God’s Word For Today Gospel Light Filipino

Text: Mark 7:14-23 ESV

 

14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” 17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

 

WATCH YOUR HEART

 

The hypocrisy of the Pharisees and scribes was exposed by the Lord Jesus Christ. Here, Jesus calls their attention to realize what cleanness and uncleanness are about, respectively. They questioned and criticized Jesus why He allowed His disciples to eat with unwashed hands. Whereas, they neglected the law of honoring the parents when somebody practiced ‘Corban.’ Jesus had highlighted their double standard.

 

Spiritual cleanness is a matter of heart. Jesus pointed out that nothing that goes into a person from outside can defile him but the things that come out of a person are what defile him. These religious leaders had mixed up the practice of doing ceremonial laws [like washing hands] could make a person holy or morally upright. In the ceremonial law, God gave standards for what the Jews were to eat and avoid eating. But, is eating shrimp or bacon more serious than the selfishness and pride that fill the hearts? For the Pharisees, it is? God gave food laws[kosher food] to the Israelites as a sign that they were set apart from the pagan nations around them. Non-kosher food is called unclean, but those who eat it are not called unclean. They committed the error of making a ceremonial law as the end. Thereby, they appear cultic and are skewed in their attitudes.

 

This truth was not readily understood by the disciples also. They asked Him about this parable when they were alone with Him at home. Jesus rebuked them for their lack of understanding. He explained to them this truth in much detail. “Whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled. (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”[v.17-23]

 

“Keep your heart with all vigilance,

for from it flow the springs of life.”[Prov 4:23]

 

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Text: Mark 7:1-13 ESV



1 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem,

2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed.

3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders,

4 and 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.)

5 And 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?”

6 And 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.’

8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!

10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)—

12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother,

13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”



-Mark 7:1-13 ESV



THE WORD OF GOD AND TRADITIONS



For whatever reason, the Pharisees and scribes gathered around Jesus. They were always stalking Him and the disciples. They asked Him,” “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” they were offended upon seeing the disciples eating with unwashed hands. They got this as a traditional practice from their great fathers.



Jesus addressed by rebuking them, saying, “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.’

8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”



Jesus, without hesitation, has alluded their reaction as fulfillment to prophet Isaiah’s prophecy. That they’re hypocritically serving God. But, in reality, they leave the commandments of God and hold on man-made traditions. An outside ritualism without reality in the heart.



They are doing it in a very subtle way. Jesus exposed it through their invention of the Corban, that is, devoted to God as a gift. The word described something to be offered to God or given to the sacred treasury in the temple. If something was “Corban,” it was dedicated and set apart for God’s use. Jesus exposes their corruption of the Law by citing their abuse of “Corban.” Moses had instructed God’s people to “honor their father and mother” (Ex 20:12).But, the Pharisees negated that command by teaching that they could give money to the temple in lieu of helping their parents in need.



The Scriptures is our source of authority for belief and practice. Why? “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”[2 Tim 3:16,17] Nothing must be added to the Scriptures. Instead, every tradition and practice must be subservient to it.



When tradition is in conflict with the Scriptures, would you forsake your traditions in order to embrace the Scriptures. Some traditions have their own merits, but that tradition is only authoritative insofar as it is aligned with biblical truth.

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Text: Mark 6:35-44 ESV



GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO EAT



The great crowd of 5,000 men besides women and children stayed with Jesus at this desolate place. As the sun was setting down, the disciples became concerned about the problem of feeding them. They suggested to Jesus, “This is a desolate place, and the hour is now late. Send them away to go into the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” To dismiss the crowd while they have time to go to the towns to find food for themselves was a practical solution, was it not? Despite, their experiences of seeing the miracles Jesus’ did, they still think this way. Perhaps they sighed that a restful trip with Jesus winds up being yet another day of watching Jesus heal and teach. Perhaps, the Twelve were thinking of their own hunger and fatigue.



But, Jesus commanded them instead, “You give them something to eat.” They did not expect it coming. How could they feed them when they have nothing? This is a common issue for us today. In the thick of ministering others, it can be difficult to determine how much more we should stretch ourselves.



Although they have nothing in their pockets, they forget that Jesus is with them despite surmountable needs. Jesus is our sufficiency, is He not? Jesus commanded them to feed them because they can do it if they believe in Him.



But, Jesus was out of the equation in their thinking as yet. They doubted. They commented, "Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give it to them to eat?" A denarius is roughly a day's wages of a common laborer (Mat 20:2). It was Philip who pointed out that it would take nearly a year's income to give everyone just a bite (John 6:7). Clearly, Jesus wants them to learn that God will always give them what they need to do His will. Where the Lord leads He will provide. They were calculative and practical. This is our default thinking.



Jesus asked them, "How many loaves do you have? Go and see." Andrew sighed to find a boy with five barley loaves and two fish only (John 6:7–9). Jesus already knows how He will feed the people. He allows the Twelve a moment to fully recognize the situation (John 6:5). God does this to us as well, doesn’t He? He may wait until the day before the rent is due to provide the money, or just give us time to fully understand our helplessness before coming through to rescue us. Is He cruel? Definitely not! He's positioning us to see a better look at His power and authority. God is our present help in trouble.[Psa 46:1]



Reminiscent of the Shepherd in Psa 23, Jesus is our shepherd and we are not going to experience lack. This is not a time to panic. He let everyone sit down in the grass quietly in a group of hundreds and fifties. He blessed and multiplied the five loaves of bread and two fishes And in an orderly manner, he let the twelve distribute the food to each one. Everyone ate and was satisfied. In fact, they took up twelve baskets extra full of broken pieces and of the fish. As the ‘bread of life’ is to the whole world, God’s provision is more than sufficient. [John 3:16]

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God’s Word for Today
13 June, 2024

30 The apostles returned to Jesus and told him all that they had done and taught. 31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. 32 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. 33 Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.

-Mark 6:30-44 ESV

COMPASSION

The disciples returned from their mission. They were excited to tell their stories about their experiences – what they did and taught. It was a testimony time. And, Jesus showed His compassion. He knew they were tired and weary. He said, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. They have to unwind by themselves at a place away from the crowd after a hard day of ministry. Giving them time to rest was the first thing Jesus did to them.

They rode a boat. But, the crowd saw and recognized them. They either ran or walked on foot and got there ahead of them. Undoubtedly, they were excited to hear and be ministered by Jesus. May we have the same excitement to meet Jesus every day in prayer and worship.

As they approached the shore, Jesus saw the great crowd, about 5,000 men plus women and children.[Matt 14:21]. He was touched with compassion. Why? He saw them as sheep having no shepherd. As much as Jesus needs to spend time alone with His shepherds-in-training, He can't neglect the thousands of lost sheep who so urgently need Him now. "Compassion" is from the Greek root word “splagchnizomai”, which means "to be moved with love in the deepest part of a person."

The present religious and political systems were like wolves, ravishing their innocent and vulnerable lives. These souls are oppressed, scattered, and hopeless by these greedy predators. They used the law of Moses to harass them unto their advantage. Only, the Messiah is their hope – the good shepherd. In Ezek 34:23, Jesus is the fulfillment. "And I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd." As the shepherd of Israel, Jesus cannot refuse the sheep who come to Him.

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God’s Word for Today
12 June, 2024

21 But an opportunity came when Herod on his birthday gave a banquet for his nobles and military commanders and the leading men of Galilee. 22 For when Herodias's daughter came in and danced, she pleased Herod and his guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” 23 And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” 24 And she went out and said to her mother, “For what should I ask?” And she said, “The head of John the Baptist.” 25 And she came in immediately with haste to the king and asked, saying, “I want you to give me at once the head of John the Baptist on a platter.” 26 And the king was exceedingly sorry, but because of his oaths and his guests he did not want to break his word to her. 27 And immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison 28 and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. 29 When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

-Mark 6:21-29 ESV

HATRED IS OUTRAGEOUS

One day, Herod arranged a birthday banquet with his nobles and military commanders. Herodias, who hated John the Baptist, was there with her daughter. There was much revelry. Food and drinks are splattered everywhere. There was music and dancing. Her daughter entertained and pleased Herod and the guests with her sensual dancing.

In a spur of a moment, Herod asked the lass, “Ask me for whatever you wish, and I will give it to you.” And he vowed to her, “Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up to half of my kingdom.” His pride and conceit made him careless about his words. Wealth and fame do blind sound judgment in many cases.

The girl went to ask her mother Herodias, who grabbed the opportunity to harm John the Baptist. She asked for his head on a platter. Herod was bound to fulfill his vow so that a few minutes later John the Baptist’s head was cut and placed on a platter. Hatred is outrageous. The passion of Herodias to kill John the Baptist has overruled her desire for fame and fortune.

The head of John the Baptist was more valuable to her than half of Herod’s kingdom. It sounds ridiculous. But, this is what happens when the heart is corrupted by bitterness and anger. The writer of Hebrews has warned us, “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled.” [Heb 12:15] Definitely, the hatred of Herodias became her obsession. She was hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.[Heb 3:13]

Let’s ask the lord to make our hearts soft and sensitive.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting!”[Psa 139:23-24]

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Text: Mark 6:14-20 (ESV)

 

14 King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name had become known. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” 16 But when Herod heard of it, he said, “John, whom I beheaded, has been raised.” 17 For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her. 18 For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.” 19 And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, 20 for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly.

 

A RIGHTEOUS AND HOLY MAN

 

Jesus’ name became very popular. So the people had a lot of speculations of who He really is. Some said, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead. That is why these miraculous powers are at work in him.” 15 But others said, “He is Elijah.” And others said, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.”

 

This reached Herod. He was perplexed. He was responsible for the imprisonment and beheading of John the Baptist. He did not want to kill John the Baptist. He feared him because John the Baptist was righteous and holy.

 

Why was John imprisoned? It’s because he was vocal in denouncing the adulterous relationship of Herod and Herodias. He took Herodias from her husband Philip, who is his brother. This infuriated Herodias so she always wanted to kill him.

 

Solomon says, “The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are bold as a lion.”[Prov 26:1] A person who is full of integrity is marked with exemplary boldness. John did not fear King Herod but only God. Indeed, he who fears God has nothing else to fear. In contrast, the wicked Herod feared John the Baptist. He fled and evaded the painful truth. Thus, He imprisoned John believing he would silence him. This was a cowardice act. While John has peace inside the prison, Herod is guilty as he sits on his throne. How do we know? The name of Jesus, who he suspected as the risen John, had made him perplexed or disturbed.

 

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