Tuesday 7 February

1 Kings 8:22-23, 27-30; Psalm 84; Mark 7: 1-13.

Honour the Lord with your heart.

Ceremonial washings of body and household things for the Pharisees and Jewish law experts was not just bad manners, not just being dirty in a health sense, but being unclean in the sight of God. This was the essence of their service of God. This is what Jesus opposed - honouring God with the lips instead of with the heart. In your heart you could bear grudges, be absolutely selfish, but, pharisaically, you would be considered good in God’s sight as long as you fulfilled the myriad regulations of the Law faithfully. For Jesus, this was hypocrisy; love of God and the claims of human love, should always come first.