January 27th - Mark 7:14-15

Mark 7:14-15 Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart.” The Pharisees had got really worked up by the disciples not washing their hands properly before eating. Elaborate rules had been developed over the years, and the Pharisees were meticulous in their adherence to them. They were sure that in order to be acceptable to God, they needed to keep these rules, but Jesus turned their thinking upside down. He pointed out that having really clean hands and following endless religious rules did nothing to change the person that you were. What mattered was what was in your heart. If you were seething with bitterness and anger, no amount of washing or other clever rituals could help. Jesus wanted to get to the heart of the matter. I honestly haven’t spent much of my life thinking about my heart. However, nine years ago, that all changed. I had cellulitis and when I was rushed into hospital, my heart was racing at 240 beats a minute. That wasn’t sustainable. I was swiftly treated with intravenous antibiotics, and within a day or so, I was much better, but that incident forced me to think more carefully about my heart. We would all do well to receive Jesus’ challenge and to look at our spiritual heart. If our hearts are full of pride and envy, there is no wonder we’ve got problems. We need to make sure that our hearts are full of the Holy Spirit, who is constantly producing his fruit within us. Singing hymns and songs, raising our hands in worship and praying will do nothing to bless us if our hearts are not sorted out. Question What is the condition of your spiritual heart? Prayer Lord God, I invite you to fill me with your Holy Spirit, so that my life will constantly produce good fruit. Amen