Day 157: Following Jesus

Today's readings: Mark 7-8 and Psalm 23.

I. Mark 7 Jesus confronts the Pharisees for criticizing His Apostles for eating without performing the traditional ritual washing of hands. While this is generally a good idea for hygiene reasons, He was really calling them on exalting human traditions & customs over what God had commanded. His corban example really shows what He meant by this. Jesus is not condemning all religious tradition. He is condemning human traditions that contradict God's commandments. We then see Jesus in Mark 7:14–23 emphasizing interior conversion rather than merely external religious observance, and essentially declaring all foods clean, meaning that the ritual dietary distinctions of the Mosaic Law are not binding on Christians.

Jesus next heals the daughter of a Gentile woman, and then heals a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment. All in all, in this chapter Jesus shows that authentic holiness requires interior conversion, obedience to God's commandments, humble faith, and openness to His healing grace. It's not just about reforming outward behavior, but a true transformation of the human heart.

In the next chapter, we find another anticipation of the Eucharist in the feeding of the four thousand. The Pharisees demand a sign from Him, but He refuses, for a hardened heart can reject even extraordinary evidence. Jesus then warns the Apostles to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, by which He meant that false attitudes and unbelief can corrupt spiritual understanding. He heals a blind man next, and after this, Peter confesses the truth about Who Jesus Is. However, his understanding is still incomplete, for he has not yet accepted that the Messiah must suffer as Jesus predicts He will. In response to his objection, Jesus rebukes Him and corrects Peter's misunderstanding. Finally, Jesus turns to not just His Apostles, but the crowd and tells them to take up their crosses and follow Him. This requires more than intellectual belief in Jesus. It requires a life of conversion, obedience, sacrifice, and perseverance.

II. Psalm 23 is, as the Ignatius Bible notes (verse numbers removed):

A psalm of trust. The Lord is the Shepherd and banquet Host whose blessings include peace, refreshment, comfort, and guidance. The conviction that God cares for each individual and not simply for the people of Israel as a community is central to the psalm. The reference to table and cup in 23:5 may indicate that the psalm was part of a thanksgiving liturgy in the sanctuary with its accompanying banquet. (p. 849)

That's it for today!