Faith, Signs & Realities of Faith, Mark 7:1-8:26 Week 7 8/13

I. Teaching concerning the things that defile from within, 7:1-23

Teaching concerning the things that defile from within,

A. The reason for the message ()

Mark 7:1–5 ESV

1 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?”

B. The rebuke in the message (7:6–23)

1. The prophecy (); ()

Mark 7:6–7 ESV

6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 7 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

Isaiah 29:13 ESV

13 And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,

2. The parental example ()

Mark 7:8–13 ESV

8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” 9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban” ’ (that is, given to God)— 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

Teaching concerning the things that defile from within,

3. The preaching (7:14–23)

a. Proclaiming ():

Mark 7:14–16 ESV

14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”

b. Explaining (7:17–23)

(1) It’s not the intake ().

Mark 7:17–19 ESV

17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)

(2) It’s the output ().

Mark 7:20–23 ESV

20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

II. Casting a demon out of a Canaanite daughter, 7:24-30

A. The brokenhearted mother (7:24–26)

1. The place ()

Mark 7:24 ESV

24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden.

2. The problem ()

Mark 7:25 ESV

25 But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet.

3. The plea ()

Mark 7:26 ESV

26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.

B. The kindhearted Messiah (7:27–30)

1. His reminder ()

Mark 7:27 ESV

27 And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

2. The response (7:28–30)

a) The reasoning ()

Mark 7:28 ESV

28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

b) The reward ()

Mark 7:29–30 ESV

29 And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

III. Healing a deaf and dumb man, 7:31-37

A. The desperation of the man ()

Mark 7:31–32 ESV

31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis. 32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him.

B. The declaration of the Messiah (7:33–37)

1. What he does: ()

Mark 7:33 ESV

33 And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue.

2. What he says (7:34–37)

(a) To the deaf ears ()

Mark 7:34–35 ESV

34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.

(b) To the crowd ()

Mark 7:36–37 ESV

36 And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

IV. Feeding the four thousand,

A. His concern (8:1–4, 9–10)

1. The problem he faces (, )

Mark 8:1 ESV

1 In those days, when again a great crowd had gathered, and they had nothing to eat, he called his disciples to him and said to them,

Mark 8:9–10 ESV

9 And there were about four thousand people. And he sent them away. 10 And immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha.

2. The pity he feels ()

Mark 8:2–3 ESV

2 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been with me now three days and have nothing to eat. 3 And if I send them away hungry to their homes, they will faint on the way. And some of them have come from far away.”

3. The pessimism he finds ()

Mark 8:4 ESV

4 And his disciples answered him, “How can one feed these people with bread here in this desolate place?”

B. His command (8:5–8)

1. The amount of food ()

Mark 8:5–7 ESV

5 And he asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven.” 6 And he directed the crowd to sit down on the ground. And he took the seven loaves, and having given thanks, he broke them and gave them to his disciples to set before the people; and they set them before the crowd. 7 And they had a few small fish. And having blessed them, he said that these also should be set before them.

2. The abundance of food ()

Mark 8:8 ESV

8 And they ate and were satisfied. And they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full.

V. Not giving a sign to the Pharisees,

A. The Pharisees’ demand ()

Mark 8:11 ESV

11 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him.

B. The Messiah’s denial ()

Mark 8:12–13 ESV

12 And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” 13 And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.

VI. Warning concerning the leaven of the Pharisees and of Herod,

A. The caution ()

Mark 8:14–15 ESV

14 Now they had forgotten to bring bread, and they had only one loaf with them in the boat. 15 And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

B. The confusion ()

Mark 8:16 ESV

16 And they began discussing with one another the fact that they had no bread.

C. The clarification ()

Mark 8:17–21 ESV

17 And Jesus, aware of this, said to them, “Why are you discussing the fact that you have no bread? Do you not yet perceive or understand? Are your hearts hardened? 18 Having eyes do you not see, and having ears do you not hear? And do you not remember? 19 When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” They said to him, “Twelve.” 20 “And the seven for the four thousand, how many baskets full of broken pieces did you take up?” And they said to him, “Seven.” 21 And he said to them, “Do you not yet understand?”

VII. Healing a blind man in Bethsaida,

A. Jesus’ first touch ()

Mark 8:22–24 ESV

22 And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. 23 And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” 24 And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.”

B. Jesus’ second touch ()

Mark 8:25–26 ESV

25 Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. 26 And he sent him to his home, saying, “Do not even enter the village.”