Sermon Tone Analysis

Intro

Have you ever tried to clean up a broken thermometer?

Besides the tiny shards of glass, there is the danger of mercury droplets everywhere.

I would see a small spot of dirt and wipe it but it always smudged into a much bigger spot.

This has continued even months later I will try to wipe a spot clean only to find it smearing into a bigger mess.

In today’s message we will see that a clean heart is much more important to God than clean hands.

And I want our younger people to hear clearly right up front - this doesn’t mean you don’t have to listen to Dad and Mom when they tell you to wash up before dinner.

Series

We are continuing our series: The Crown & The Cross sermon.

Mark’s Gospel shows Jesus as a man of decisive action with a clear message and mission, and the reader is called to actively response to the message.

Mark divides Jesus’ life into two parts: his identity as Messiah and King over all things in the first 8 chapters (the crown) and then in the last 8 chapters we see Him fulfilling His life’s purpose in suffering and dying on the cross.

Last Sunday, we saw Jesus calming his disciples fears out on a stormy sea, helping them overcome their hard hearts of unbelief, and healing all who reached out to Him in faith.

It showcased Jesus’ power as King over all creation - including weather, laws of physics, and the ability to heal the human body.

Today in Mark chapter 7, a group of religious leaders seek out Jesus looking to discredit Him and his teaching with accusing his disciples of disregarding the traditions of the elders.

Jesus responded by pointing out the problems caused by people focusing more on outward actions than on their hearts.

We will see how religious people following traditions with the wrong motives can become hypocrites.

Jesus, the Son of God, has authority to interpret and declare the fulfillment of God’s OT laws.

We will see why we can't make ourselves clean, now matter how hard we try.

AND most importantly, God’s Word reveals that only Jesus can clean our hearts.

PRAY

READ Mark 7:1-23

Pharisees’ Accusation

(vv 1-5)

The Pharisees and Scribes were the religious leaders of the day.

They must have been hearing more and more about Jesus, because this is the second time Mark records them making the long trek from Jerusalem to check out this man from Nazareth, claiming to be Messiah, with all of these miracle accounts being told and retold.

They are looking for a way to discredit Jesus’ claim to be Messiah.

Last time they claimed he was casting out demons with power from the devil himself.

Jesus explained how illogical that was and then warned the people about the leaven or sin of the pharisees and the king Herod.

Another time, the pharisees challenged him because his disciples ate some grain as they walked through a field, but it was on the Sabbath - they said that was working.

Now the accusation was that some of his disciples were eating with defiled or unwashed hands.

How many of you were taught to always wash before eating?

No exceptions?

Origins of Netilat Yadayim from https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/hand-washing/

Traditionally, Jews are required to wash their hands and say a blessing before eating any meal that includes bread or matzah.

The ritual, known as netilat yadayim, is typically done using a special two-handled cup.

The common practice is to pour twice on the right hand followed by twice on the left (this is reversed for those who are left-handed).

Hasidic custom is to pour three times on each hand.

The tradition of netilat yadayim prior to eating bread originated with the rabbis who wrote the Talmud.

According to wikipedia “The Talmud is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law and Jewish theology.”

Notice: It’s not God’s Word that is their primary source of law and theology.

It’s their own human writings.

Does that sound familiar to some other religions?

Extra biblical texts or writings become the source instead of God’s Word.

That’s where people go way off track.

It was the reason for the protestant reformation.

God’s command was for the priests to publically, ceremonially wash before serving in the tabernacle or temple.

Making this a rule for everyone was a totally man-made tradition.

While washing your hands before eating is a good idea, this ritual of washing included no soap or scrubbing to actually clean the hands.

It was just for show.

Other Times for ritual washing

On Waking in the Morning

After a Meal

Upon Returning from a Cemetery

After going to the marketplace many took a full bath

In Jesus’ day, the Mishnah had 35 pages describing how to wash household vessels and other household items.

Other added Talmud rules to protect the Sabbath:

Can’t wear false teeth, because if they fall out, it would be work to pick them up.

Can’t carry a handkerchief in your pocket (carrying something is work), but you could wear one.

If a man had a wooden leg it might catch on fire and it would be work to carry it outside, so it’s better to not wear it on Sabbath.

Don’t look in a mirror on the Sabbath, because if you see a grey hair you will be tempted to put it out and perform work.

God's only actual commands for washing hands before eating applied to the priests and Levites who wash before serving in the tabernacle or temple.

It was to make them clean physically and to symbolize God’s holiness and no dirt or sin being allowed in his presence.

So this conflict was not only between God’s truth and man’s tradition, but also between two divergent views of sin and holiness.

The rabbis and pharisees appear to have added these extra man-made rules to become the experts in the law and to further distance themselves from the rest of the people.

Pride, control, and superiority seem to be their motivations rather than personal holiness and pleasing God.

This seems evident in the way Jesus responded.

Jesus’ Condemnation

(vv 6-13)

Rather than directly answering their question, as usual, Jesus turns it back to them with some serious accusations and a clear example to back it up.

When Jesus called the Pharisees “hypocrites,” he took a term from the theater meaning to play a part on stage.

Especially in Greek theater, actors wore various masks according to the roles they impersonated.

The word “hypocrite,” accordingly, comes to mean someone who acts a role without sincerity - a pretender.

Jesus quoted the prophet Isaiah who talked about people giving lip-service to God, but not really honoring Him or his commands.

He also said they were teaching man’s traditions as though they were God’s law or commands.

Then Jesus gave a specific example.

God’s Law says honor your father and mother and anyone who reviles or insults is parents must surely die.

But instead of obeying God their man-made tradition was called Corban.

Part of honoring one’s mother and father in the Jewish family was to take care of their needs when they got older.

Yet, one of the ingenious ways to get around this command was to pronounce something as Corban.

The word Corban literally means “an offering or gift dedicated to God.”

Here is how it worked.

According to this tradition, a person would set aside money they would have given to help their parents but then said the property or money was “Corban,” or dedicated to God, then that could not be given to any other person—even your parents.

It is a little like when someone gives you a birthday present - and when you open it, inside is a note saying we took the money we were going to use for your present and gave it to a charity instead.

But here was the real kicker - the hypocrisy of it all.

The corban gift dedicated to God could still be used by its owner for personal gain and gratification.

Therefore, by keeping the traditions of the elders a person was breaking one of the Ten Commandments—God’s law.

Even if people who claimed Corban and later had a change of heart and wanted to help their parents, they could not according to the pharisee’s rules.

And where did those properties and money ultimately go?

To the priests and pharisees in the temple.

v. 13 ends with - and many such things you do!

In other words, this is just one example of many more hypocritical rules.

Jesus defended His disciples actions and exposed the hypocrisy of their accusers.

They were not breaking God’s law, they were ignoring the manmade traditions.

Authoritative Declaration

(vv.

14–16)

Then Jesus called everyone around and made this unbelievable statement.

v. 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.”

Wait - was Jesus actually saying what you say or do is less important than what you think or believe?

I thought I was supposed to behave properly, show good manners, speak when spoken to, be respectful to my elders, not make a fuss.

If I do all those things won’t mommy and daddy be pleased with me?