.