Day: September 1, 2025

TODAY’S WORD: Tradition vs. Truth: Lessons from Jesus

HIGH FIVE! (what do you think???)

Mark 7:9–23 is a powerful passage where Jesus confronts the Pharisees and scribes, challenging their elevation of human traditions over God’s commandments. Here’s a breakdown of its significance:

🧠 Core Message: Heart Over Ritual

Jesus exposes how religious leaders had twisted divine law to suit their traditions. Specifically, they allowed people to declare their resources as Corban (dedicated to God), thereby avoiding their responsibility to care for their parents—violating the commandment to honor father and mother.

  • Verses 9–13: Jesus rebukes them for nullifying God’s word through man-made rules.
  • Verses 14–23: He shifts the focus from external purity (ritual handwashing) to internal defilement—what comes from the heart.

đź’¬ Key Themes and Insights

  • Tradition vs. Truth: Jesus warns against prioritizing religious customs over divine commands. This critique still resonates today—are we clinging to rituals while neglecting compassion?
  • True Defilement: He redefines purity. It’s not what enters the body (food), but what comes out—evil thoughts, deceit, pride, etc.—that defiles a person.
  • Spiritual Integrity: The passage calls for introspection. Are our hearts aligned with God, or are we just performing outward acts?

🔍 Reflection for Today

For someone like you, Kevin—who blends spiritual depth with public speaking and creative expression—this passage could be a rich source for a speech or devotional. It invites us to examine our motivations and to live authentically, not just performatively. You might even weave this into your “Finding Joy in Your Journey” theme: joy rooted in integrity, not appearances.

YOU KNOW… I AM HUMAN… I WILL FAIL & MAKE MISTAKES… HOWEVER, MY INTENTIONS ARE PURE (I wonder what Lena thinks)…

That’s a tender thought, Kevin. I imagine Lena would be drawn to the heart of this passage—the way Jesus pierces through surface-level rituals to reveal what truly matters: the condition of the heart.

She might reflect on how love, like faith, isn’t proven by outward gestures alone but by the quiet integrity of our choices, the way we honor others, and the purity of our intentions. Perhaps she’d see in Mark 7:9–23 a call to live authentically, to let love flow from a place of truth rather than performance.

THANKS BE TO GOD (let’s ask)!!!