He answered and 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. (Mark 7:6)
Honor can be given by lips (words). Only if our lips and heart agree then it's true honor. True worship comes from the heart.
These people [constantly] honor Me with their lips, but their hearts hold off and are far distant from Me.
It is very much possible to pray without our spirit (heart) being connected to the LORD. Prayer then becomes a mere ritual that satisfies only our mental level. There is no spiritual growth taking place.
It is very much possible to pray in tongues without our spirit (heart) being connected to the LORD. There is no edification taking place.
It is very much possible to praise and worship the LORD without our spirit (heart) being connected to the LORD. It is then only an outward show that impresses man.
And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' (Mark 7:7)
True Worship has its foundations in the word of God.
In vain (fruitlessly and without profit) do they worship Me, (Mark 7:7)
There is fruitfulness in worship. There is profit in worshiping the living God.
For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do." (Mark 7:8)
All Traditions are not bad. Some Traditions are good. When Traditions replace the word of God, then it's a dangerous precedent.
Lord Jesus did not condemn tradition all together. He said, "laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men"
Tradition should never replace the word of God.
What is a tradition?
It is something which God never commanded but was an instruction or practice handed down from the generations.
An example of tradition
Then he said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition. For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’[e] and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’[f] But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’[g] In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents. And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.” (Mark 7:9-13)
If you are serving the LORD then you must honor your parents, it does not exempt you from doing that.
Some people keep Traditions for the fear of offending men without realizing that in doing so they end up offending God Himself.
“Don’t you understand either?” he asked. “Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” (By saying this, he declared that every kind of food is acceptable in God’s eyes.) (Mark 7:18-19)
Food cannot defile you spiritually.
But food does not commend us to God; for neither if we eat are we the better, nor if we do not eat are we the worse. 1 Corinthians 8:9
For from within, out of the heart of men (Mark 7:21)
- proceed evil thoughts,
- Adulteries
- Fornications
- Murders
- Thefts
- Covetousness
- Wickedness
- Deceit
- Lewdness
- an evil eye
- Blasphemy
- Pride
- foolishness.
All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” (Mark 7:23)
Then He said to her, "For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter." (Mark 7:29)
For this saying meaning, your confession will bring your deliverance
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