Gospel Daily with Josh Weidmann
Faith Over Form: Why Jesus Cares More About Your Heart Than Your Habits, Part 2
Series: Encountering Jesus
Scripture: Mark 6:53 –56, Mark 7:1–30
Episode: 1435

Scripture Summary:

In Mark 6:53 –56, Jesus and His disciples arrive at Gennesaret, where people immediately recognize Him. Crowds bring the sick on mats, and wherever Jesus goes—villages, towns, or countryside—people beg to touch even the edge of His cloak, and all who touched Him were healed. This shows the growing belief in His healing power and compassionate authority.

In Mark 7:1–30, Jesus confronts the Pharisees and teachers of the law, who criticize His disciples for not following ceremonial hand-washing traditions. Jesus rebukes them for honoring God with their lips but having hearts far from Him, accusing them of elevating human traditions over God’s commandments. He then teaches that defilement comes from within—from the heart—not from external things. Later, Jesus travels to Tyre, where a Gentile womanbegs Him to heal her demon-possessed daughter. Though initially testing her faith, Jesus is moved by her humility and persistence, and He heals her daughter from a distance.