Message: Mark 1:1 – 23 “Matters of the Heart”
Jesus doesn’t get mad too often, but when he does, it’s usually because someone is choosing head over heart. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were both sincere and rule abiding. Unfortunately, they were often more dedicated to rules and regulations than they were to love and compassion. Jesus saw many of their observances as ‘outward’ practices which lacked an ‘internal’ reality. God isn’t trying to change our rituals, He’s looking to change our hearts. Anything that puts rules or practices over basic goodness and acts of mercy is considered not a help, but a hinderance to our life with God and each other.