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Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?’ He said to them, ‘Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.” You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.’ Then he called the crowd again and said to them, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.’ For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.’ (Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23)
Good day dear Friend! I pray this finds you and yours doing well. I ask that we pray for those students starting school today! Among them are our grandchildren in Houston and in Mission. Today is the first day of school for Liam Carlos, Caleb Eradio, Eliana Beth, and Adabelle Grace. May the Lord bless and keep all children, teachers, and all who work with them safe and protected is our prayer. Also, I ask prayers for the family of Rev. Harold Sassman, who was my first DS in the Southwest Texas Conference; this past Saturday he was laid to rest and I was unable to be with the family as we are in Houston with Liam. It was Harold who gave me the name for this devotional of "ConCafe," in 1999. I started calling it Consecrated Coffee, for I was a habitual coffee drinker back then and I envisioned this devotional being best enjoyed over a cup of coffee. In passing one day, Harold said, "I love your devotionals, that ConCafe!" Harold was a good man and among the first of my subscribers to it. May he rest in peace is my prayer and may his family be comforted. And thank you, Harold for ConCafe!
Who remembers Poppy? The father of one of Jerry Seinfeld's tv show girlfriends? Poppy owned a pizza restaurant, and his daughter kept telling Jerry it was the best pizza in New York. That in itself is a comedic story, for NYC has more pizza places than people. Jerry, who is very finicky about food, finally agrees to accompany her to the restaurant and when he gets there, after the introductions, goes to the restroom where he, Jerry, is washing his hands. Poppy comes out of one of the stall, looks in the mirror as he's telling Jerry, "I'm a gonna make for you one delicious pizza!" and walks out without washing his hands. When the pizza is served, Jerry does not want to touch it.
The Pharisees and the Scribes all had their traditions and among the chief traditions was on hygiene. As the passage tells us "For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders." These religious folk noticed that some of Jesus's "disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them." And, of course, made a big deal out of it, to which Jesus replied that prophecy from Isaiah was fulfilled and truth was told about people honoring God only with their lips, but that their hearts were far from God; holding more to human traditions than to God's commandments. And then the boom: "There is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile. For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."
I remember when a few years back we had quite a flu season and this sent many churches into panic mode. Pastors and communion assistants in serving, were made to wear gloves, and our church bought the pre-packaged complete communion cup with wafers, and folks served themselves for fear that one of us might have the flu germ and thus the safety precautions. Some churches have always had that sort of attitude towards communion and have pastors wear gloves all the time. Even now, I have joked that the ritual should say, "On the night in which He was betrayed, Jesus took the Purell, sanitized his hands, handed it to His disciples who also purified their hands..." And who often do we stop to think that before we should take the bread and drink from the cup we should rid our hearts of the evil within? Just this past Communion Sunday, our head usher told me, as I was tying to sanitize my hands, that an old pastor once told him that God doesn't allow for disease to be passed through something so sacred. That faith blessed my heart; but still the question remains. Are we pure within as we take the sacrament? That's a pretty inclusive list that covers a range of human failings and sins; that is what should be removed from us before we take the Body and Blood of the Lord.
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, purify my heart. Remove from it right now anything that does not belong there. I want to be made right before you in all my ways. Remove evil thoughts and desires and replace them with the thought and desire to serve You in holy ways. In Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! May our actions show the purity within that only God can place there!
Eradio Valverde
