Pentecost 14 - Proper 16

Pentecost 14 – Proper 16

August 26, 2018

Mark 7:1-13

Lord, cleanse us each day from our sins. We thank You that Jesus was made a fragrant sacrificial offering for us.

Mark 7:8
Using Religion to Avoid Religion

“You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of man”

It is a paradox. Yet effective. To use religion. To avoid the demands of religion. For example, the religious leaders of Jesus’ day built for themselves a religion of traditions and proceeded to use the traditions to escape the demands of true religion.

Jesus had a word for this sort of practice. – A word which we use to this day. – Hypocrisy. One of the issues of the 16^th Century Reformation. - Was the debate over the Bible vs. Tradition. Or to put it in another way in the form of a question: Whose voice will we listen to? The voice of God? Or the voice of the Church?  The 16^th Century reformers repudiated those traditions that were found contrary to the Word of God. Is the Church today in need of another Reformation? Some believe that a reformation is long overdue. Let’s answer this simple question, which is your religion? Is it a religion of man’s traditions? Or, is it a religion based on God’s eternal Word?

1.   A religion of man’s traditions.

A.    Traditions can become a substitute for true religion.

1.   Consider the religious leadership of Jesus day. They believed that they were godly. – They truly believed that they had a right connection with God. – Because they fulfilled the very letter of the law. Including all of the traditions. They believed that the external cleanliness of their lives. As was exhibited by their ritually clean hands, pots and pans and lounging couches. Made them clean before God!

2.   It’s easy for us to look down our noses and to laugh at the notion. That maintaining ritually clean hands, pots and pans and couches actually makes one clean before God.  Yet we can be guilty just as these leaders. When tragedy strikes our lives. Do we not sometimes wonder why God seems to take no notice of our godly and clean living? After all. We may argue. We’re faithful. In our church and communion attendance. We are regular. And generous. In our offerings. We work hard at our job. We raise our children rightly! We’re upright. And moral people! When such thinking occurs. We are making tradition our religion. Falling into the trap that externally living in compliance with God’s law somehow makes us clean and godly before Him.

B.   When we live for tradition. Customs. And ceremonies. We soon lose their significance and meaning.

1.   This may happen when we follow practices without knowing the reason why we are following them.

2.   This may happen when we follow along blindly never questioning.

Yet cleanliness before God must flow from the inside out. From the heart out. It is the condition of the heart. Not the position of the body. That concerns the Savior. It is the state of the heart. Or inner life. That determines whether - Who we are - And what we do - Makes us clean before God.

Transition: We dare not let tradition to become like barnacles that gradually grow on a ship and impede its progress.

2.  We need a religion based on God’s clear Word.

A.  His Word will not fail you. What does His Word teach you? It teaches you that mere ritual washing. Or clean living. Will never do. However. His washing will always make you clean. Scripture put it this way. “When we were baptized into Christ Jesus. We were baptized into His death. We were buried with Him by our baptism. Into death. That as Christ was raised from the dead. By the glory of the Father. Even so. We also should walk in newness of life. For if we were united with Him in a death like His. We will certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His”.  In baptism. You have been incorporated into the life. Death. And resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christ is the only one who has ever lived a perfectly good clean life before God. He alone. Is the spotless Lamb of God. Who never soiled Himself with the stain of sin. Even though He was tempted as you are.

B.  His Word gives salvation. And life. Jesus chose to cover Himself with the entire dirt and filth of your sin. And the Father chose to give Him your punishment for that sin.
And to give you His cleanliness. Purity. And life.

Now. In the waters of Baptism. The Father gives you Jesus’ clean. Holy life. As your own. And washes away the stain and dirt of your sin.

This is the Father’s idea of godliness. Not what you can do to look impressive before God. Rather it is what He has done for you. By the power of forgiveness in Baptism. You are able to really do what the religious leaders of Jesus’ day and our own hypocritical nature can only mimic. – Offer a life to God.

That is also externally clean and godly.  In Jesus Christ. All your actions as God’s own child. – From the rituals of our worship. To the duties of our daily lives. Are now clean in God’s sight. No wonder the Scriptures call Baptism a “washing of regeneration” and “a renewing of the Holy Spirit.” Titus 3:5

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Words-920

Passive Sentences-6%

Readability –80%

Reading Level-4.2