Perfect Lawbreakers, Perfect Cover

ALL – Psalm 40:11-17
ALL – Proverbs 10:13-14
OT – Leviticus 15:1-16:28
NT – Mark 7:1-23

Criminals usually don’t want to get caught. Usually they try to cover their tracks, sometimes better than others. That’s why Bernie Madoff got away with his criminal activity for so long; everyone thought he was trying to help them earn money, when in fact his criminal concern was to take their money away. When you can look like the good guy even though you’re the bad guy, you’ve done a pretty good job covering your tracks.

We try to do that with God and with God’s people. We try to have things our way, but say things and do things in such a way that we look like we care about doing things God’s way. You will find no more righteous people than Jesus’ disciples; at the same time, you will find no more heinous sinners than those who have convinced the world that they are Jesus’ disciples. They’re called “wolves in sheep’s clothing.”

The problem is that we forget we can’t fool God. Jesus Christ encountered some Pharisees who had justified disobeying God’s commands by claiming to obey God in other, “more important” ways. And He saw right through them.

And so you break the law of God in order to protect your manmade tradition. And this is only one example. There are many, many others. – Mark 7:12-13, The Living Bible

Are there any patterns like this in your life—any ways that you claim to be obeying and serving God while actually manipulating things to your own benefit?

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