Man’s Ifs and God’s Becauses
Text: Mark 7:14-23
Liturgical Date: Pentecost 15, Proper 17 B
Calendar Date: 2024-09-01
Location: Saint Peter’s Lutheran Church in Door County
Preacher: Rev. Dr. Christopher D. Jackson
The following transcript does not match the recording 1:1. It was automatically transcribed via software, and the transcription was modified by artificial intelligence to make it more appropriate for consumption via reading.
TRANSCRIPT
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Man’s “Ifs” and God’s “Becauses”
Today, we are talking about man’s “ifs” and God’s “becauses.” Much of what troubles us in this world is on account of the “ifs”—the “ifs” we impose upon ourselves and the “ifs” that we impose upon others. We think to ourselves: I would be happy if… I’d be happy if my health were better. I’d be happy if I had a few more zeros at the end of my bank balance. I would be happy if my career were a little bit more successful. I would be happy if I got along better with my family or friends.
Fears are usually caused by “ifs.” What if the stock market crashes? What if I lose my job? What if the wrong people get elected?
And others impose their “ifs” upon us. You would be better, more acceptable, if you had the right opinions. If you wore the right fashions. If you hung around with the right crowd.
But the truth of the matter is that even if the “ifs” line up in our favor, there are always more “ifs.” The promises we and others attach to these “ifs” don’t hold water because there are always more grounds for sorrow and fear. That’s why what the Pharisees offered ultimately didn’t hold up.
Jesus Replaces “Ifs” with God’s “Becauses”
Jesus replaces all of their “ifs” with God’s “becauses.” Now, the “becauses” of God, when we first hear them, can initially hurt. But ultimately, the “becauses” of God are our only source of hope, confidence, true happiness, and joy.
The Pharisees made all kinds of promises that were based on “ifs.” If you’ll remember, Jesus and the Pharisees recently had a confrontation, which we read about in last week’s Gospel. But if you weren’t here last week, or just need a refresher, Jesus had a confrontation with the Pharisees over the issue that some of His disciples were not washing their hands before they ate.
The Pharisees and Ritual Impurity
Now, here’s what the Pharisees were not upset about: they weren’t upset because the disciples had dirty or grimy hands. That wasn’t the situation at all. Nor was it that the Pharisees were concerned about germs—germs hadn’t even been discovered yet. That wasn’t their concern. Instead, the Pharisees seemed to be worried about contracting ritual impurity by means of the hands and the food eaten with those hands.
Based on what Jesus says here, we can piece together a little bit of the logic of the Pharisees. In the Law that God gave through Moses, He commanded the Israelites not to eat impure foods. Now, these impure foods weren’t intrinsically impure. How do we know this? Adam didn’t have this command. He could eat anything. This command didn’t apply to Noah, nor did it apply to Abraham, the father of the Israelites. But God, in His divine purposes, which we saw a glimpse of in our Old Testament lesson, gave the Israelites commands regarding pure and impure foods as part of preserving and identifying a people unto Himself.
For instance, certain impure foods, like pork, were forbidden. They couldn’t eat the flesh of a pig, nor could they eat shellfish—no lobster, no shrimp. That was simply what God’s Law, given through Moses, commanded the Israelites at that time.
The Pharisees’ Fearful “Ifs”
However, the Pharisees seemed to think: What if you’re out and about in the markets and you brush up against someone who has been made impure because they ate impure foods? Or what if you touch something that came into contact with something impure—like pork or shellfish? You might unknowingly contract ritual impurity by eating with hands that had touched impure things. So, they said, “Therefore, you ought to wash your hands when you come back from the marketplace and before you eat.” They borrowed some ideas from the rituals given to the priests in the Temple, but none of this is spelled out in Moses’ Law.
The logic goes like this: Moses, by the inspiration of God, says if you eat this, you will be impure. And so the Pharisees say, if you want to be pure, therefore you need to do this—wash your hands. The Pharisees created all these extra rules out of fear: What if this happens? What if that happens?
The Law’s True Purpose
Now, I want to be clear: the Law that God gave through Moses was good, and it served a distinct purpose. But Jesus is showing that this Law, as good as it was, was contingent. Its purpose had been fulfilled. Jesus says, Look, it’s not what goes into you that defiles you, but what comes out of a person that defiles them.
This piqued the interest of the people. When they entered the house, the disciples asked Him about the parable (verses 17 and following). And Jesus said to them, “Are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile them, since it enters not their heart but their stomach, and is expelled?” Then Mark adds this crucial parenthetical statement: “Thus He declared all foods clean.”
Jesus Declares All Foods Clean
This is a wonderful set of verses for lots of reasons. First of all, Jesus’ imagery is actually a little more graphic than what comes through in English—just use your imagination a little! But I love Mark’s aside: “Thus He declared all foods clean.” This gives us a glimpse into how God reveals truth. Through the Gospel of Mark, we know this teaching comes from Peter’s recollections, as Mark was essentially his scribe.
Peter had many experiences that led him to understand the full import of what Jesus was teaching here. If you want to see how Peter came to fully understand this, here’s your Bible study homework: read Acts 10 and 15. In Acts 10, Peter receives a vision where God tells him, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” Later, in Acts 15, Peter continues to wrestle with the role of Mosaic Law, particularly with regard to the Gentiles.
These laws had a purpose in preserving the Israelites, but now that purpose was fulfilled with the coming of the Messiah. These were “ifs,” not “becauses.” And Jesus says, What comes out of a person is what defiles them.
Our Hearts Are the Problem
Jesus, with these words, supplants the “ifs” of the Mosaic Law and the “ifs” of the Pharisees with the “becauses” of God. Moses said, If you refrain from eating these foods, you will not be ritually impure. The Pharisees said, If you want to be sure of this, wash your hands before you eat. But Jesus says all that has come to an end. What makes you truly impure is not food—it’s what’s inside you: the evil thoughts and actions that come from the heart.
At this point, we might think to ourselves, Well, I’d rather hear what the Pharisees have to say with their “ifs,” because at least there’s the promise that if I do these things, I won’t be impure! But Jesus, the Great Physician, gives us a hard diagnosis—and it’s the truth that frees us. No matter how many “ifs” we check off, there are always more “ifs” we can’t meet.
That’s why, brothers and sisters in Christ, our hope, our confidence, our joy, our salvation cannot rest on the “ifs” of this world. Instead, we must look to the “becauses” of God.
The Hope Found in God’s “Becauses”
Yes, God’s “becauses” can be hard to hear. The law Jesus preaches is far harder than what the Pharisees taught. But the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is far stronger yet. Christ, the Son of God, took on human flesh for your sake because of who He is—the God of eternal and infinite love. It’s because of that love that He was born of the Virgin Mary, sharing our human weaknesses—except for the weakness of sin. His heart was purely devoted to love for the Father and love for you. And that’s why He sacrificed Himself for your sake, out of pure, unadulterated love.
Because of His righteous life and atoning death, you can have confidence. You are holy, not because you checked off a bunch of “ifs,” but because of who Christ is and what He has done for you. You are pure because Christ is pure. You are a child of God because Christ has made you His brother, His sister. Therefore, you can have confidence in your eternal life—because of who Christ is and what He has done for you.
A New Perspective on Life’s “Ifs”
This changes our perspective on the “ifs” of this life. Even if I am poor, I will be content, knowing of the treasures that await me in heaven. Even if I am sick, I will be joyful, knowing that I will have ultimate healing when Christ returns in power and glory. Even if I am rejected in this world because of my beliefs, I will hold my head high and not be ashamed, because I am a child of God.
Conclusion: The Confidence We Have in Christ
Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us not seek our hopes in the “ifs” of this world. Let not the “ifs” of this world bog us down in sorrow and fear. Instead, let us have confidence, joy, and hope in the “becauses” of God.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download