Mark 7
COMMENTARY:
: 2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. (3201 “fault” [memphomai] means to blame, to scold, to upbraid, censure, to impute as blameworthy, or chide.)
DEVOTION: Remember that the Pharisees added commandments to those the LORD gave to Moses. They had at least 365 negative commandments added to the Law of Moses. They made these traditions in the Jewish community. If someone didn’t obey their traditions they were called a sinner.
God is the one who established the Law. HE gave it to Moses to help the children of Israel serve HIM. Jesus said that the Law showed people that they were sinners. Now we have another group adding to the Law and saying that they were sinners if they didn’t obey their law or a better word is tradition.
Jesus informed the Pharisees that the disciples did nothing wrong. Washing hands before eating is a good practice but not a Law of Moses. I have many grandchildren that don’t wash their hands before they eat and do other things. It is a good practice for them and everyone else to wash before they eat but not a sin.
There are many churches that have traditions that are not found in the Bible. I was in a church that sang the Doxology after taking the offering each Sunday. I decided to have a different song sung after taking the offering and was confronted by someone that this shouldn’t happen. They wanted only sing the Doxology after the offering because they had done it for so many years. It was a tradition.
Some traditions are good but not Biblical commandments. It is important that our worship services not cause people just through the motions instead of having a genuine time of practicing the presence of the LORD. Our services should cause people to concentrate on what is happening. Too often they can be like the prayer life of many people when they pray at bedtime. You know the prayer that begins “Now I lay me down to sleep ….”
CHALLENGE: Our worship of the LORD should use many means to practice the presence of the LORD. No routine should become a tradition in a church that stops helping people get closer to the LORD.
: 5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? (3862 “tradition” [paradosis] means teaching, that which is handed down, ordinance, or what is transmitted.)
DEVOTION: The Pharisee were watching the disciples to see which of their actions broke their teachings. They found one. The disciples didn’t wash their hands before they ate. They confronted Jesus regarding their actions.
Jesus answered them by quoting Isaiah. In the quote was the truth that people honor the LORD with their lips but their heart is far from the LORD. They just enjoyed making rules for people to follow. The religious leaders had made a large amount of rules for those who claimed to follow Jehovah. There was one for each day of the year. Those were just the negative rules.
They made rules that contradicted the commandments of God. Our churches make rules that are not found in the Scriptures. There are many external rules that don’t help our internal relationship with the LORD. The Pharisees did the same thing. They wanted the people to obey their rules over the commandments of God.
One example of that was they told children that if they promised their money to the synagogue, they wouldn’t have to help their parents. The commandment of God was told them to “honor their father and mother.” Jesus told them that it was a sin not to care for their parents in their old age or when they were needy.
Are we living an external life for the LORD or an internal life relationship with the LORD? The Pharisees lived an external life. Does that help us with the right answer to the question the Pharisees asked Jesus? Are we asking the questions regarding the teachings of our local church regarding traditions?
Our goal should be Biblical truth. Biblical truth is manifested not by living a moral life but by looking into the Word of God for what HE expects of us. There are many people who are morally right but wrong in their relationship to the LORD. The LORD wants more than just a moral individual, HE wants a servant. One thing HE expects is internal motives for serving HIM, not external actions to please people.
CHALLENGE: Look at what your church practices and see if it is based on the Word of God.)
: 20 And HE said, That which comes out of the man, that defiles the man. (2840 “defiles” [koinoo] means call common, pollute, render unhallowed, profane, ritually unacceptable, or impure.)
DEVOTION: Eating too much food can be bad for anyone. There is the sin of gluttony, which is eating too much food at one time or over a long time period. We should watch what we eat. It is hard. Some days are easier than others. Once we gain too much weight it is hard to lose it. It is much easier to gain it. Jesus was called a glutton by the Pharisees. HE was even called a wine bidder.
Here the LORD informs HIS disciples of the meaning of the parable. HE wants them to realize that food is not the main problem. It is not what goes into the body that is the problem it is what comes out of the inner person.
God wants us to understand that our thought life can be a problem. If we don’t turn over out thought life we can have a problem with what comes out of our mouth. Our mouth should be used to encourage others not call them names or use God’s name in vain. Our mouth should not be used to speak foul language. Our mouth should be used to praise the LORD.
HE goes on with a list of sins that come out of our inner person. If we are not allowing the Holy Spirit to work in our life though the Word of God and our prayer life we will practice these sins on a regular basis. This doesn’t please the LORD.
Remember that there is a difference between living in sin and sinning. We sin on a regular basis even after we have become a follower of Christ. We need to confess our sin and with the help of the Holy Spirit sin less each year of our Christian life. We can conquer one sin and another will need to be conquered until we go to heaven.
Living in sin is what happens when we sin and sin and sin the same sin without confession. When this happens if the person is a believer the LORD sends weakness, sickness and then death. God wants those who follow HIM to honor HIM.
Watch what enters your brain through the computer, television and any other source as it can affect your thinking and your mouth will show what you are learning.
CHALLENGE: It should be more Bible than any other source.
: 27 But Jesus said to her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it to the dogs. (2952 “dogs” [kunarion] means a tame house dog, or small domestic pet.)
DEVOTION: Jesus primary mission was to the children of Israel. HE was the Messiah they were waiting for to give them salvation. They didn’t understand that at HIS first coming HE was going to die on the cross for their sins. HE gave them the message that they had to repent of their sins to gain salvation.
HE sent HIS disciples to witness to the children of Israel in all of their cities. HE sent them out to spread the message of the gospel. The gospel is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Now we find Jesus with HIS disciples in a Gentile village. A woman approaches with a problem. Her daughter is possessed of an evil angel. She wants Jesus to cast out the evil angel.
Jesus tells her that HIS mission is not to the Gentiles. HE uses the example of not giving bread to others until your own children are fed. The children HE is referring to are the children of Israel. HE continues to state that HE shouldn’t give bread or a full meal to dogs when HIS children still need it.
This woman understands what HE is saying and replies by saying the even dogs or Gentiles can get the crumbs that fall from the children’s table. Jesus understands her faith and tells her to go home. HE had removed the evil angel/devil from her daughter.
CHALLENGE: While Jesus was on this earth, started with the children of Israel, but included other nations in HIS mission. We are to reach all nations with the gospel.
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