Mark 7:1-13 / prep

Preparation

Pray

Create in us a clean heart, oh God. In the name of Jesus, amen.

Just Meditate

Questions for the passage / first illumination

Why were the pharisees drawn to him? / 1

What is wrong with tradition?

They were not only worried about having clean hands, but clean cups

“defiled”

I wonder how Jesus said verse 6

“hypocrites”

Lord, Lord, people…

Is your heart close to God?

It is possible to worship God in vain (Lord, don’t let our worship be in vain)

The commands of the Lord were not the problem. Jesus did not come to abolish the law.

They twist and dilute the word (especially the consequences of sin)

“many such things”

*remember that God in the flesh is speaking to them

Mood/Emotion of the Passage

Confrontational

Word-studies

None for now

Cross References / Passages that illustrate

“Lord, Lord”

“Curse those made in the likeness of God”

Commentary

Context / Overview

Versus

1

“It was not unusual for them to follow Him from place to place simply to watch for something to criticize.” Warren W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1996), 133.

“This delegation from Jerusalem already made up their mind about Jesus and looked for something to confirm their opinion.” - guzik

2

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3

“This ritual had nothing to do with hygiene; it was purely ceremonial to get rid of whatever defilement the Jews accidentally picked up from the Gentiles or Samaritans.” Warren W. Wiersbe, Wiersbe’s Expository Outlines on the New Testament (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1992), 119.4

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5

“Many Pharisees and scribes intend to convict Jesus of breaking the written Law of Moses” - esv study

6

“This is the whole idea behind the word hypocrite. The word in the ancient Greek language referred to “an actor” or “someone who wears a mask.” The image they promote is more important to them than what they actually are.” - guzik

7

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8

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9

“Not only are human traditions ineffective for cleansing the heart, they actually lead to disregard for God’s word.” - esv study

10

“Part of honoring Father and Mother is to care for them, both financially and personally, in their old age. However, Jewish tradition allowed that funds originally dedicated to the care of parents could be declared Corban, meaning the person would no longer be required to do anything.” - esv study

11

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12

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13

“In this way, they would appear to be generous supporters of God’s work, when actually they were cheapskates avoiding family obligations. Tony Evans, The Tony Evans Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible, 2019), 1155.”

Application

Relational application (love your neighbor)

Thinking application (mind)

Some approach God with their minds made up, ready to catch him doing or saying something they do not agree with.

Enneagram, personality tests, financial practices, leadership ideas

What “many such things” are we guilty of?

Feeling application (heart, soul)

It is possible to worship God in vain.

Action application (strength)

If you claim to be a Christian, how closely does your life match your claims?

Never turn your preferences or opinions into demands from heaven.

Illustration

Verbal Illustrations

Begin with “I don’t want to go to church because they are hypocrites.”

“These people make a big show of saying the right thing,

but their heart isn’t in it.

They act like they are worshiping me,

but they don’t mean it.

They just use me as a cover

for teaching whatever suits their fancy,

Ditching God’s command

and taking up the latest fads.” Eugene H. Peterson, The Message: The Bible in Contemporary Language

“Another rabbi was imprisoned by the Romans, and he used his ration of water for ceremonial cleansing instead of drinking, nearly dying of thirst. He was regarded as a great hero for this sacrifice.” - Guzik

Enneagram, personality tests, financial practices, leadership ideas

Stuffing dirty clothes under a made bed to make the room appear clean

Ironbridge is cleaning and organizing. Are we clean and at peace in our hearts?

“did God actually say”

Visual Illustrations

Have some sweet tea, dilute it with water

Audience

pains/problems

Some may be tempted to make assumptions about God or our traditions.

Some seem close to God, but their heart is 100000 miles away.

Some are twisting or diluting the word of God

passions/purposes

Some want to know how to get close to God

Some no longer want to be hypocrites

Questions/arguments they may have for the text

Corbon?

What’s wrong with tradition?

Pre outline

Main Ideas of the text

Jesus’ practices are judged by the traditions of man

The hypocrisy of the externally religious is exposed by their clinging to man-size thinking.

They void God’s good path with a lesser tradition.

So what?

You may be hypocritical, you need to embrace that truth to change.

What would this look like lived out?

Embrace the word of God over the ever-changing opinions of man.

Title ideas

Hypocrisy Exposed

Hope for Hypocrites, Like Me

Heart over How

The distance from your lips to your heart.

Potential Outlines

Clean cups, Distant Hearts, Hypocrisy Exposed