The Strong Beat Of A Pure Heart
These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
Mark 7:6
A coat of paint can conceal many a jagged crack. And as the saying goes, you can’t judge a book by its cover.
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Similarly, the way people act does not necessarily explain the motive behind their action.
Jesus had a way of penetrating to the heart of things, of tearing off the mask to see the motive. As a result, he came into growing conflict with the hypocritical religious leaders of his day.
F. B. Meyer analyzes the heart condition at the root of the Pharisees’ problem.
WALK WITH F. B. MEYER
“It is a natural tendency of the human heart to reduce its religious life to an outward and literal obedience, while its thoughts continue unhampered.
“In the life of true holiness, everything depends on the control of the thoughts. ‘For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come’ (Mark 7:21).
“And Jesus put evil thoughts first in the black category of the contents of the evil heart.
“That the hands should be often washed, that household vessels should be kept cleansed, that there should be decorum and neatness in the outward life—all these customs are good.
“But you should ask yourself whether you are not more eager for the outward than the inward cleanliness.
“ ‘Create in me a pure heart’ (Psalm 51:10) should be your constant prayer.”
WALK CLOSER TO GOD
It’s easier to maintain clean hands than a pure heart. And because the mind is a private domain, no one may notice whether your thought life is pure or polluted.
No one, that is, except God.
Listen to your heart. What do you hear?
A clean, strong heartbeat of devotion? Or the confused rhythm of a heart far from God?
Right now might be a good time for some cleansing prayer.
