"Farceful" Worship? - Mark 7
6 Jesus replied, "You hypocrites! Isaiah was prophesying about you when he said, 7 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away. Their worship is a farce, for they replace God's commands with their own man-made teachings.' 8 For you ignore God's specific laws and substitute your own traditions."
Once again, we see the passionate side of Jesus as he repremands the religious leaders. One phrase I was drawn to as I read this morning was "Their worship is a farce."
I'm one of those who used to think only of singing songs in church when I thought of what worship really is. I've learned much since then and have come to the conclusion that worship is a lifestyle. Our "worth-ship" or giving Him the honor and worth due Him, shows through in our words, deeds and actions. It's all about how we spend our time, talent and treasure. We can say we worship Him, but would our checkbook register reflect that? We give him time on Sundays but what about the rest of the week?
Look at the reason Jesus called their worship a farce: "for they replace God's commands with their own man-made teachings" and they "ignore God's specific laws and substitute their own traditions."
Are there rituals and traditions you've substituted for His commands? I immediately think of two of the ten commandements that I need to work on: "the Sabbath" and "no other gods". I'm sure I could think of more if I wanted to.
Lord, help me to know what's most important in this busy world I've created. I want to honor You with everything I have and everything I am. Give me wisdom, Lord, when it comes to following Your commands.
peace,
e
