Living in the Spirit
September 1, 2018
Scripture Reading: Mark 7:1—2, 5-8; 14-15, 21-23
Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. . . . So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?’ He said to them, ‘Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written,
“This people honors me with their lips,
in vain do they worship me,
teaching human precepts as doctrines.”
You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.’ –Mark 7:1-2, 5-8
For health reasons, I think hand washing is a good habit. I’m just saying. I do not think hand washing substitutes for having a pure heart and a right spirit* and I think that is what Jesus is addressing in the above scripture. Ritual hand washing was a part of worship in first-century Jewish practices.
I grew up on a farm and attended a very small-town school and church. Appropriate attire for attending my church involved wearing your best, cleanest, and most decent clothing. If you were the local banker, you might have worn a suit. The preacher wore a suit. Farmers often wore their cleanest, newest bib overalls. My dad usually changed into Khakis, although he also wore them a lot on the tractor. It was probably the result of serving in the army during World War II when he discovered Khakis. The women always wore dresses usually cotton, starched and ironed to perfection. Women also wore hats. The men did too but their hats came off the minute they entered the church. Being the best, we can be as we honor, and worship God is a good thing. Making sure that our attitudes and actions are aligned with God’s will is our ultimate goal and I am sure is a source of great joy for God meaning more than either washing our hands or what we wear.
Prayer: Lord, forgive me when I am more concerned about outward appearances and impression I may make on others. Help me live in ways that are sources of great joy for you. Amen.
*See Psalm 51:10