Just for Me

Mark 8:11-12 is short, but packed with things we should consider.

Here, the Pharisees emerge from the crowd and begin to dispute with Christ on a series of matters. Then, they adopt another tactic and test Him by demanding that He provide additional signs. The odd part is they have completely ignored all of His previous miracles and want something done just for them. Because Jesus is God and knows all things, He understood what they were doing and denied them such a sign. The ultimate sign that He was the Messiah would be given at a later time -- the resurrection from the grave (see Matthew 12:38-40).

Getting to know these Pharisees a little better will help explain this scene. The Pharisees were a small sect (scholars estimate about 6,000 existed at this time); however, they were well-known. Their beliefs focused on strict adherence to the ceremonial law. They were quite proud of how they followed all these regulations and promoted themselves in public with those actions.

As an example, look at Mark 7:1-9. Once again, we see the Pharisees disputing with Christ, but they were upset because the disciples did not wash their hands before eating. That practice is good hygiene, especially in our day with the "swine flu" scare, but was not specifically commanded by God. Christ exposes these legalists for who they are by quoting an Old Testament prophet -- the Pharisees professed closeness to God but their hearts were definitively far away. They majored on the minor and missed the main thing.

The issue was their exchange of God's commandment for man's tradition. For instance, one of the 10 Commandments says to honor your father and mother; however, the Pharisees had a ceremonial law that protected the rights of a child over the parents. In Mark 7:10-13, we see this example. If parents were wanting to take something, to help the family survive, that would go to a child via inheritance, the heir could claim it as "corban" or a gift from God. In other words, the child made a vow that, as God's gift, it could only be used for sacred things. Because the Jews believed that vows were sacred (see Ecclesiasties 5:4-5), the parents would not touch that item. These acts would stem from a child's selfish desire to hold on to something that really should be used for the benefit of others. Once the parents were deceased, that heir would be the only one that knew of this vow, and oftentimes, would break it to retain the proceeds from it.

Before we give these Pharisees such a hard time, how frequently do we rationalize in our minds how to get something that we really want? Have you ever prayed something like this: "Lord, I know that you are God and can do anything you desire. We are really struggling in this economy and need You to take care of us. My faith is so weak, so strengthen that faith sending me the winning lottery numbers." Okay, maybe you've not asked to win the lottery, but substitute in its place things for which you have asked. We try to, just like the Pharisees, use the Lord to fancy our wants and desires; and we couch it in spiritual terms. That is nothing more than the old nature revealing itself as we attempt to manipulate God. He is the Lord of the universe and who are we to think that He answers to our beck and call? He has done so much for us, and all we must do is remember those times to keep us going during the difficult ones (see entry entitled "Loaves and Lost Faith").

Never forget that we exist to serve and glorify Him -- not for Him to glorify and serve us!