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Mark

Mark 7

Jesus teaches on Purity
Demon cast from girl
Jesus heals the deaf and mute

Mark 7:1-4

The Pharisee and scribes gathered around Jesus; it seems that they've been there all along the way, watching and waiting, looking for an accusation, looking to make a case against Him.  The Pharisees were used to being the ones respected, looked upon with awe.  They were used to speaking and having the common man respond with reverence.  But now, those folks followed Jesus, hanging on His every word. 

 

One day, the scribes and Pharisees saw some of Christ's disciples eating bread without washing.  This wasn't about bad manners or hygiene, the Pharisees couldn't care less about these things.  They cared only for the law.  They accused the disciples of eating with unclean hands; they had not ceremonially cleansed themselves prior to eating. 

 

The Pharisees didn't invent these laws.  The law of Moses called gave them direction for cleansing when they were defiled by certain things, like touching a carcass.  But the scribes over time added detail upon detail where there was none:

First, the hands were held with fingertips pointing upwards; water was poured over them and had to run at least down to the wrist; the minimum amount of water was one quarter of a log, which is equal to one and a half eggshells full of water. While the hands were still wet, each hand had to be cleansed with the fist of the other. That is what the phrase about using the fist means; the fist of one hand was rubbed into the palm and against the surface of the other. This meant that at this stage the hands were wet with water; but that water was now unclean because it had touched unclean hands. So, next, the hands had to be held with fingertips pointing downwards and water had to be poured over them in such a way that it began at the wrists and ran off at the fingertips. After all that had been done, the hands were clean.  (Barclay, W. (2001). The New Daily Study Bible: The Gospel of Mark (pp. 190–191). Edinburgh: Saint Andrew Press.)

 

Over time, these things became the traditions of the elders.  Failing to wash this way meant your hands were unclean, which meant you were unfit for service to God.  It was not only disrespectful of the elders, but to God, according to them.  To touch your food with those hands made it profane.  Bread eaten with unclean hands was no better than excrement.  Barclay said that anyone eating with unclean hands was subject to attack by the demon Shibta; one became liable to poverty and destruction.

 

Mark 7:5-8

We don't worry too much about breaking tradition but it was a big deal to them.  There are some records of Jews starving to death in captivity with food right before them.  There was no water available to wash, and to eat without washing was an absurdity they couldn't comprehend.  They literally just as soon die as eat with defiled hands. 

 

The question from the Pharisees is an accusation; the disciples were not acting in concert with the traditions of the elders.  In their understanding, this was absurd, unacceptable and brought the risk of these curses.  No good Jew would do such a thing; the implication is that they weren't good Jews. 

 

Jesus answers this accusation by quoting Isiah 29:13 and refers to the scribes and Pharisees as 'you hypocrites'.  Isaiah was talking to the disobedient Jews of his day.  These people were blind to their sin and disobedience toward God.  They, in fact, thought they were very religious.  They sacrificed, fasted, made offerings, sang hymns and so on.  This characterized the nation, it had become the norm.  They ignored the warnings and their judgment was coming. 

 

"Inasmuch as these people draw near with their mouths

And honor Me with their lips,

But have removed their hearts far from Me,

And their fear toward Me is taught by the commandment of men, (Isaiah 29:13)

 

The people knew the words to say, they sounded very religious.  The words even sounded like they were honoring God.  But their motive was flawed, their heart wasn't in it.  These were rote and mechanical motions they went through that had no meaning.  They didn't just miss by being distracted or unfocused, they had removed their hearts from God.  (Note; they had moved, not God.)  They were more concerned with traditions and commandments of men than what God wanted.

 

This passage of Isaiah seemed to have been written for the Pharisees.   If we think about it, it is timeless, written not for a people of a certain time, but for people period.  That means it could apply to us if we aren't diligent in guarding our motives. 

 

Although Jesus doesn't quote it, the remainder of the passage says:

14         Therefore, behold, I will again do a marvelous work

Among this people,

A marvelous work and a wonder;

For the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,

And the understanding of their prudent men shall be hidden."[1]

 

The scribes and the Pharisees seem to be the wise that no longer possess wisdom and the prudent who no longer understand.  Jesus stands as a marvelous work among the people offering a contrast to the wisdom and traditions of men. 

 

Jesus, in essence, said Isaiah was speaking of about the hypocritical Pharisees because they put aside God's commandment so they could honor traditions. 

 

See also Ezekiel 33:31

 

Mark 7:9-13

As an example of how they favor their own traditions over the law of Moses, Jesus gives them a commandment broken by their tradition of Corban.  He quotes the law from Exodus 20:12 and Leviticus 20:7.  Corban was something dedicated to God.  You could declare something as Corban, owned and managed by God, but still in your possession. 

Example: Someone trying to collect a debt could declare the money owed as Corban.  Now, the person doesn't owe this debt to a man, but to God.  This might not seem like a big deal to us (although maybe it should), but being in debt to God was a big deal to the Jews.

 

If he's smart, the debtor could likewise declare his money Corban, therefore unavailable to pay God back because his money was already dedicated to God. 

 

Corban was attaching God's name to an asset as a means of having more authority over it.  The example Jesus gave was a man declaring his money as Corban; anything that might have been used to help support his parents was now unavailable.  It was dedicated to God.  In doing this, the man failed to care for his parents, thereby dishonoring them and breaking God's commandment. 

 

Mark 7:14-16

Jesus answered the Pharisees and scribes in a private conversation.  He then turned to the multitude of people and used the topic to teach others.  Faith comes from hearing, those who sought faith and understanding were to listen.  This kind of listening is when it moves from your ears and affects your heart.  After all, that's where the problem was.

 

The tradition saw that defilement came from their hands, from external sources.  Food eaten with unclean hands could then defile the body.  But Jesus flips that around.  It wasn't the external uncleanness of their hands they needed to worry about.  It was what was in them that came out that caused the problem.  This was pretty profound and very troubling to those who lived by the law.  Jesus was declaring much of their traditions of law null and void.  What He was talking about was the tradition said if you ate without ceremonially washing then you allowed a demon to enter you. 

 

Mark 7:17-23

Part three of this lesson now takes place in a house, away from the crowd with His disciples.  This gives us a feel of how shocking of a change of thinking this was.  The disciples question him about this parable; the entire parable story originated with them.  They had eaten bread without washing thus starting this discussion.  Did they not understand this couldn't defile them?  After all, it doesn't enter your heart, but passes through the stomach, is digested and eliminated. 

 

Jesus said that evil doesn't come from what you eat.  Mark added this at the end of verse nineteen:

thus purifying all foods

It most likely does not belong in quotations, as if said by Jesus.  It is probably Mark telling us this is the meaning of the parable; that there were no unclean foods. 

 

Evil starts in the heart and comes from within.  From our heart comes this list of vile things because they reside in our heart by way of our sin.  The heart of man is deceitfully wicked – Jeremiah 17:9.  The heart of man is unchanging from the garden and will remain that way until Christ comes again.  However, Christ stands as a beautiful contrast to the law that cannot change the heart.  The law informs us we have a problem while Christ can bring about an inner transformation.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.[2]

 

Mark 7:24-30

Jesus left Galilee (Gennesaret 6:53) and ventured west northwest toward the Mediterranean to the region of Tyre.   This is the second trip into gentile land – as far as we know.  It appears Jesus was trying to get away from the crowds for a few minutes.  This may have been because:

  • Some quiet time for His own well-being (remembering He is a man)
  • To minister in some privacy to this woman
  • Jesus is managing the timing of when His fame drives the authorities to action that brings about His crucifixion.

Mark tells us, no matter how He might try, He couldn't be hidden long.  Jesus entered this woman's house.  This would have been a violation of the Jewish law to enter a gentile home.  Upon entering the house, this demon possessed daughter fell at the feet of Jesus.  We can imagine the pleas of the mother that Jesus would deliver her daughter.  The answer Jesus gives seems as though it would deflate her of all hope.  This answer is probably a quote of a popular proverb at the time. 

 

The Jews would have used the term 'dogs' as a derogatory term to describe the gentiles.  The Jews term would have referred to a wild street dog driven by hunger and passions; associated with evil.  Jesus used a different word from what the Jews, one meaning 'little dogs' as house pets.  This should probably not be seen as a put down this woman, she certainly didn't take it that way.  It was proverb, spoken to establish the order of Christ's ministry.  He came to the Jews first.  The children's bread was God's provision for the Jews. The Jews had the privileged position at the table.  The word for 'Children' used in Jesus' proverb was very exclusive and a reference to the Jews privilege.  The woman's response was a different word for 'children'; one that was much broader and more inclusive.  We might understand one to mean only blood relatives as children; the other meant anyone living under the roof, blood relatives, servants or houseguests. 

 

This woman had a broken and contrite heart; she'd take even the crumbs that Jesus might offer.  She submits her cause to Jesus completely.  He is her one and only hope; it is in Christ alone she trusts.  Imagine this today, Jesus would be accused of favoritism, bigotry and people might demand that they get their fair share of the crumbs.  How dare he give the Jews what he wouldn't equally share with all.

 

This woman seems to be the first to understand a parable of Jesus.  In one brief encounter of one spoken sentence from Jesus, she got it.  While the disciples still seem to be operating at a deficit of understanding.  While he came to the Jews first, it was clear, and would become even more clear, they did not have eyes to see or ears to hear. 

 

This demon possessed daughter would have been the picture of a gentile in the eyes of a Jew.  In their eyes she would have been without hope, worthless and no better than a wild dog wandering the streets.  Her spirit was afflicted and mind bent.  But Jesus came to her house and she found all she needed.  His grace was an all sufficient provision for her.

 

Mark 7:31-37

Jesus traveled from there to Decapolis on approximately 120 mile journey.  This was a region southeast of the sea of Galilee with ten Hellenistic cities.  This is the same place where the legion of demons were sent to the swine as the demon possessed man was delivered. 

 

Jesus took this deaf mute aside.  He was no longer just another anonymous gentile.  You might picture yourself in this place asking, "Who am I that Jesus would pull me aside and touch me?"  This was personal and intimate now.  Jesus put His fingers in his ears and then after spitting he touched the man's tongue and he was healed. 

 

I can imagine anyone watching might have tried to use their spit in a similar way.  However, this may be exactly why Jesus did it this way.  The gentiles had many different concoctions and remedies.  In a sense, the spit of Jesus seems symbolic of the blood covering that would soon come.  Why did Jesus heal this way?  McArthur says it was a form of sign language to the deaf mute to know he was going to be healed.  At least part of it had to do with touching the man, of this healing being intimate and personal.  It was done this way, just for him.  The first words this man heard were "be opened".  The next thing he heard was his own voice and that of his friends proclaiming Jesus to anyone who would listen.

 

They were astonished beyond measure.  This is an extreme degree of being utterly amazed to the point of straining his mental capacities.  In their astonishment, they declared that Jesus does all things well.  In making the deaf to hear and the mute to speak, Jesus fulfilled what the prophet Isaiah proclaimed hundreds of years previously in Isaiah 35:5-6:

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened,

And the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.

 

What do these three stories have in common?

  • 1st failure to love the Lord first and neighbor second.  Failure to honor God.  Traditions of men above commandment of God.  Jesus pointed to the heart as the source of problems.  This typifies the rejection from the Jews.  Not worried about the bread but about methods.
  • 2nd God's grace extends to the gentile and stands in great contrast to the Jews.  The Jews were chosen people, but only as a means by which God would reveal Him self to all mankind.  This was personal.  The mom was contrite.  The crumbs she received was the bread of life: it was the bread being rejected by the children.
  • 3rd This gentile did not have ears to hear nor a voice with which to worship.  Jesus restored both.  The astonishment they felt was the exact right response.  While the gentiles said He did all things well, the Jews declared He did everything wrong.

I think the answer is they have very little in common; mostly diversity.  However, the first stands in contrast to the next two.  Traditions have a grip on the people.  Then we see the woman and her daughter changed.  Mom understood the proverb.  Likewise, in the third, a life was changed, and then lives. 

 

The ministry of Jesus is beginning to change the world.

 

©2018 Doug Ford

 


[1] The New King James Version. (1982). (Is 29:13–14). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

[2] The New King James Version. (1982). (Ro 12:1–2). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.