Cleansing and Defilement

Introduction

Gospel of Mark

New Section

Last Section: Growing in Popularity

Today: Set up for new chapter in Jesus’s ministry

We’ll see he has a clash with the religious leaders about cleanliness

And in the coming weeks we’ll see him heading off into Gentile areas to continue his ministry

Scripture Reading:

(SLIDES)

Mark 7:1–23 CSB

1 The Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him. 2 They observed that some of his disciples were eating bread with unclean—that is, unwashed—hands. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, keeping the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they have washed. And there are many other customs they have received and keep, like the washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and dining couches.) 5 So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders, instead of eating bread with ceremonially unclean hands?” 6 He answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines human commands. 8 Abandoning the command of God, you hold on to human tradition.” 9 He also said to them, “You have a fine way of invalidating God’s command in order to set up your tradition! 10 For Moses said: Honor your father and your mother; and Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death. 11 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or mother: Whatever benefit you might have received from me is corban’ ” (that is, an offering devoted to God), 12 “you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. 13 You nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many other similar things.” 14 Summoning the crowd again, he told them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: 15 Nothing that goes into a person from outside can defile him but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” 17 When he went into the house away from the crowd, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 He said to them, “Are you also as lacking in understanding? Don’t you realize that nothing going into a person from the outside can defile him? 19 For it doesn’t go into his heart but into the stomach and is eliminated” (thus he declared all foods clean). 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, 22 adulteries, greed, evil actions, deceit, self-indulgence, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a person.”

(SLIDES)

Outline

Trust in Human Tradition

The Problem of Defilement

A Deeper Solution

Trust in Human Tradition

(SLIDES)

Mark 7:5–8 CSB

5 So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders, instead of eating bread with ceremonially unclean hands?” 6 He answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines human commands. 8 Abandoning the command of God, you hold on to human tradition.”

The Problem of Religion and Religious Traditions

A Problem back then

Ceremonial washing

Dirt, Disease, Decay

In the Bible

Fences

Legalism misses the point

EX. Driving vs Following the Rules

Corban

Honor Parents

(SLIDES)

Mark 7:13 CSB

13 You nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many other similar things.”

Using God or ‘religion’ to go against the heart of the command

Same Problem today

Pastors putting ‘ministry’ before family

“I can’t hang out with those people because they aren’t Christian”

Coops vs Campus Ministries

But these religious traditions—or cultural expectations—don’t actually make God proud of us any more

The essence of Christianity what God has done for us, not how we can get on God’s good side

Every religion is man reaching to God

Christianity is God reaching down to man

(SLIDES)

"The Christian does not think God will love us because we are good, but that God will make us good because He loves us.”

—C.S. Lewis

Today we are talking about one particular aspect of religion

Cleansing

The Problem of Defilement

(SLIDES)

Mark 7:17–23 CSB

17 When he went into the house away from the crowd, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 He said to them, “Are you also as lacking in understanding? Don’t you realize that nothing going into a person from the outside can defile him? 19 For it doesn’t go into his heart but into the stomach and is eliminated” (thus he declared all foods clean). 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, 22 adulteries, greed, evil actions, deceit, self-indulgence, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a person.”

One thing all humanity shares, is that we are dirty

Maybe you’ve realized this already (or not)

Defilement comes from within

Verse 15, 20 and 23

Sin does to the soul what dirt, disease, and decay do to the body

Alienate, Stains, Destroys

We are in a world that is defiled by sin

(SLIDES)

Our sin

Sin done to us

Sin done in our presence

Because of this we all have a tainted dirtiness from being in this world

Every human is seeking cleansing from this

Our culture

(Primarily) Blame

Others (left & right)

Circumstances

We see a vice list (covers all of it), some stick out to us

We focus on the one that isn’t our problem (I’m not a murderer)

Social Justice

Doing good doesn’t remove the stain on us

Self-Improvement

Therapy

Achievement & Success

Self-Medicate

Alcohol, drugs, social media, Netflix

We live in a cancerous world

It’s all around us, spreading

But the harder truth to swallow is that we are part of the problem

We think the problem is out there

No matter how fast you run; you can’t outrun your shadow

Around 1910, the London Times requested essays responding to the prompt, “What is wrong with the world?” Chesterton’s response was brief:

“Dear Sirs, I am. Yours sincerely, G.K. Chesterton”

Taking a step back to where we are in the story

The commotion is: Jesus’s disciples eating without ceremonial washing

The problem isn’t external

It’s internal—not amount of washing is going to make them clean

So the solution can’t just be external—it has to reach deep

There has to be a:

The Deeper Solution

(SLIDES)

Mark 7:18–20 CSB

18 He said to them, “Are you also as lacking in understanding? Don’t you realize that nothing going into a person from the outside can defile him? 19 For it doesn’t go into his heart but into the stomach and is eliminated” (thus he declared all foods clean). 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him.

How could he declare all foods clean?

That’s not tradition—That’s God’s word

NOT: God overlooks it//abolish-fulfill the law

He’s not saying sin doesn’t defile you

He is saying: There’s a new way to get and stay clean

Stain-Free T-Shirts

Exchanging t-shirts

New life in Christ

(SLIDES)

Ephesian 4 21-24

New Living Translation Chapter 4

21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.

God solved our problem

By giving us a new nature, a new heart

Polluted Fountain

Filtering the water vs a new source

This is the gospel

We can’t clean ourselves up

But God has and will continue to keep us cleansed

Christians feel the ‘cooties’

We should go places that people think would defile us

Conclusion

Stay away from Sin

“I got a stain free t-shirt so now I can roll around in the mud”

That’s not how it works

Remember the defilement comes from within

If we continue to flirt with sin, we aren’t going to stay clean

Put off, put on

Make sure your guilt comes from Scripture

True defilement/false defilement

Bible vs Culture

3. Know the Antidote

The Blood of Jesus

(SLIDES)

1 John 1:9 CSB

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Spend time with God