Day 4 · You become what you worship
Do the 5-minute lesson, then read today's Gospel portion and the bridge.
Open lesson · You become what you worship
Mark 7–8 · about 7.6 min · Berean Standard Bible
Mark 7
1Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, 2and they saw some of His disciples eating with hands that were defiled—that is, unwashed. 3Now in holding to the tradition of the elders, the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat until they wash their hands ceremonially. 4And on returning from the market, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions for them to observe, including the washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and couches for dining. 5So the Pharisees and scribes questioned Jesus: “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders? Instead, they eat with defiled hands.” 6Jesus answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 7They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’ 8You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men.” 9He went on to say, “You neatly set aside the command of God to maintain your own tradition. 10For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ 11But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God), 12he is no longer permitted to do anything for his father or mother. 13Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.” 14Once again Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “All of you, listen to Me and understand: 15Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him; but the things that come out of a man, these are what defile him.” 17After Jesus had left the crowd and gone into the house, His disciples inquired about the parable. 18“Are you still so dull?” He asked. “Do you not understand? Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him, 19because it does not enter his heart, but it goes into the stomach and then is eliminated.” (Thus all foods are clean.) 20He continued: “What comes out of a man, that is what defiles him. 21For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness. 23All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man.” 24Jesus left that place and went to the region of Tyre. Not wanting anyone to know He was there, He entered a house, but was unable to escape their notice. 25Instead, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit soon heard about Jesus, and she came and fell at His feet. 26Now she was a Greek woman of Syrophoenician origin, and she kept asking Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27“First let the children have their fill,” He said. “For it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 28“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29Then Jesus told her, “Because of this answer, you may go. The demon has left your daughter.” 30And she went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone. 31Then Jesus left the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis. 32Some people brought to Him a man who was deaf and hardly able to speak, and they begged Jesus to place His hand on him. 33So Jesus took him aside privately, away from the crowd, and put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then He spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34And looking up to heaven, He sighed deeply and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be opened!”). 35Immediately the man’s ears were opened and his tongue was released, and he began to speak plainly. 36Jesus ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more He ordered them, the more widely they proclaimed it. 37The people were utterly astonished and said, “He has done all things well! He makes even the deaf hear and the mute speak!”
Mark 8
1In those days the crowd once again became very large, and they had nothing to eat. Jesus called the disciples to Him and said, 2“I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. 3If I send them home hungry, they will faint along the way. For some of them have come a great distance.” 4His disciples replied, “Where in this desolate place could anyone find enough bread to feed all these people?” 5“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied. 6And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground. Then He took the seven loaves, gave thanks and broke them, and gave them to His disciples to set before the people. And they distributed them to the crowd. 7They also had a few small fish, and Jesus blessed them and ordered that these be set before them as well. 8The people ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 9And about four thousand men were present. As soon as Jesus had dismissed the crowd, 10He got into the boat with His disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha. 11Then the Pharisees came and began to argue with Jesus, testing Him by demanding from Him a sign from heaven. 12Jesus sighed deeply in His spirit and said, “Why does this generation demand a sign? Truly I tell you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13And He left them, got back into the boat, and crossed to the other side. 14Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, except for one loaf they had with them in the boat. 15“Watch out!” He cautioned them. “Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod.” 16So they began to discuss with one another the fact that they had no bread. 17Aware of their conversation, Jesus asked them, “Why are you debating about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Do you have such hard hearts? 18‘Having eyes, do you not see? And having ears, do you not hear?’ And do you not remember? 19When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?” “Twelve,” they answered. 20“And when I broke the seven loaves for the four thousand, how many basketfuls of broken pieces did you collect?” “Seven,” they said. 21Then He asked them, “Do you still not understand?” 22When they arrived at Bethsaida, some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him. 23So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. Then He spit on the man’s eyes and placed His hands on him. “Can you see anything?” He asked. 24The man looked up and said, “I can see the people, but they look like trees walking around.” 25Once again Jesus placed His hands on the man’s eyes, and when he opened them his sight was restored, and he could see everything clearly. 26Jesus sent him home and said, “Do not go back into the village.” 27Then Jesus and His disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way, He questioned His disciples: “Who do people say I am?” 28They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, one of the prophets.” 29“But what about you?” Jesus asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ.” 30And Jesus warned them not to tell anyone about Him. 31Then He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes, and that He must be killed and after three days rise again. 32He spoke this message quite frankly, and Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. 33But Jesus, turning and looking at His disciples, rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind Me, Satan! For you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.” 34Then Jesus called the crowd to Him along with His disciples, and He told them, “If anyone wants to come after Me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. 35For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and for the gospel will save it. 36What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul? 37Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul? 38If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in His Father’s glory with the holy angels.”
Public domain (BSB). Printed here for offline use.
You become what you worship. Mark 7–8 confronts hearts that honor God with lips while holding other treasures inside. Then Jesus asks, "Who do people say I am?" and "Who do you say I am?"
What you name as Lord shapes what you chase. Peter's confession puts Jesus at the center; Jesus then speaks of the cross. Worship that avoids the cost is not the worship Mark describes.
Where does today's law show up in today's reading?
In Mark 8, Jesus asks the disciples who they say he is.
Mark 8:29: But who say ye that I am? And Peter answered and saith unto him, Thou art the Christ.