Jeremiah 7-11 & Mark 7-8

Jeremiah 7-11

Wow, what a weighty chunk of scripture. God's verdict for the people's severe condition brought me to a rather still, quiet place. 

Correct me, O Lord, but in justice; not in your anger, lest you bring me to nothing. 10:24  

This verse especially impacted me.
From my study Bible notes, the verb correct, which means "to discipline" or "to instruct," has as its goal conformity to the word and will of God. Jeremiah pleaded with the Lord to deal with the nation according to His justice, but withhold His anger.
A couple thoughts... Jeremiah is speaking in first person, owning the verdict. That is real leadership. God, who is blameless, could have responded in anger, being fully justified. It is a clear picture of our  corrupt state and His own sovereign state.

Mark 7-8 

There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him. 7:15 

And he cautioned them, saying, "Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod." 8:15 

It's easy to villainize the Pharisees and Herod to the point of caricature. They could be disregarded as one-dimensional props in a play. Yet, they were real people just like you and I. Considering the two verses above we are more alike than we may be willing to admit. 
In contrast, how encouraging are the following verses! 

When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?”They said to him, “Twelve.” “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 8:19-20 

He takes our meager, insufficient selves and does truly miraculous work.