Mark 8:1-9


Mark 8:1-9

(A Bible Study Led by Dr. Larry Reynolds)

July 26, 2012)



This is the second time in our journey through Mark that we see Jesus miraculously feeding a great multitude.  When we looked at a similar event in Mark 6:33-44, we saw that one reason the early Christians may have placed so much emphasis on these incidents of miraculous feeding is that there was an expectation among Jewish people that when the Messiah appeared he would provide food for the multitudes in much the same way Moses provided food for the Israelites during their wilderness wanderings.  Jesus’ feeding the multitude was one clear sign that He was the long awaited promised Messiah.  So, from that perspective, it is not surprising that we come across another account of a miraculous feeding.  While the two accounts of Jesus feeding the multitudes in Mark’s Gospel have some similarities, there are also some significant differences:



Mark 6:32–44



Mark 8:1–9

5,000+ people, mostly Jews



4,000+ people, mostly Gentiles

With Jesus one day (6:35)



With Jesus three days (8:2

Took place in Galilee



Took place near the Decapolis

Five loaves, two fish



Seven loaves, a few fish

Twelve baskets left over



Seven baskets left over

      (small lunch baskets)



      (large hampers)[1]




The following notes are from Bob Utley’s excellent study guide:  The Gospel According to Peter:  Mark and I & II Peter:

8:1 “In those days” This account occurred in the mostly Gentile Decapolis area (cf. 7:31).

“there was again a large crowd” This characterized Jesus’ ministry during this period.

8:2 “I feel compassion for the people” This term “compassion” comes from the Greek term for inward lower organs of the body. In the OT the Jews assigned the seat of the emotions to the lower viscera.

Jesus loves people (cf. 1:41; 6:34; 8:2; 9:22; Matt. 9:36; 14:41; 15:32; 18:27; 20:34; Luke 7:13; 10:33). These people had been rejected by rabbis all their lives. They swarmed to Jesus’ care.

“they have remained with Me now three days” This was an extended teaching time. The Jews counted days from evening twilight to evening twilight. Any part of a day was counted; therefore, this does not necessarily refer to three full, 24 hour days. They could not pull themselves away even to buy more food. They had now eaten all they had brought.

8:3 “if” This is a THIRD CLASS CONDITIONAL sentence, which speaks of potential action. Jesus is not asserting that they are all on the point of physical collapse, but some are sick and weak and might faint.

“they will faint on the way” This fainting would be caused by lack of food. See Jdgs. 8:15 and Lam. 2:19 in the Septuagint. They had used all the food they brought and had been fasting.

“some of them have come from a great distance” This shows how Jesus’ fame as a miracle worker had spread. Desperate people go anywhere, try anything for help!

8:4 “ ‘Where will anyone be able to find enough bread’ ” Even if they had the money there was still no place to purchase food. Jesus was testing the disciples’ faith in His provision! They failed again (cf. 6:34–44).

8:6 “sit down” This refers to a reclining position, which implied get ready for food.

8:6–8 “bread … fish” This was the normal daily diet of the people of Palestine. This is so similar to 6:34–44.

“gave thanks” This prayer of blessing over food acknowledges God’s daily care and provision (cf. Matt. 6:11). Jews always prayed before eating.

“broke … served” This is an AORIST followed by an IMPERFECT TENSE. The miracle of multiplication occurred when Jesus broke the bread (cf. 6:41).

8:8 “seven large baskets full of what was left over” This is a different word for basket from 6:43. These baskets were very large (cf. Acts 9:25). These remaining pieces were collected for later use. However, from v. 14 we learn the disciples forgot and left them.

8:9 “About four thousand” Matthew15:83 adds “men,” which means the crowd was larger. There were probably not a large number of women and children in this isolated area, but there were surely some.

8:10 “immediately” See note at 1:10.

“the district of Dalmanutha” There are several variants in this phrase. The problem is that no place by this name was known in the Palestine of Jesus’ day. Therefore, scribes changed the place name to match Matthew’s “Magadan” (NKJV “Magdala”).[2]



What is it that we are to learn from this event?  While there are obviously many ways to answer that question, I want us to focus on what this event reveals to us about the nature of God. It iss one thing to know about God on the intellectual level, but it's quite another thing to experience God on the emotional level.  It is not enough for us just to say God exists.  That's a conclusion we can reach intellectually but by itself it is not really very satisfying to us.  There is something in us which demands more.  We must know God.  We must have a personal understanding of Him and relationship with Him.



It is this second level of knowing on which the Bible focuses...the Bible does not really make a case for God's existence...it assumes that God is...that's the great underlying premise of all of Scripture...can be seen in the very first statement in the Bible... "In the beginning God..."...if you happened to be an atheist, the Bible is not really for you...that's because it begins at a place the atheist has not yet reached...



Instead of focusing on the question "Does God exist?" the Bible focusses on questions such as "What is God like?  What difference should God make in my life?  What does God expect from me?"... throughout the Scripture we see God revealing Himself, making Himself known to the world...first through the patriarchs - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph...then through Moses and the Law...then through some of the great kings of Israel such as David and Solomon...then through the prophets...and finally, God revealed Himself ultimately and completely in Jesus...



As Paul put it in Colossians, "...in Christ there is all of God in a human body..." or as John so beautifully said it, "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God...and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us..."...therefore, whenever we look at anything Jesus said or did in the Bible, there is always something to learn from that word or deed about God...for that is why He came to our world--to show us what God is like and to provide us a way to live in personal relationship with God...



This account of Jesus feeding the multitude in Mark 8 reveals to us some significant truths about God.



I.  God does not play favorites

1.   One of the primary differences between the miracle of feeding the 5000 in Mark 6 and the miracle of feeding the 4000 in Mark 8 is the location in which the events occurred...the first miraculous feeding took place near Bethsaida, somewhere near the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee...but this miracle took place in the region of Decapolis, an area south of the Sea of Galilee which was made up of 10 Roman cities...and significant thing about that is Bethsaida is primarily a Jewish area...the 5000 fed in Mark 6 were Jewish people...but Decapolis was primarily a Gentile area...the 4000 fed in Mark 8 were primarily Gentiles, non-Jewish people...

2.   That Jesus would care enough about Jewish people to provide them food would not seem strange to the disciples...after all, at that point it time they held the popular misconception that when the Messiah came, he would come only for Jewish people...but that Jesus would care enough about Gentiles to do the same kind of miracle for them was an eye opener...these were people they had been taught to refer to as "dogs" but Jesus went out of His way to provide them both spiritual food for their souls and physical food for their bodies...

3.   And in doing so Jesus was revealing that with God there are no favorites...once we grasp that, the implications are mind boggling...understanding that God does not play favorites, will revolutionize how we relate to other people...it means we have no right to degrade any person...to manipulate or use people for our selfish purposes...to play one person against another...to demean those who may differ in some way from us....



II.  God wants us to share our needs with Him

1.   The conversation between Jesus and disciples in vv.2-5 very interesting...in vv.2-3 Jesus stated His concern about the hungry multitude...the hunger of the people had not slipped the disciples' attention and it appears from text they were just waiting for Jesus to bring it up...they remembered the previous miraculous feeding, and they were ready for another...

2.   In v.4 they didn't come right out and ask Jesus to feed the crowd... perhaps they felt that would be presumptuous...but they did ask an obviously leading question..."Where would anyone be able to find enough to satisfy these men with bread here in a desolate place?"...kind like when Carol looks at me and says, "I wonder who I can get to take out the trash?"...not really a question...it's a statement and I know the appropriate response...and that's how Jesus took the disciples' question in v.4...

3.   Now notice what happened next...Jesus asked in v.5, "How many loaves do you have?"...same question He asked them in chapter 6 when fed the 5000...but there's an important difference in the disciples' response...before when He asked the question Mark tells us they had to go find out...but this time they already knew...they immediately answered "seven"..

4.   What want you see in all that is disciples were prepared...they knew would have opportunity of sharing their need with Jesus..



1.   That's how God is toward us...He wants us turn to Him in time of need...desires for us to seek help from Him...

--Psalmist said it well in Psalm 46:1 - "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble..."

--Jesus put it this way..."Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest." [Matt.11:28]

--Peter put it this way in I Peter 1:7 - "Cast all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you."

2.   And when we take our needs to God, we find a God who is willing to help...not like man read about this week whose wife became ill in middle of a stormy night...called family physician and said, "Doc, you must come to my house right now.  My wife is sick!"...doctor said, "I'll be glad to come, but my car is in the shop so you will need to come pick me up."...as listened to wind howl and rain come down man said, "You mean, you want me to come out on a night like this?" [The Issachar Factor, p.34]

3.   Most of us are more like that man than care to admit...talk about helping people, but when comes right down to it don't want go out of our way do anything for anybody...and because we're that way, we tend assume God is that way...but this story reveals God desires share needs with Him and He is ever willing to help...



III. God's provisions are always adequate

1.      There are two significant things about God's provision for our needs in this story which we must not miss...

·         First, look at what is said in v.6...tells us Jesus took the loaves of bread and "...gave thanks and broke them, and started giving them to His disciples to serve them, and they served them to the multitude."...that is, Jesus didn't just miraculous produce a huge pile of bread all at once...the disciples started serving with the little they had and has they had need for more, the Lord provided it...had I been among the disciples that day, I'd probably been worrying about what we were going to do when we ran out of bread...I'd wanted to see a big pile and divide it up so as to be sure it would meet the need...but more often than not, that is not how God provides... instead, He tells us to step out in faith, using what we have, and trust Him to provide more...and that principle can be seen time and time again in the Scripture...

·         Second thing that is interesting about God’s provision is what was left over...Mark tells us in v.8 that they picked up "seven large baskets full"...if compare to the 12 baskets full collected after the Jewish people were fed in ch.6, might conclude God provided more for the Jews than the Gentiles... but that's not the case...as we saw earlier, tshe word for basket in ch.6 means small wicker lunch basket...but the word for basket in this story is different...it means large hamper, big enough to hold a man...one commentator says the 12 baskets left over after feeding the Jews represents God's full provision for the 12 tribes of Israel ...and the 7 baskets (seven being the biblical number of fullness and completion) left over after feeding the Gentiles represents God full provision for the whole world...

5.   Point is that God's provision for our every need --spiritual, physical, and emotional-- is adequate...

CONCLUSION

1.      Samuel Shoemaker, who served as a pastor many years in New York City and Pittsburgh and was the spiritual father of Alcoholics Anonymous, wrote the following little poem after taking a walk with his first grandchild:

He takes my hand, my little boy and feels as safe as safe can be;

Talking as we walk along, I with him, and he with me.

I take my Father's hand in faith, Though where He leads, I may not see;

My hand is given into His.  I trust Him as my child trusts me.

2.   The feeding of the 4000 in Mark 8 reminds us that with confidence and child-like trust we can give our hand to God because He is a God--

--Who does not play favorites...He loves us all...

--Who desires that we bring our needs to Him...

--Who responds to our need with adequate provision...





[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1992). Wiersbe’s expository outlines on the New Testament (121–122). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[2] Utley, R. J. D. (2000). Vol. Volume 2: The Gospel According to Peter: Mark and I & II Peter. Study Guide Commentary Series (90–91). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.

Mark 7:24-37


Mark 7:24-37

(A Bible Study Led by Dr. Larry Reynolds)

July 19, 2012



In this section of Mark we have recorded two interesting encounters between Jesus and an unnamed woman (Mark 7:24-30) and an unnamed man (Mark 7:31-37).  There is much for us to learn from each of these encounters.



Mark 7:24-30 – The encounter between Jesus and this woman provides us an amazing demonstration of faith that is great.  This woman is one of only two people in the gospel records who were commended by Jesus for having great faith.  In Matthew 8 Jesus complimented a Roman centurion for his great faith.  In Matthew's account of this event, Jesus told this woman, "...your faith is great; be it done to you as you wish..."  From her example I want share with you today some characteristics of faith that is great.  Faith is essential to our existence.  It is just as important as the air we breathe or the food we eat.  We cannot really live without faith.  Harold Blake Walker put it this way: "Either we live by faith or we do not live at all.  Either we venture or we vegetate... This story reveals three characteristics of great faith.



I.  Great faith is courageous

1.   Because our culture/customs are so different from those in NT world, hard for us understand kind of courage it took for this woman to approach Jesus...all kinds of things were working against her...

--  She was a woman - In that day women did not have same rights as men...were considered more property than persons...Jesus was recognized as a rabbi/teacher...no respected rabbi would converse with a woman in public, and especially true of woman who had ethnic/religious background this woman had...was a sect of Jewish rabbis called "The bruised and bleeding Pharisees"...called that because when saw woman coming their way would close their eyes and move away as quickly as possible...along way would bump into things putting bruises on their bodies ...the fact Jesus conversed with this woman would be scandalous to such people...took courage for a woman to approach an important teacher...

--    She was a Gentile - Mark says in v.26 she was "of the Syrophoenician race"...that is, she was from the coastal district of Phoenicia in the country of Syria...that was Gentile territory...she would have been considered unclean by almost any rabbi in the religious establishment...for all she knew, Jesus could well have had same view of her... took courage for a Gentile to approach an important teacher...

--    She was a Canaanite - Mark doesn't tell us that, but Matthew adds that piece of information...the Canaanites were ancient enemies of Israel...the Israelites had attempted to exterminate them when they entered the Promised Land...even in Jesus day, for a Canaanite to approach a Jew was risky...took courage for her to do so...

2.   No doubt if she told any of her friends/family that she intended to approach Jesus they would have said, "Don't do it!  The odds are too great.  There is too much against you.  You might be rejected...ridiculed...or worse.  Play it safe and you won't get hurt."...but her courage helped her overlook such bad advice...and she has become for us a wonderful example of courageous faith...

3.   An un-named philosopher wrote:  "There are not great people; rather, there are great challenges that ordinary people are forced to meet." Great faith doesn't look for reasons why something won't work; it looks for ways to make things work...doesn't shrink from big challenges; welcomes them!...



II.  Great faith is persistent

1.   Mark tells us in v.26 the woman "kept asking" Jesus to help her daughter...didn't ask once or twice or three times...but over and over again until got what she wanted...behind that statement is entire sequence of events which took place between Jesus and this woman...have look at story in Matthew's Gospel to get full picture...

--    First Jesus ignored her...perhaps to see how disciples would respond to her...she had no way knowing His motives but kept on asking...

--    Then disciples became impatient with her and said, in effect, "Lord, do what she wants and send her away."...Lord's response must have been devastating to her...said, "I was sent only to lost sheep house of Israel..."...believe again was testing disciples and perhaps the woman...she had no way of knowing  that but kept on asking...

--    Then, Lord turned to woman and tested her faith directly...said, "...it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs."...the word "children" in that statement refers to Jewish people...the word "dogs" was common way for Jews to refer to Gentiles...in making that statement Jesus was asking the woman, "Aren't you aware of the conventional wisdom of the day?  Haven't you heard that some people are more important to God than others?" ...Jesus certainly didn't buy into such philosophy...however she had no way of knowing that but even that didn't discourage her...with quick wit she said, "...but even the dogs under the table feed on the children's crumbs."...

2.   What want you see in all that is this woman had kind of faith simply would not  give up...it would not quit...she kept asking and asking and asking until she got what she came to get....

3.   That's kind faith God wants His people to have...faith that doesn't give up...faith that overcomes obstacles...faith that keeps on keeping on...faith that as Apostle Paul said in Philippians "presses on toward the mark of the high calling  of God in Christ Jesus..."



1.   This month the summer Olympics are opening in London.  One of most moving moments in Olympic history took place on October 20, 1968, about 7:00 p.m. in Mexico City...only handful of spectators remained in the Olympic stadium....more than an hour before the winner of the 26 mile marathon crossed the finish line...not long after runner after runner made way into stadium and finished the race...when everyone thought the race was long over, a single runner entered the stadium...was John Stephen Akhwari from Tanzania...had seriously injured his knee in fall early in the race...leg was bloody and bandage and he grimaced with each step...but hobbled around the 400 meter track, crossed the finish line, and slowly walked off the field...when was asked why he did that here's what he said:  "My country did not send me 7,000 miles to start the race.  They sent me 7,000 miles to finish the race."[Proclaim, OND, 1994, p.37]

2.   The Christian life is like a race...it's a journey...a pilgrimage ...faith that is great is persistent...it perseveres to the very end...



III.  Great faith is strengthened by adversity

1.   The woman obviously distraught over illness daughter...Mark simply says her daughter “…had an unclean spirit…”  Matthew is more graphic describing her as being "cruelly demon possessed…"for some time had watched child suffer...and, of course, that was terribly difficult...

2.   But did not weaken faith...strengthened...didn't cause her turn from God in bitterness...drew her to Him…Difficulty, adversity, tragedy, heartache will affect our relationship with God...that's a given...but question is how will it affect that relationship...will either make us bitter, resentful, and drive us away or will make realize how dependent are and draw us to...great faith is kind which causes us turn to God and is strengthened in adversity...



I realize that many people scoff at the concept of and need for faith in our lives.  They say that faith is for the emotionally and intellectually weak.  But those who make such assertions generally misunderstand biblical faith.  They think of  faith as "blind acceptance of that which cannot be  proved" rather than commitment to the God of the  universe.  The woman in this story demonstrates faith as commitment...commitment that is courageous...that is persistent...and that is strengthened in adversity...That's the kind of faith God wants His people to have...



Mark 7:31-37 – This particular encounter is unique to the Gospel of Mark.  After leaving Tyre, Jesus traveled north through Sidon.  Then He turned to the southeast and went to the mountainous region south and east of the Sea of Galilee known as Decapolis (league of ten cities).



We live in a culture that is becoming increasingly secular.  We in the United States now live in what many theologians refer to as the "post-Christian era.”  In the book, How to Reach Secular People, George G. Hunter III points out the church in the western world no longer enjoys a "home court advantage."  He points out that in the United States alone there are at least 120 million secular people whose lives are not significantly influenced by the Christian faith.  The Scripture makes it clear that the mission of Christians is to impact our culture with the good news of Jesus.  In this paragraph Jesus provides a model of how to do that. 



I.  Be sensitive and compassionate

1.   Can't read the story without seeing the sensitivity and compassion Jesus displayed toward  this man.  Verse 33 tells us two significant things Jesus did: 

·         "And He took him aside from the multitude by himself..."...all of his life this man had been a public spectacle...even though he couldn't hear what the people were saying, no doubt he knew that some people would make jokes about his condition...he'd probably seen children pointing at him as if he were some circus freak...Jesus in no way wanted to add to that burden... He had no desire to embarrass the man or make the man's healing a public attraction...with tender, understanding, compassionate spirit Jesus pulled the man away from the crowd and dealt with him in a private manner...

·         “He touched…”  Jesus didn't have to do that...could have merely spoken a word and the man would have been healed...or could have had one of the disciples touch the man for Him...but Jesus reached out and put His hands on the man...why did He do that?...one person said it was just "the instinct of a his loving heart" [Hughes, p.181]... I like that!...was just the natural thing for Jesus to do...

2.   Can't read v.33 without seeing the great sensitivity and compassion of Jesus...to impact people in a positive way with the gospel we must have the kind of compassion Jesus had...the kind which causes us to reach out and touch people in a gentle, understanding, sensitive, caring way...



II.  Be dependent on God

1.   At same time Jesus reached out to the man in need, He also looked up to God...look at the first phrase of v.34 - "...an looking up to heaven with a deep sigh..."...the looking up to heaven was an outward, visible indication of Jesus' dependence on the Father...Jesus wanted the man to know the source of His power...

2.   The "deep sigh" was probably a prayer...in Romans 8 the same word that is used here is used in connection with prayer...and the point of all that is Jesus was able to help this man because He was in touch with and dependent upon God...



III. Be simple and direct

1.   Mark records that Jesus said only one word to this man...it was an Aramaic word which means "be opened or be released" ...but that single word radically changed this man's entire life...

2.   And basically, God has given us one word to share with our world...the word Jesus...whatever else we do and whatever else the world hears from us, if we are not clearly proclaiming the gospel/good news of Jesus, we are not doing what God has called us to do...

3.   The message the world should hear from us clearly and consistently is, "For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life."

4.   Charles Haddon Spurgeon once walked into what he thought was an empty auditorium where he was scheduled to preach later that day...decided to test the acoustics of the room, so he repeated several times the words of I John 1:7 - "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin."...Spurgeon later learned that a worker in the auditorium heard those words and gave his life to Christ...

5    .To reach people for Christ, we must be faithful in proclaiming that wonderful word God has given to us...

     

That’s a good formula for impacting our increasingly secular culture:  Be compassionate, be dependent on God, and be clear.

Mark 7:1-23


Mark 7:1-23

A Bible Study led by Dr. Larry Reynolds

July 5, 2012



            There is basic human tendency to make things more complicated and difficult than they really need to be.  Modern technology has given us the means of taking this tendency to new heights.  Our computers, smart phones, tablets, etc. that are ostensibly designed to make life better and less complicated, often add layers of frustration and complexity to our lives.   

            However, this tendency to complicate is not confined to our day.  The Jews in the 1st century obviously knew how to make things more difficult and complex.  When asked about the greatest commandment, Jesus, quoting from the Old Testament mentioned two:  Love God and love your neighbor. (Matthew 22:37-40)  However, by Jesus day, the Jews had taken those two simple commands and built an elaborate system of 613 categories with hundreds of sub-categories of commands that must be followed.

            By the 1st century, the Jews were more concerned about their traditions than anything else.  This emphasis on tradition caused the Jewish establishment to clash with Jesus.  This can clearly be seen in Mark 7:1-23.  Three times in this passage (vv.3, 5, & 8) the word tradition is used, referring to the Jewish oral tradition.  I know of no place in Scripture where the difference between misguided religion based on human tradition and true religion based on godly principles is more clearly set forth.  I see in this passage two distinguishing differences between misguided religion and true religion.



Misguided religion is concerned about laws, rules, and regulations while true religion is concerned about people (Verses 1-13)

      Verse 1

“And” – This word ties the events of chapter 7 with what occurred at the end of chapter 6.  This is significant because there is, as we shall see in a moment, a deliberate contrast between the actions of the people in chapter 6 and the Pharisees and scribes in chapter 7.



“…the Pharisees and some of the scribes…” – The Pharisees were Judaism’s religious fundamentalists of the 1st century.  They were harsh, judgmental, legalistic, and viewed themselves as the keepers or protectors of Jewish law and tradition.  The scribes were experts in the law, and the Pharisees looked to them for interpretation of the law.  Upon reading this verse, one person quipped anytime you see a group of religious zealots followed by a pack of lawyers heading your way, you know you’re in for trouble!



“...they had come from Jerusalem…” - To this point in time Jesus' ministry had been pretty much confined to the area around the Sea of Galilee.  However, His reputation as teacher and miracle worker had spread to Jerusalem, the seat of religious power, about 60 miles to the south of Galilee.  By this time the religious leaders were always following Him to find fault (cf. 3:22; John 1:19). They apparently were an official fact-finding committee from the Sanhedrin of Jerusalem. The Sanhedrin was made up of 70 ruling priestly families (Sadducees), local religious leaders (i.e. Pharisees), and local wealthy land owners.[1]

Verse 2

“…had seen…” – They were looking for something to criticize.  The only way they would have known the disciples were eating with “impure hands” would have been to have followed them around.  For the impurity was not outward dirt but a failure to wash according to Jewish custom.

“…impure…” - This is the Greek term koinos, which means “common” or “available to all.” It is the name moderns give to the common Greek of Jesus’ day. [2]  It was a technical term among Jews denoting whatever was contaminated according to their religious rituals and thus was unfit to be called holy or devoted to God.[3]



Verses 3-4

These verses constitute an extended parenthesis in which Mark explained, for the benefit of his Gentile readers who lived outside Palestine, the common Jewish practice of ceremonial washing.

The ritual washing regulations were observed by the Pharisees and all the Jews (a generalization depicting their custom) as part of the tradition of the elders which they followed scrupulously. These interpretations, designed to regulate every aspect of Jewish life, were considered as binding as the written Law and were passed on to each generation by faithful Law teachers (scribes). Later, in the third century a.d., the oral tradition was collected and codified in the Mishnah which, in turn, provided the foundation for and structure of the Talmud.

The most common ritual cleansing was the washing of one’s hands with a handful of water, a formal practice required before eating food (cf. tdnt, s.v. “katharos,” 3:418-24). This was especially important after a trip to the marketplace where a Jew would likely come in contact with an “unclean” Gentile or such things as money or utensils.[4]

Their question had nothing do with hygiene..  It had to do with the disciples failing to observe the laws regarding ritualistic washings which supposedly set Jewish people apart from non-Jews.  The Jews were very serious about such ritualistic washings.  One of their books contained 35 pages of instructions on just how to wash in proper, ritualistic way dishes.  They were even more radical when came to washing of one's hands.



Verse 5 - "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?"  To understand how silly, ludicrous,  and superficial that question was, we need to look back at what was happening at this time in Jesus ministry.  The last paragraph of chapter 6 tells us this was a time when many people were being healed.  The blind were receiving sight, the lame were walking, and lepers were being made whole.  And in midst of such astonishing events, all these religious inquisitors could think to ask was, "Why don't your disciples was their hands in the approved way before they eat?"  When these "theological hit men" from Jerusalem looked at Jesus ministry, they didn't see the people being helped.  They saw the rules being broken, and they cared more about rules and regulations than about people.



Verses 6-13 – The response of Jesus to their question was withering.  Instead of answering their question directly, quoting from the prophet Isaiah he accused them of hypocrisy.  They gave more weight to their religious traditions than they did to the Word of God on which they claimed their traditions were based.  As a result, they ended up serving their traditions rather than God!  Notice the downward regression in their thought process:

1.      They neglected the commandments of God, instead focusing on human traditions.  Instead of looking at what the Word of God said, they looked more at what their teachers said about the Word of God. (verse 8)

2.      This led them to set aside the commandments of God in favor of their traditions.  If there was a conflict between the Word of God and their traditions, traditions always won out. (verse 9)

3.      The result was that they were no longer governed or controlled by God’s Word but by their traditions. (verse 13)

Beginning in verse 10 we find an illustration of their hypocrisy. The word “Corban” in Hebrew means “gift.” One of the Ten Commandments requires that honor be given parents. This includes provision for their physical needs. Some were known to evade this parental duty by giving their estate to the Temple rather than to parents. It was easy from that point to find a loophole and keep one’s property, giving it neither to the Temple nor one’s parents. The hypocrisy is in saying one has given his property to God, and neither doing this nor caring for aged parents.[5]



Misguided religion focuses on the external actions while true religion focuses on the internal transformation (Verses 14-23)

1.   The Jewish religious leaders were concerned about external cleanliness...Jesus was concerned about internal cleanliness... the Jewish leaders viewed themselves as intrinsically good... Jesus knew that all people are intrinsically sinful...

2.   These two different views of the nature of humanity can still be seen in our world today...radical humanists and liberal theologians view people as being by nature good...they say there is nothing wrong with people that a better environment, more favorable living conditions will not cure...thus, in their thinking, the answer to all of society's ills becomes larger gov't programs and more effective social action...we can solve our own problems...we are our own gods...we need no help...

3.   While Christians should be concerned about the social ills facing our world...and while we should do what we can to meet the needs of people...we must never forget that our greatest need is not external but internal...the deepest needs of people and the greatest problems facing society will never be solved from the outside...they must be attacked from within because we have a bad heart!

4.   This is a recurring theme throughout the Scripture...

--Jeremiah said it this way:  "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.  Who can understand it?"

--Paul said it this say:  "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God" and "There is none who is righteous, no not one."

--Jesus said it this way in vv.21-23: "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness.  All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man."  Notice how this list deals more with inward attitudes than outward acts.  The outward acts are simply the visible expressions of the inward attitude.  The Jews judged a man by his outward conformity to law. The spirit, attitude, and motive of an individual more clearly reveals his true nature. Man tends to look on outward appearances, but God ever looks on the heart.[6]

5.   We cannot change ourselves from the outside in; we must be changed from the inside out!  What we need is a radical change in our heart!  Education, culture, social reform, revolution, and a new world order will not do it...the only answer to the human dilemma is regeneration and transformation from within...and that's exactly what Jesus came to our world to accomplish...He came to die for our sins and to give us a new heart...and we can do everything we can to change ourselves...we can polish the outside...we can educate ourselves...we can do good things...we can keep religious rituals...but until we allow Jesus to give us a new heart, we are hopelessly lost...

6.   Misguided religion does not understand this...true religion does...   



[1] Utley, R. J. D. (2000). Vol. Volume 2: The Gospel According to Peter: Mark and I & II Peter. Study Guide Commentary Series (80). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.
[2] Utley, R. J. D. (2000). Vol. Volume 2: The Gospel According to Peter: Mark and I & II Peter. Study Guide Commentary Series (80). Marshall, Texas: Bible Lessons International.
[3] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Mk 7:1–2). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[4] Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Mk 7:3–4). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[5] The teacher's Bible commentary. 1972 (F. H. Paschall & H. H. Hobbs, Ed.) (624). Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers.
[6] The teacher's Bible commentary. 1972 (F. H. Paschall & H. H. Hobbs, Ed.) (624). Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers.