The Heart

Introduction

Which is easier—to know a person by what you see or to know a person’s character? Not much has changed throughout the centuries. We use our senses to determine the quality of a person. If we see a person dirty, with obvious signs that they haven’t changed clothes in a while and observe all the signs of not having bathed in a while, we make certain assumptions. On the other hand, a person dressed well and with the signs of self-care we assume things about that person as well. We make decisions about people based on the external evidence. In some ways this is culturally driven but it is also part of being a human being. It helps us to decide about our safety and trust. Dare I say even helps us to decide our level of respect to give.

Go all the way back to 1 Samuel 16:7. God sends Samuel to anoint the next king of Israel. Saul has forfeited the privilege to be king. Samuel sees Jesse’s firstborn son, Eliab, and assumes that this is the man for the job. Tall, handsome, regal looking. What does God say? Humans look on the outside, but I look at the heart. People really haven’t changed. The focus of discussions has changed but not the underlying principle—we talk about the externals but it is the heart that matters. Externals matter but knowing a person’s character through their heart gives the true picture of a person.

Last week we noticed that the disciples had hard hearts. Mark has not changed subjects. In chapter 7, Jesus will speak about the heart and Mark will reveal that people are people—they look at the externals and make assumptions. God’s looking for hearts that are true, loyal, and consistent. Humans emphasize what they see. We can be fooled by what we see. God is looking at the heart. We choose which way we will view things.

A Holy Heart

Is it possible for a person to do right and good things and not be a person of moral integrity? Of course. There are plenty of people who do the right thing but they are not people of moral integrity. Perhaps they do the right things for the accolades that follow. Or they do the right thing in order to benefit. We are thankful for the right thing but then we know that their motive isn’t what it should be. Is it possible for a person to enter a church building without the right motive? Sure.

Is it possible for a person to do wrong things and be a person of moral integrity? More difficult question. Think about David. His resume isn’t what we would describe as morally stellar. But God’s description leaves no room for misunderstanding—a man after God’s own heart and God said that about David before he anointed him as king (1 Samuel 13:14). Do you think God knew about Bathsheba, Uriah, David counting the fighting men, and his deathbed revenge before he was anointed king? Or do you think God misjudged David’s heart? Is God’s pronouncement about David void because of David’s actions?

I know this bothers us. God did not want David to do the wrong thing nor did God ignore what David did. God punished David several times because of his sin. Was God wrong about David? Or are we wrong about how we think about God? We haven’t looked at the text and already we need to alter our thinking about some things. Jesus came to show us how to think differently.

Mark is written to Gentiles in Rome. Explanations such as we find in 7:3-4 help us to know that. While Jews will read this gospel account, the Gentiles are the ones who need the explanation. The explanation helps us Gentiles as well. This ceremonial washing was not hand washing as we do today. It was a little bit of water to “wash away” anything that might taint them. It wasn’t about cleanliness externally, it was about making sure that anything you might have touched got washed away as a sign of your moral heart. Jesus debunks that view. The external washing is not a sign of moral integrity. It’s a ritual designed to convince others that you are loyal to the law.

Jesus’ proof is in the practice of Corban. The law clearly says that children are to take care of their parents but if the children designate their 401k for retirement then they don’t have to use it for their parents. I know the text says for God but the principle is the same. If children said their money or land or possessions were for God’s use, then they were viewed as spiritually and morally mature even if their parents were destitute. In claiming their wealth was for God they could continue to live off the proceeds without having to sell anything. What kind of heart did they have?

Jesus says food laws have no bearing on a person’s moral integrity. This would have relieved the Gentiles of having to follow the food laws that the Jews in Rome insisted on (See Romans 14). Jesus emphasizes the heart. It isn’t what goes inside that makes a man unclean; it is what is on the inside that makes a man unclean. Jesus admits that acts like murder, theft, and adultery are signs of an unclean heart. These are easily identified. What isn’t as easily identified are the things you cannot see—evil thoughts, greed, malice, deceit, arrogance, etc. These can be hidden. Just like people dedicating their wealth to God—from the outside it looks good but the intent is more difficult to discern.

Application

Every Sunday we come together. We believe and assume good things about each other. We believe that we are people of moral integrity. It is possible to be here and our hearts not be set on God. The emphasis on the externals can actually be pushing the agenda of our hearts. Let’s see if this sounds familiar. “You didn’t wash your hands before eating. You displeased God.” Whose rule is that? God commanded the priests to wash their hands before offering sacrifice (Exodus 30:17-21). Somehow the teachers over time began to teach that if the priests need to wash before they present a food sacrifice to God then surely we should wash before we eat. After all, our food is from God and is a blessing from God. Do you see how that logic works itself out?

It comes from a heart that wants to do right but then the imposition of that action becomes the lens through which they viewed a person’s spiritual maturity and moral integrity. The act became the determining factor for spiritual maturity. God has always emphasized the heart. But in doing so, God didn’t excuse behaviors that went against a heart of integrity. Look at verses 6-7. This prophecy from Isaiah demonstrates worship without a moral heart is vanity. To come into this place and speak ill of each other while singing praises demonstrates that your heart is not right. The person who says that their public life and private life should be kept separate is not a person of moral integrity. There was a time where we thought how we dressed was a sign of respect and those who didn’t dress a certain way were disrespectful of God. Where did that come from?

It is easy to allow the external actions to be the deciding factor about one’s moral integrity. God has always looked at the heart. By the way, we need to understand that this is a journey. The gospel according to Mark was written around 60 A.D. Jesus’ declaration about food was close to 30 A.D. What happened in the intervening 30 years? According to Acts 15, there was a whole meeting in Jerusalem between Jews and Gentiles about keeping the law of Moses. That was around 50 A.D. Paul writes in Galatians 2 that food expectations were still a problem. That was around 55 A.D. And that issue included Peter who heard Jesus say these words 25 years earlier.

Here’s the point. This is a process. It takes time to think like Jesus. Sometimes it is easier than other times. But in the journey can we give room for each other? Can we make sure that we are not talking about each other in negative ways? Can we make sure not to look down our noses at each other? Can we put our preferences aside and focus on what God focused on—the moral integrity of the heart? Can you take the time to take care of the plank in your own eye rather than looking to remove the speck in someone else’s eye?

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