Daily Word Of God
Mark 7:1-2a, 5, 8, 14-15, 21-23
The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered round Jesus, and they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. So they asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not respect the tradition of the elders but eat their food with unclean hands?’
Jesus said: ‘You put aside the commandment of God to cling to human traditions.’ He called the people to him again and said, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that goes into a man from outside can make him unclean; it is the things that come out of a man that make him unclean. For it is from within, from men’s hearts, that evil intentions emerge: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, malice, deceit, indecency, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within and make a man unclean.’
Today's Pointers on God's Word
As you read the passage what words, phases or meanings caught your attention?
- We are each born with a divine desire that comes from God’s image and likeness. This desire is to do good to others and to love them at all times.
- However, the challenges of everyday life can bring out the worst in us. We experience anger, jealousy, greed, pride, lust and the like. Such emotions become ‘clean’ or ‘unclean’ depending on how we react to them.
- To live in God’s ways we need to be humble and sincere in our relationship with the Lord so that we can be more discerning in our daily living.