Sunday Sermon | The Gospel of Mark: True Cleansing

Desperate, sick people run to Jesus and reach out just to touch the edge of his robe. Nearby, religious leaders accuse his disciples of being unclean because they skipped a hand-washing ritual. Same Jesus, two very different responses.

In this message from our study through the Gospel of Mark, Pastor Jason Smith looks at Mark 6:53 through chapter 7 and asks where true cleansing is actually found. Jason walks through why Jesus says the real problem was never on the outside, it's the heart, and why the same Jesus who let the unclean touch him without becoming unclean took our uncleanness on the cross so we could be made new.

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Transcript

Welcome And The Cleansing Question

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This is the gospel of Mark. All right, good morning, church family. Turn with me in your Bibles to Mark chapter six. Mark chapter six. If you do not have a Bible, there should be a Bible in the seat back in front of you. You can take that Bible and keep it as a gift from us to you. We place those there so that you will have a copy of God's word. Make that your own. Church family, we're going to continue to walk through the gospel of Mark. We're in Mark chapter 6. If you're a guest with us this morning, let me introduce myself. My name is Jason Smith, and I'm very grateful that you are here. Welcome. We are glad that you were here this morning. All right, church, have you ever wondered how people used to clean things before modern soap? Well, the Romans had an answer, and let me just set it up. It's disgusting. Because one of the most valuable cleaning products in the Roman Empire was urine. Public urinals weren't just for convenience, okay? They collected urine because it contains ammonia, okay, which is actually remarkably effective of cutting grease and removing stains. And professional laundries would soak clothes in vats of urine, and then workers would stamp out with their feet the agitation to get them clean. And if you thought that was bad, some Romans even used urine as toothpaste and mouthwash. Because, well, it whitened their teeth. In fact, urine imported from uh Portugal was considered especially, it was considered the best, okay? Because it was the strongest and the purest. Now, could you imagine standing there, right, holding the product? This is the finest cleaning product in all of the Roman Empire. All the while you're washing themselves with what the body discharges as unclean. Now, before we're too hard on the Romans, human beings have always been trying to find something that can make us clean. Religion says, follow these rules. Pilgrims travel to the holiest sites to consecrate themselves. Our culture says, just be your true self. See, humans have always longed for that which will wash away our guilt, our shame, our failures, make us acceptable in the eyes of God. But here's the problem. Like the Romans, we try and clean ourselves with all the things that can never actually clean us. And that brings us in our text to a massive contrast. Because at the end of Mark chapter six, crowds of broken, desperate people are running to Jesus. Now, they don't pretend that they are clean. In fact, they know that they are not. And they reach out and touch the hem of his garment. And every one of them is healed. And then Mark immediately contrasts with another group that is coming to Jesus, but not to be cleansed. Rather, to accuse Jesus and his disciples of them being unclean because they haven't followed their man-made washing rituals. And standing between those groups is a question that every one of us must ask. Where is true cleansing found? Because Jesus is going to teach us that our greatest problem isn't dirty hands, it's an unclean heart.

Reading Mark And Opening Prayer

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So listen as I read, beginning in Mark chapter 6, beginning in verse 6 53, and then we'll continue into chapter 7. When they had crossed over, they came into the land of the Gariset and moored to the shore. When they got out of the boat, immediately the people recognized him and ran about the whole country and began to carry here and there on their pallets those who were sick to the place where they heard that he was. Whenever he entered villages or cities or countrysides, they were lying the sick in the marketplaces, and imploring him that they might touch the fringe of his cloak, and as many as touched it were being cured. The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around him when they would come from Jerusalem. And it seemed that some of his disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed. For the Pharisees and all the Jews did not eat unless they carefully washed their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders. And when they came from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves. And there were many other things which which they have received in order to observe, such as washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots. The Pharisees and the scribed ask him, Why do your disciples not walk according to the traditions of the elders? But they eat their bread with impure hands. Will you pray with me? Heavenly Father, as we come to your word this morning, it is our deep desire to hear from you. Father, we pray that your spirit would convict us and teach us how we can be genuinely clean. We long to be clean and to stand before you, acceptable and holy. Father, we pray that the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ would reign in this place. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Do

The Hem Of His Garment

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you remember back to the hemorrhaging woman? Twelve years isolated, ashamed, ceremonially unclean. But against all odds, she fought through the crowd just to touch the hem of his garment. Now, according to everything that they knew about purity laws, her uncleanness should have flowed to him, but it didn't. His holiness flowed into her. And now in our text, Mark tells us something remarkable. That that wasn't just one woman's account. Rather, it has spread. Word has spread that everywhere Jesus went, people are flocking to him and they are reaching for the hem of his garment. Why? Because they have discovered that there is finally one who can be touched by the unclean without becoming unclean himself. Instead, everyone who comes to him, he cleans. Church, that isn't just another miracle. That's the gospel. Because people who found cleansing weren't those who thought that they were perfect, rather, they knew that they needed to be cleaned. Now don't imagine that these crowds have everything figured out. They didn't. They barely understood who Jesus was, but they knew one thing. They needed him. Where do you instinctively run when life falls apart? Is it distraction? More stuff? Another relationship, self-improvement. You see, the crowds got one thing profoundly right. They ran to Jesus.

When Tradition Replaces God’s Word

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Now Mark abruptly contrast that account, the crowds approaching Jesus, with another group that is approaching Jesus. The Pharisees, religious leaders who have come from Jerusalem. They have come, they haven't, they're not seeking healing, but in fact they've come to scrutinize Jesus. They watch him, hoping that they can find something that he does wrong and use it against him. And then they see it. Now let me pause for a moment and let you know this has nothing to do with germs or hygiene. Okay? Pascal hadn't come along and discovered the germ yet. They don't know anything about bacteria. This is about ceremonial purity. So here's what happened. You know, if you read your Old Testament, right, Israel continued to wander away from God. They ignored God's word. They chased after the gods of the nations, they rejected his commands. And eventually God disciplined them by exile. Well, upon return of exile, many of the religious leaders said, Never again. If disobedience brought God's judgment, okay, then we're gonna do everything we can to hold on to God's laws. Now that desire is good. But here's where they went wrong. They began to build around God's law what they called a fence, okay? A fence law. And let's explain it like this. If God's word says, do not step over that cliff, then what they would do is they would go 50 feet back and build a fence, a rule, so that you don't even get close to the fence. Now again, not a bad intention. And yet, the problem came when they began to treat the fence laws as though God had built it himself. Human traditions began to be equal with God's word. And one of those was ceremonial washing before every meal. Just like the priest did at the temple. Hey, what if we do that before every meal? See, in one sense, you can connect the logic, it makes sense. What if we take all the rules from the temple, all the cleanliness rules from the temple, and we apply that to everyday life? Well, then we will be super clean and God will be so pleased with us. But sadly, their correction didn't bring them closer to God. Rather, it was only a disguise for self-righteous man-made laws. See, what the Pharisees tragically miss is that the purity laws actually pointed towards a much deeper need. A cleansing within. You see, the sacrifices and the ritual garments and the washings, they all had to be repeated minute after minute, day after day. The law could identify purity, impurity, sorry, it could regulate it, it could even restore someone ceremonially, but it could never cleanse the heart. And the tragedy is they should have known better. Because the prophets have been for centuries screaming to Israel that what God ultimately wanted wasn't cleaner hands, it was a new heart.

Hypocrisy Exposed With Corban

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So that's why when we get to our passage, Jesus rebukes their uh assertion harshly. And he said to them, Rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you, you hypocrites, as it is written, this people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men. And then Jesus is going to expose their hypocrisy. Because the danger of self-righteousness, okay, is if you're drawing the line, you always draw the line in such a way that you're on the good side. Okay? You create rules that you like keeping while quietly hiding and avoiding the laws that are going to expose your own heart. And so in verses 9 through 13, Jesus gives the Pharisees an example of what they are doing. And it's called Corbin. Here's how it worked: a person could stand before others and declare this money, this property, these possessions are Corbin. And that just meant dedicated to God. Now that sounds pretty spiritual, doesn't it? But here's what was happening: a man could declare, this land has been dedicated to God, and then use that declaration as an excuse to not care for his aging parents. Okay? So imagine his father and mother come to him with genuine need and say, Can you help us? And he says, I'd really love to. Gosh, I would. But I've already dedicated this land to God. Now here's the kicker of the whole deal. When they used this Corbin, this made-up law, the temple wouldn't take possession of it until after he died. So he got use of the land and got to receive all the benefit all the while, okay? He wasn't sacrificing it at all. Instead, he's using religion to actually avoid being obedient. That's why Jesus says, You've found a way to set aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition. See, there they are looking deeply religious, extending the temple hand washing rituals to all of life, and yet they're not even honoring their father and mother. Church, don't miss the point. Corbin isn't the issue. The issue is that the human heart has this incredible ability to use religion to hide from God and look incredibly devoted in the process, all the while excusing the very sins that God has actually commanded us to address.

Defilement Comes From The Heart

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Now, in verse 14, the scene changes because Jesus wants to address the entire crowd. So he calls their attention. Listen to me. He wants everyone to hear this. There is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him. But the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. Immediate silence. And then whispers begin to trickle through the crowd. Did he say what I think he said? Because with one sentence, Jesus has overturned the entire way that they think about purity. Not because holiness no longer mattered, but because they misunderstood where uncleanness comes from. They believed that the greatest danger was outside of them. And Jesus says, no. The greatest danger has always been within each one of us. And if we're honest, we don't naturally think that the problem is us. We're always looking around for a source outside to blame. If I had different parents, if my marriage were better, if my boss weren't so difficult, if the government, if social media, if I hadn't grown up that way. Now hear me, those things matter. The Bible never denies the influence that the world has upon us. But none of those things explain our deepest need. The problem isn't merely what has happened to you, the problem is what lives within you. Jeremiah wrote, The heart is deceitful above all things. And Jesus is saying the exact same thing. The source of corruption isn't primarily what is around you, it's your fallen heart. Now Mark tells us next something that's a little comforting, and that is the fact that the disciples, shockingly, they still don't get it. So they get alone with Jesus and they ask him for further explanation. To which Jesus replies, You still don't understand. You see, if the problem is within every one of us, no amount of ritual washing can solve it. If the problem is within me, then I need a new heart. So Jesus replies to them, he says, Listen, guys, food passes through the body. It doesn't touch the heart. Then Mark actually adds an important note. It says, Thus Jesus declared all foods clean. Now don't misunderstand what Mark is saying. Jesus isn't suddenly declaring that the Old Testament was wrong. He's saying that the shadows have reached their fulfillment. That the food, those laws were never the destination. Those were a signpost. Okay? Yes, they they taught Israel that holiness mattered and that sin separated you from God. But they were always pointing towards something greater, a greater cleansing. And now the one that they pointed towards was standing before them. So Jesus says, Let me show you what actually comes out of the heart. Evil thoughts, sexual immorality. Why do you hear your words come so easily? Why does your last so easily Why do you crave everyone's approval? Why do you envy? Why do you gossip? Why do you struggle with pride? It's the heart. See, the problem isn't it isn't even what you do, it's where it comes from. And no amount of washing or fasting and taking trips to holy sites can cleanse the filth within. Now, do you see why Mark told the story this way? He intentionally contrasts two groups. One group that thought they were clean, and they stood at a distance questioning Jesus. And the other group, they knew they weren't. And so they ran to him. And they reached out and they touched the hem of his garment. See, they don't make him unclean. But rather, simply coming to him, he washes them. You ask, but how could it be? How can the holy one touch the unclean without becoming unclean himself? Because he did take the uncleanness upon himself. Not when the woman touched his garment, but at the cross. Condemned as a criminal, led outside the city, nailed to the cross, bearing our sin and our shame, becoming unclean, so that everyone who comes to him by faith can be made clean.

The Cross And A Call To Respond

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So this morning, friend, come to him. Not pretending that you are clean. Not trying to clean yourself first, but because you know you need him, reach out to touch the hem of his garment. And though your sins be like scarlet, he shall wash them whiter than snow. Will you pray with me? With every head bow and every eye closed, if you are here this morning and you have never placed your faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ, listen to me, today is the day of salvation. Friend, you can do that right now. No amount of religious activity is ever going to make you right before God. It is solely in the finished work of Jesus. And you can by faith cry out right now and be saved. All you have to do is cry out to God and say, God, I admit to you I am a sinner and I cannot accomplish it on my own. But you sent your son to accomplish on my behalf what I could not. And Jesus, I am asking you right now, I am trusting completely in you. Wash me, and I will be white as snow. Give me a new heart and put your spirit within me. Friend, if you pray that prayer in honest faith, the scripture says you have been born again, that you have been made new. Because the moment you ask with faith and repentance, Jesus saves you. Father, we love you. We thank you that the gospel is so near that you have come, Jesus, that we might be cleansed from within. Help us, your people, to walk in that truth. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Church family, the praise team is going to come and lead us in two songs of response. And as always, it is an opportunity for you to respond however the Spirit of God has pressed you this morning. If you want to use these steps as an altar to pour out your heart before the Lord, do that. We have people down here at the front who would love to pray with you. If you are carrying a burden, take that burden and let us pray with you. Okay? We are the church. We are the church. Let us pray together. Let us press unto the Lord together. Believer, you should be rejoicing, like coming out of your skin this morning, if you genuinely understand what Jesus taught. That is, you are clean in him. You are clean in him. You say, but I continue to struggle. It's that good. It's that good. Once and for all time, his blood cleanses you and he calls you his own. In fact, Ephesians 1 says, uh, you have been chosen from the foundation of the world that you will be holy and blameless when you stand before him. So, however, the Spirit of God has uh prompted you this morning, you respond with obedience. Will you stand and sing?