Chapter 7

Read Mark 7:1-23; That which Defiles

In this passage we see Jesus make a direct challenge to the man-made rules created by the religious leaders. Verse 1 says they gather around Jesus. It is like they were looking for something to discredit Jesus’ teaching with. When they saw the disciples eating without doing the ceremonial washing of their hands, they found what they thought was their opportunity in verses 5-8…

⁵ 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.”

These leaders were very knowledgeable of the teachings of Isaiah. Isaiah’s passage speaks directly to the issue, man-made rules verses God’s commandments. 

In verses 9-13 Jesus drives the point deeper…

⁹ And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! ¹⁰ For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ ¹¹ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— ¹² then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. ¹³ Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”

After setting the leaders straight, Jesus turns to the ever-present crowd and says nothing outside of the body defiles you. Only what comes from within. When the disciples question Jesus about the meaning He said it is not what you put into your body that goes to the stomach that defiles you. It is what comes out of your heart.

When lists of types of sins are listed in Scripture, I recognize sins we call greater and sins we call lesser are listed together. Verses 21-23 have such a list…

²¹ For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, ²² adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. ²³ All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

Envy, slander and arrogance are in the same list as theft, murder and adultery. This points out to me that sin is sin. Sin separates us from God. There is no such thing as a minor sin.

Read Mark 7:24-37; Jesus takes another long trip

Again, we have one of those stories that contain miles of walking. Tyre is 40 miles north of Capernaum. From Tyre, through Sidon and back to Decapolis is another 65 miles. Mark records them as casual trips saying, “they left the place and went to the vicinity of Tyre.” After that Mark says, “then Jesus left Tyre, went through Sidon and down to Decapolis”. At 3 miles/hour the first trip took 13+ hours and the second trip another 21+ hours. I always imagine the conversations about what has happened with the disciples along the way on those long walks. 

In verses 26-30 we get the story of a woman of great faith. She was not Jewish, but believed Jesus could heal her daughter.  Jesus’ response to her request might seem cold, but I think He was testing her faith…

²⁶ The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.

²⁷ “First let the children eat all they want,” He told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

²⁸ “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

²⁹ Then He told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”

³⁰ She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

The fact that she just went home demonstrated her total faith.

Then on they go to Decapolis. There people brought Jesus a man that was deaf and mute. Verses 33-35 tell this story…

³³ After He took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put His fingers into the man’s ears. Then He spit and touched the man’s tongue. ³⁴ He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). ³⁵ At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.

As usual He tells the people not to tell anyone, but they did. They were amazed. Wouldn’t we be amazed? How could his life ever be the same after the healing. The man was a walking testimony of Jesus’ healing power. We can be also.