Mark 7

Mark 7:1

Q. Tradition Versus the Word of God (7:1-23) 7:1 The Pharisees and … scribes were Jewish religious leaders who had built up a vast system of rigidly enforced traditions so interwoven with the law of God that they had acquired almost equal authority with the Scriptures. In some cases they actually contradicted the Scriptures or weakened the law of God. The religious leaders delighted in imposing the rules and the people accepted them meekly, satisfied with a system of rituals without reality. 7:2-4 Here we find the Pharisees and scribes criticizing Jesus because His disciples ate with unwashed hands. This doesn’t mean that the disciples didn’t wash their hands before they ate, but that they didn’t go through the elaborate ritual prescribed by tradition. Unless, for instance, they washed up to the elbows, they were considered ceremonially defiled. If they had been in the market place, they were supposed to take a ceremonial bath. This complex system of washing extended even to the dipping of pots and pans. Regarding the Pharisees, E. Stanley Jones writes: They came all the way from Jerusalem to meet Him, and their life attitudes were so negative and faultfinding that all they saw was unwashed hands. They couldn’t see the greatest movement of redemption that had ever touched our planeta movement that was cleansing the minds and souls and bodies of men. … Their big eyes were opened wide to the little and marginal, and blind to the big. So history forgets them, the negativeforgets them except as a background for this impact of the positive Christ. They left a criticism; He left a conversion. They picked flaws, He picked followers. 7:5-8 Jesus quickly pointed out the hypocrisy of such behavior. The people were just what Isaiah had predicted. They professed great devotion to the Lord, but were inwardly corrupt. By elaborate rituals, they pretended to worship God, but they had substituted their traditions for the doctrines of the Bible. Instead of recognizing the Word of God as the sole authority in all matters of faith and morals, they evaded or explained away the clear demands of the Scripture by their tradition. 7:9, 10 Jesus singled out an example of how tradition had made void the law of God. One of the Ten Commandments demanded that children honor their parents (which included caring for them in their need). The death penalty was decreed for anyone who spoke evil of his father or mother. 7:11-13 But a Jewish tradition had arisen known as Corban, which meant given or dedicated. Suppose that certain Jewish parents were in great need. Their son had money to care for them, but didn’t want to do it. All he had to do was say Corban, implying that his money was dedicated to God or the temple. This relieved him of any further responsibility to support his parents. He might keep the money indefinitely and use it in business. Whether it ever was turned over to the temple was not important. Kelly remarks: The leaders had devised the scheme to secure property for religious purposes and to quiet persons from all trouble of conscience about the Word of God. … It was God Who called on man to honour his parents, and Who denounced all slight done to them. Yet here were men violating, under cloak of religion, both these commandments of God! This tradition of saying Corban, the Lord treats not only as a wrong done to the parents, but as a rebellious act against the express commandment of God. 7:14-16 Beginning at verse 14, the Lord made the revolutionary pronouncement that it was not what goes into a man’s mouth that defiles him (such as food eaten with unwashed hands) but what comes out of man (such as traditions that set aside God’s Word). 7:17-19 Even the disciples were mystified by this. Brought up under the teachings of the OT, they had always considered that certain foods like pork, rabbit, and shrimp were unclean and would defile them. Jesus now plainly stated that man was not defiled by what went into him. In a sense, this signaled the end of the legal dispensation. 7:20-23 It’s what comes out of one’s heart that defiles a person: evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. In the context, the thought is that human tradition should be listed here too. The tradition of Corban was tantamount to murder. Parents could die of starvation before this wicked vow could be broken. One of the great lessons in this passage is that we must constantly test all teaching and all tradition by the Word of God, obeying what is of God and rejecting what is of men. At first a man may teach and preach a clear, scriptural message, gaining acceptance among Bible-believing people. Having gained this acceptance, he begins to add some human teaching. His devoted followers who have come to feel that he can do no wrong follow him blindly, even if his message blunts the sharp edge of the Word or waters down its clear meaning. It was thus that the scribes and Pharisees had gained authority as teachers of the Word. But they were now nullifying the intent of the Word. The Lord Jesus had to warn the people that it is the Word that accredits men, not men who accredit the Word. The great touchstone must always be, What does the Word say?

Mark 7:24

R. A Gentile Blessed for Her Faith (7:24-30) 7:24, 25 In the preceding incident Jesus showed that all foods are clean. Here He demonstrates that Gentiles are no longer common or unclean. Jesus now traveled northwest to the region of Tyre and Sidon, also known as Syro-Phoenecia. He tried to enter a house incognito, but His fame had preceded Him and His presence was soon known. A Gentile woman came to Him, asking for help for her demon-possessed daughter. 7:26 We emphasize the fact that she was a Greek, not a Jew. The Jews, God’s chosen people, occupied a place of distinct privilege with God. He had made wonderful covenants with them, committed the Scriptures to them, and dwelt with them in the tabernacle, and later in the temple. By contrast, the Gentiles were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, without Christ, without hope, without God in the world (Eph_2:11-12). The Lord Jesus came primarily to the nation of Israel. He presented Himself as King to that nation. The gospel was first preached to the house of Israel. It is important to see this in order to understand His dealings with the Syro-Phoenician woman. When she asked Him to cast the demon out of her daughter, He seemed to rebuff her. 7:27 Jesus said that the children (Israelites) should be filled first, and that it was not proper to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs (Gentiles). His answer was not a refusal. He said, Let the children be filled first. This might sound harsh. Actually it was a test of her repentance and faith. His ministry at that time was directed primarily to the Jews. As a Gentile, she had no claim on Him or His benefits. Would she acknowledge this truth? 7:28 She did, saying in effect, Yes, Lord. I am only a little Gentile dog. But I notice that puppies have a way of eating crumbs that children drop under the table. That’s all I ask forsome crumbs left over from your ministry to the Jews!7:29, 30 This faith was remarkable. The Lord rewarded it instantly by healing the girl at a distance. When the woman went home, her daughter was fully recovered.

Mark 7:31

S. A Deaf Mute Healed (7:31-37) 7:31, 32 From the Mediterranean coast, our Lord returned to the east coast of the Sea of Galileethe area known as Decapolis. There an incident took place that is recorded only in Mark’s Gospel. Interested friends brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech. Maybe this impediment was caused by a physical deformity or by the fact that, never hearing sounds clearly, he could not reproduce them correctly. At any rate, he pictures the sinner, deaf to the voice of God and therefore unable to speak to others about Him. 7:33, 34 Jesus first took the man aside privately. He put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue, thus by a sort of sign language telling the man that He was about to open his ears and unloose his tongue. Next Jesus looked up to heaven, indicating that His power was from God. His sigh expressed His grief over the suffering which sin has brought on mankind. Finally He said Ephphatha, the Aramaic word for Be opened.7:35, 36 The man obtained normal hearing and speech immediately. The Lord asked the people not to publicize the miracle, but they disregarded His instructions. Disobedience can never be justified, no matter how well-meaning the persons might be. 7:37 The spectators were astonished by His wonderful works. They said, He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak. They did not know the truth of what they said. Had they lived on this side of Calvary, they would have said it with even deeper conviction and feeling. And since our souls have learned His love, What mercies has He made us prove, Mercies which all our praise excel; Our Jesus hath done all things well. Samuel Medley