Mark wrote how Jesus said to the Pharisees and scribes, “Well has Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things you do. And he said unto them, Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honor your father and your mother; and, Whosoever curses father or mother, let him die the death. But you say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever you might be profited by me; he shall be free. And you suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother”, and in chapter seven and verse thirteen of his book, Mark wrote how Jesus told the Pharisees and scribes were, “making the word of God of none effect” where we read:
Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition,
which you have delivered: and many such like things do you.
The verse reads, “Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, ...” Mark began with the words, “making the word” which means “rendering, depriving and invalidating the speech, sayings, decree and moral precepts” “of God” or “belonging to the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit” “of none effect” which means “void, deprived of force and authority and invalidated” “through your tradition” or “by way of and through the means of the Pharisees and scribes' precepts, ordinances and substance of teaching”. Mark shared how the “religious leaders” were “invalidating and making void” God's law by their own “precepts and ordinances”.
The verse continues, “... which you have delivered: and many such like things do you.” Mark added the words, “which you have delivered” which means “that the Pharisees and scribes committed, commended, spoke verbally, transmitted and brought forth”: “and many such like things” or “and a lot and large amount of similar things like this” “do you” which means “the Pharisees and scribes perform and produce”. Mark shared how Jesus declared how the “religious leaders” were responsible for “teaching, instructing and promoting” their own rules which included more than the “ceremonial washings” they were presenting.
When we meditate upon Mark's words in this verse, we see how Jesus spoke directly to the incorrect way the “religious leaders” were acting. They thought their own rules, laws and traditions were superior to God's, and thereby they invalidated God's law. Though they acted this way, they were corrected by Jesus who confronted them with their error. God's law is superior to any “man-made” rule or tradition, and whenever people teach or follow laws that are directly in opposition to God's, they are as fallacious as these “religious leaders”. God desires every person to come to Him through His Son Jesus to be “saved” from their tendency to make and follow laws that are against His, and those who are wise will humble themselves and yield to Jesus who is able to show them the error of their ways.
Next time Mark shares how Jesus tells the people, “hearken unto me everyone of you”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
No comments:
Post a Comment