Our lingering sinful nature does not defeat or negate the work of Jesus. In Him, we are perfectly righteous, despite the sin which clings so closely.
“Nothing is so powerfully effective against the Devil, the world, the flesh, and all evil thoughts as to occupy one’s self with God’s Word” (taken from Martin Luther’s Large Catechism, the Preface, paragraph 10).
The flesh, the world, and the Devil; for centuries, Christians across denominations have recognized we are fighting against these three antagonists. One way to preach Mark 7 would be to follow a Classification structure. In Mark 7, Jesus is focusing on the flesh, which is our inherited sinful nature. This sermon could help your hearers see the broader danger of sin and temptation, and then focus on our own sinful nature as a specific battleground. Such an approach would be helpful if your congregation primarily sees the problem as “out there” in the crumbling culture or in the unseen forces of spiritual darkness. While those do pose real threats, let us not be naïve about the shared fallenness that dwells in each of us.
The Gospel would then be less focused on Jesus needing to fix the broken world/culture/country, and more about God’s promise to forgive individual sinners, of whom I am the chief.
You could also utilize a Paradox Maintained structure. The Christian is simultaneously saint and sinner, righteous and wicked, pure and defiled: “Simul Iustus et Peccator”. This sermon would acknowledge and normalize the tension we experience as believers, this side of eternity. After establishing the tension, perhaps by memorizing and reciting verses from Romans 7, the preacher would look at both sides of the tension and unpack what it means for the Christian. Christ’s victory over sin does not end our daily battle against our sinful nature. We are still in the flesh and will always need a Savior. At the same time, our lingering sinful nature does not defeat or negate the work of Jesus. In Him, we are perfectly righteous, despite the sin which clings so closely.
The inner and the outer are both real. Whenever we look within, we will see our sin, until the day we die. But whenever we look outside of ourselves, to Christ, we will see life in at least three ways: Our life on account of His death, our life on account of His resurrection, and our life on account of Jesus.
But whenever we look outside of ourselves, to Christ, we will see life in at least three ways: Our life on account of His death, our life on account of His resurrection, and our life on account of Jesus.
If you wanted to use Law and Gospel as the structural basis for the sermon (as distinct from the theological content and force of the sermon), you could work with the metaphor Jesus uses here: “Defiled.” The Law has to do with being defiled; dirty, unclean, polluted, contaminated. The Gospel solution to the problem of being defiled is to be “cleansed.” Jesus does not get to the solution in our text. This is one of those times on a Sunday when the Lector or Pastor says, “This is the Gospel of the Lord,” but there is not an ounce of Gospel in the text itself.
The “Four Pages” outline could look like this:
- Law in the World
- Character: A parent is wondering aloud how to keep their kid safe from “the world,” only to see all too clearly that the problem is not only “out there.” Their own heart is just as defiled, and they have already passed this on to their child.
- Inductive Main Idea: The problem is not out there; it is in here (pointing at your heart).
- Law in the Text
- Deductive Main Idea: Jesus points to the evil within us as the primary problem.
- Serial Depiction: The world does not have to give you evil thoughts; evil thoughts come from your own heart. The world does not have to tempt you to sexual immorality; sexual immorality comes from your own heart... and so on.
- Gospel in the Text
- Deductive Main Idea: Hope has to be found outside of ourselves. Because there is no good news within our text, you will need to import it from elsewhere.
- Example: Because the Law is defilement, you might unpack the biblical promises around Baptism and the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. Or you could point people to the Word of Christ as that which cleanses (John 15:3).
- Gospel in the World
- Narrative: “Let me tell you about...,” as you insert the true story of a Christian who found comfort and cleansing in the external Word of God’s promise. Maybe it is a story of a parishioner who received private Absolution because their burdened conscience kept accusing them when forgiveness was spoken over the whole congregation. Maybe it is a young person who came to cherish the promises of their Baptism as part of their Confirmation studies. Maybe it is a narrative example of someone experiencing the truth of Bonhoeffer’s quote: “The Christ in the mouth of my brother or sister is stronger than the Christ in my own heart. My heart is uncertain, the Word is sure.”
- Inductive Main Idea: So, you see, God cleanses you from outside of you, in Christ. Or “Look within and repent; look to Christ and believe.”
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Additional Resources:
Craft of Preaching-Check out out 1517’s resources on Mark 7:14-23.
Concordia Theology-Various helps from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, MO to assist you in preaching Mark 7:14-23.
Text Week-A treasury of resources from various traditions to help you preach Mark 7:14-23.
Lectionary Kick-Start-Check out this fantastic podcast from Craft of Preaching authors Peter Nafzger and David Schmitt as they dig into the texts for this Sunday!
