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Pentecost 15 2024, Proper 17
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hamilton, Ohio
Pastor Kevin Jud
September 1, 2024
Deuteronomy 4:1-2, 6-9, Ephesians 6:10-20, Mark 7:14-23
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Wash your hands. This was a major tactic in our battle against the COVID virus a few years ago. Just wash your hands with soap and warm water for 20 seconds. And for those for whom this whole handwashing thing was new, instructions were posted in public bathrooms. Many of those signs are still up teaching you how to wash your hands.
In our Gospel reading last week the Pharisees were very concerned that Jesus’ disciples did not wash their hands before eating and therefore they were defiled. Now, in Exodus 30, God commands priests to wash their hands and feet before they enter the tent of meeting or offer a sacrifice, but it seems the Pharisees had taken this command for the priests and taught that everyone should ceremonially wash their hands before eating. Washing your hands before eating is generally a good idea, but not the way the Pharisees did it. According to one scholar, the Pharisees would just ceremonially pour some water over their closed fist and then they were considered clean. They did not use soap, they did not scrub for 20 seconds but they declared they were clean and Jesus’ disciples were defiled.
Jesus condemns the Pharisees, Mark 7:6–8 (ESV) 6 …“Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 7 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”
Jesus then calls the people to Himself to teach them truth. Mark 7:14–15 (ESV) 14 …“Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”
This is radical new truth. Old Testament food laws came from God in Leviticus 11 and now God in flesh is undoing them. Jesus is not only ridiculing the Pharisees’ made up traditions, He is undoing the law of God -- and He has the authority to do it. And in case the disciples were confused, later, with just them in the house, Jesus explains further, Mark 7:18–19 (ESV) 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)”
Jesus declares you are not defiled by not washing your hands, and you are not defiled by eating unclean foods. This seems like very good news, but then Jesus keeps teaching. Mark 7:20–23 (ESV) 20 And he [says], “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”
Folks who want to ignore Biblical teachings about sexual immorality of many kinds will point to Old Testament texts forbidding sexual sins, and Old Testament texts regarding food laws, and declare that since we now eat bacon, therefore Old Testament sexual prohibitions are also undone. But we clearly see here that Jesus is undoing food restrictions, and teaching that sexual immorality and adultery still defile you.
So, it does not matter how much you wash your hands. It does not matter what kind of food you eat. You are unclean because you are by nature sinful and unclean. This is not a dirty hands problem, this is not an unclean food problem, this is a filthy heart problem. Jesus teaches with hyperbole that if your hand causes you to sin cut if off, if your eye causes you to sin pluck it out, but this is a heart problem. This is a deeper problem. You cannot cut off your heart. You cannot pluck it out.
You have a spiritually fatal heart defect and you cannot fix it. So, with sinful King David in Psalm 51, you cry out to God, “Psalm 51:10 (ESV) 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” You need a clean heart, and Jesus gives you a clean heart by cleansing you with His blood in the waters of Holy Baptism. In baptism you get a new, clean heart. His washing is not a superficial, ceremonial, splash of water. His washing is a washing to your core to redeem you from your natural sinfulness. This is a cause for great joy. You cry out, “Create in me a clean heart, O God,” and God creates in you a clean heart. Praise the Lord. You are a pure, holy, saint of God.
Jesus has declared you to be a saint even while you still struggle with sinful desires. You are, right now, a saint because Jesus has forgiven your sins and if Jesus forgives your sins, they are forgiven. At the same time, as you confessed a few minutes ago, you are…by nature…sinful and unclean. You are at the same time a saint and a sinner -- and this does not make such good sense. How can Jesus declare you to be clean when you still struggle with sin? This is confusing. In baptism you are set apart from the multitude of unbelievers in the Holy Ark of the Christian Church, but you still live in this world that celebrates sin; a world that encourages sexual immorality and evil; a world that encourages you to embrace your sinful desires and even take pride in them. This can be very confusing. And you know who wants to exploit this confusion? The Prince of Darkness. The devil himself.
Ephesians 6:12 (ESV) 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.”
The devil is targeting you. The multitude of unbelievers who go with the flow trying to fit into the world and embrace their sinful desires are of no concern for the devil. He already has them. You are the devil’s objective.
The devil knows you are a baptized child of God. He knows your sins have been forgiven. He knows you have been washed clean in the blood of Jesus. He knows that you have been given a clean heart and you have the Holy Spirit in you. He knows all of this and it makes him angry. We read in Revelation 12 about the devil’s goal since he could not destroy Jesus or His Church. Revelation 12:17 (ESV) 17 Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus….”
The devil is at war with you. What do you do? You receive battle instructions in our Epistle reading today. Ephesians 6:10–11 (ESV) 10 … be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”
As a follower of Jesus the devil is at war with you, but the great good news is that you do not fight the devil alone. You do not fight unprotected or unarmed. You have the armor of God. You have the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. You have the Holy Spirit and you pray in the Spirit.
Do not look to yourself and your own strength. Keep your eyes on Jesus and trust His promise to you in baptism. Trust that when He forgives your sins, they are forgiven.
In Christ you stand strong against the devil and his lies. Wearing the armor of God you stand firm and you endure the attacks. The devil wants you to forget that you have been cleansed by Jesus. He wants you forget about your clean heart and your body being a temple of the Holy Spirit. He wants you to give up on Jesus’ forgiveness and become self-righteous; believing you can solve your sin problem all by yourself by your own actions. Or, if self-righteousness does not work, he wants you to despair -- to quit trying. The devil wants you to just give up on struggling with temptations and instead just embrace your sinful desires, live in them and celebrate sin. So, remain on guard against the devil’s lies.
You are a natural born sinner living in a world of sin with the prince of darkness trying to bring you back into the darkness. Be always aware of your situation. 1 Peter 5:8–9 (ESV) 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.” Stand firm in the armor of God. You have victory. The battle rages on, but you are already victorious in Jesus.
Do not look to yourself and your own strength. Keep your eyes on Jesus and trust His promise to you in baptism. Trust that when He forgives your sins, they are forgiven. Know that He feeds you with His very body and blood to strengthen and preserve you to eternal life. Know you have victory over the devil, the world and your own sinful nature because Jesus gives you the victory.
So wash your hands because it is a good idea and mama said to do it. But as you do, always remember, in Christ you are clean. Amen.