Readings for today: Leviticus 15:1-16:28, Mark 7:1-23, Psalms 40:11-17, Proverbs 10:13-14
“And Jesus said to them, "Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, "What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person." (Mark 7:18-23)
How does transformation happen? From the outside in? Or the inside out? Human beings seem naturally inclined to believe the former. If we just enact the right laws. If we just enforce the right rules. If we just require the right behavior then we can achieve a more equal society. If we can just reform the system. Depose corrupt officials. Replace those in power then we will have life, liberty, and justice for all. Of course it never does work out that way. Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. As soon as anyone achieves a certain level of power, privilege, and wealth; they soon find themselves doing all they can to protect it. Preserve it. Use it for their own benefit. Human beings simply cannot transform themselves. No matter how hard we try, we simply cannot work our way to righteousness.
Jesus shows us a different way. According to Him, the problem lies within. His diagnosis is a broken heart. Our thoughts, attitudes, feelings, and actions are merely symptoms of a deeper, more pervasive disease. Our hearts are corrupt. They are full of all kinds of evil thoughts. Lust. Covetousness. Jealousy. Anger. These things are always lurking beneath the surface waiting for the right moment to emerge. The only hope we have is a heart transplant. We need Jesus to remove our hearts of stone and replace them with hearts of flesh. Hearts sensitive to the things of God. Hearts purified by the indwelling presence of the Spirit of God. Once our hearts have been healed then we can go to work on the rest. Without this heart transplant, we will always be fighting a losing battle against ourselves.
Of course, we cannot force transformation. We cannot legislate saving faith. People are free to make their own decisions as to what they believe. This is why we must get on our knees and pray. Pray for God to move. Pray for the Holy Spirit to be poured out on all flesh. Pray for revival across our nation and our world. Only God can bring about the transformation we all need and want. Only God can bring justice and righteousness to the earth. Only God can renew and restore all creation. May each of us pray fervently for God to do His work in our hearts and in the hearts of those we love that might become the people He created us to be.
Readings for tomorrow: Leviticus 16:29-18:30, Mark 7:24-8:10, Psalms 41, Proverbs 10:15-16