Mark Chapter 7

Mark 7:1-13 ~ Religion vs Relationship

So if we ever ask the question, "Lord, why me? Why is this happening to me?" It is because the issue is my heart. It is always happening because of my heart. It is always happening because He wants to get my attention and even make changes to my heart and my relationship in response to Him. I can sit through a religious type service; I can go through the motions of worship to the Lord; I can go through the motions of church; I can go through the motions of doing my duty as a Christian, and it could not be from the heart. That is a problem.

Sure He blesses His Word, and He sure He loves to be worshiped, and yes we need to pray together, but the real issue is the heart. Did it come from the heart? In everyday life, what is the heart like?

Jesus quotes Isaiah chapter 29 verse 13 and says, "That is you. Going through the motions, but your heart is far from Me."

Mark 7:14-23 ~ Confrontation Over Defilement

It says they did not understand about the loaves because their heart was hardened. So when they got out on the sea in the boat it did not carry over. It did not mean anything to them. They did not understand about Jesus multiplying the bread out and stilling a storm. That is why they reacted the way they did in that situation.

Every human being has an evil heart. What God is concerned about is our heart. This outer man, this physical body can fall apart, if that is the Lord's will, because He is interested in my heart.

Mark 7:24-30 ~ The Characteristics of Faith

Persistent. Consistent. God's faith continues. God’s faith does not quit. If I have faith and trust in the Lord and I quit I have been functioning under my own faith that I have produced. I have tried to have the faith in order to get God to answer. In reality it was not His faith. His faith giving me to continue on.

Mark 7:31-37 ~ The Lord Does All Things Well

That is the theme: He does all things well. He does all things correctly. The word well means He does it right. In spite of the fact that we evaluate things differently, He is doing it right. He is not out to make a spectacle, or a theatrical event of Him moving in our lives. He does all things well. He knows exactly what He is doing. He is not trying to impress anybody. And He is particularly not trying to draw people to Him as a miracle worker, or someone who can multiply food for them, or make them rich. He is out to increase and enrich our faith, our trust in Him. He does all things well so that we can trust Him.