Leviticus 15:1-16:28; Mark 7:1-23; Psalm 40:11-17; Proverbs 10:13-14
All sin is an affront to God! People could not stop sinning on their own so God gave Moses a ritual to atone for the many sins of humanity. Each year, a process of making a sacrifice and smearing the blood on a goat expunged the sins of humanity.
In addition to this annual process, the priests were required to offer sacrifices daily for humanity’s sins. It was continual. But, all that happened in this atonement was dealing with the actions not the heart. Sin is conceived in the heart before it ever becomes an action.
Jesus reminds us of this when He talks about the things that define a person. True transformation does not occur until there is a change on the inside. Jesus helps us deal with the root of our sin—it’s in our heart. We need a change of heart in order to change our actions.
Lord, search our hearts and if you find any hint of sin, we surrender it to you!
Tomorrow’s Reading: Leviticus 16:29-18:30; Mark 7:24-8:10; Psalm 41:1-13; Proverbs 10:15-16