Stories of the Rabbi 11

Mark 7:1-23 – More confrontations with the religious elite – setting the stage for Jerusalem

I. Mark 7:1-5 Leaving miracles aside for the moment, we turn back to the Pharisees

a. Vs. 1 – Pharisees and teachers of the Law

i. Up until this point, the Pharisees and scribes have been local Galilean religious leaders (except for Mark 3:22)

ii. That religious leaders have come from Jerusalem to confront Jesus is VERY significant

iii. His reputation and the reputation of the work done by Him through the disciples have obviously caused a still in the capital.

iv. How significant is this? It is like the difference between Rock Hill mayor John Getteys telling you to pay your parking ticket and President Donald Trump telling you to pay your parking ticket.

b. Vs. 2 – Handwashing? That’s what you are going to focus on?

i. Mark has mentioned the problem with eating and purity several times already (2:16, 24; 3:6)

ii. Each time, Jesus has turned the conversation back to the religious leaders, pointing out their hypocrisy

iii. The religious leaders were very concerned about this particular form of purity because they believed that what you put into your body, how you put it into your body, and whom you put it into your body with could defile your purity – your standing before God.

c. Vs. 3 – 4—The Pharisees had an elaborate system for washing their hands before eating, which made them pure before eating kosher food with the right people.

d. Vs. 5 – The religious leaders taught that outward actions and methods purified the individual. Inward cleansing could not happen without the outer works of sanctification.

i. Notice that Mark explains why handwashing was such a big deal to the Pharisees. Why do you think that is?

1. The readers of the Gospel were a mixed crowd of Jews and Gentiles. The Gentiles would have no reference to these customs and laws.

II. Mark 7: 6-13 Jesus fires back

a. Vs. 6 - 8 – Jesus tells the religious leaders that they have fulfilled a pretty harsh prophecy from Isaiah (read Isaiah 29:13-14)

i. Isaiah was written during Israel’s apostasy from the law. How was that similar to when Israel strictly followed the law?

1. During Isaiah’s time, Israel worshipped other gods and idols. The religious leaders of Jesus’ time had turned the law into an idol.

ii. Jesus calls them hypocrites - ὑποκριτής hypokritēs – meaning actor or one who covers their face with a mask

iii. For religious leaders, human traditions held more significant weight than the actual commands of God – read Deut. 6:4-5; Lev. 19:17-18

b. Vs. 9 – Jesus accuses the religious leaders of rejecting the true Law

i. Notice in vs. 8, Jesus states they let go of the commands

ii. In vs. 9, he ups the accusation by saying they “set aside” (NIV) - ἀθετέω atheteō means reject – they rejected the true Law of God

c. Vss. 10-13 Just one instance of hypocrisy

i. Vs. 10 – Jesus quotes Exodus 20:12; Deut. 5:16 and Exodus 21:17; Lev. 20:9 concerning honoring parents and the consequences of disrespect of one’s parents (elders)

ii. Vss. 11-12 – Jesus calls out a complicated technicality that the religious leaders used to let their parents sit in poverty.

1. Essentially, a religious leader could call his possessions and wealth “Corban” (Aramaic word – not Hebrew, this is not found anywhere in the Law) meaning it is dedicated to God’s work

2. Thus, in a culture where children were obliged to take care of their parents, the religious leaders circumvented this responsibility by this technicality.

iii. Vs. 13 – this action nullifies ἀκυρόω akyroō the word of God – tradition had a superior place over scripture. Jesus indicates that this one example of many more instances.

III. Mark 7:14-23 – an appeal to the crowd – True defilement

a. While reading this passage, notice the parallels between this and Mark 4

b. Vss. 14-15 – Jesus now turns towards the crowd and expands His teaching

i. It’s not what goes into a body that defiles them, but what comes out of the body

ii. As an aside, vs. 16 does not appear in the early manuscripts – you will not find it in most modern versions, but older versions (KJV, NKJV) will have it because those versions use newer manuscripts. Vs. 16 was added by a scribe somewhere in the transmission of the text – it is almost certain that Mark did not write this.

c. Vss. 17-19 – the 12 just don’t get it

i. 17 - Jesus and the 12 retire to a house where they ask Him the meaning of what He just taught

ii. 18 – Jesus seems a little cranky with them – consider all they have been through up to this point, and they still don’t get it.

iii. 19 – food cannot defile a person because it does not stay in the body but passes out

d. Vss. 20-23 – This passage is not about dietary laws but is about what truly makes one unclean

i. Vs. 20 – Jesus reiterates that what defiles a person is what comes out of their hearts

ii. Vss. 21-23 Jesus lists a bunch of sins – what is the common theme of all of these sins?

1. All of them defile the dignity of the person committing the sin and/or another person who receives harm from the sin.

2. Defiling the dignity of oneself or another person is a degradation of Deut. 6:4-5; Lev. 19:17-18

3. The root is from within a person. Thomas Aquinas called this the unmaking of the disassembling of the natural person – the person who has the image of the Creator stamped on them.

4. Sin is the degradation of the person; it is from the inside and comes from the heart - the essence of being – of a person.