Losing Sight of What's Important

Last night I was reading from Mark 6 and was praying that we would see Jesus glorified like he was in verses 54-56:

(NIV)Mark 6:54-56
As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognized Jesus. [55] They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. [56] And wherever he went---into villages, towns or countryside---they placed the sick in the marketplaces. They begged him to let them touch even the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.

Continuing my reading of Mark, I saw these verses:

(NIV)Mark 7:5-9, 13
So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?” [6] He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. [7] They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ [8] You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” [9] And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! [13] Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”

Especially verse 8: "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men.” What a terrible indictment from the Son of God. His recognition that their worship of Him and the Father had lost all connections to their hearts and was being supplanted by religion and selfishness and man-made rules. Here He was in their midst, and they were more worried about the washing of hands and ritual observances, rather than God's Word and His purpose. The people were getting lost as their hearts grew cold.

Thinking more about these verses, Jesus and His disciples are having a huge impact in the area of Galilee, and this was attracting the attention of many people. The Pharisees He is talking to were from Jerusalem, having obviously come down to observe His ministry. Having no real power from God, all they can do is look for ways to discredit this ministry that is having such a great effect. They have critical hearts that judge, not the results, but rather the methods and adherance to 'their ways'!

Lord, I can see some of this in my own critical nature, often times not believing someone is of you if they act or look differently than I think someone who is following You should be. Lord, please forgive me for judgement, and forgive me for holding back in any way, when You call me out of my comfort zone. Lord, help me to value Your presence more than look and feel, or religious observances.