Mark 7

April 30^th, 2009

We all have been hypocrites at one time or another. Our only hope is to know that Christ within us is stronger than the indoctrination of the world. We must seek Him and ask Him to heal us. Vainly following the traditions of men will lead us directly to hell. We need to follow the narrow path of Jesus Christ. Compassion and understanding were the main characteristics of His life on earth…..we need to be doers of His words and His arms of compassion! The only peoples that He had major problems with were the self religious scribes and Pharisees!

Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. 2 Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.

5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the
tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"

6 He answered and 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 And in vain they worship Me,

Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'

9 He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. 10 For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' 11 But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban"—' (that is, a gift to God), 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, 13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do."

14 When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand: 15 There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. 16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"

17 When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. 18 So He said to them,  "Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"20 And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

The NKJV says this:

The breach between true spirituality and man-made tradition widens considerably. The Pharisees (see Matt. 5:20) and scribes (teachers of the law) were no doubt sent by the Jewish religious authorities to ascertain Jesus' position on the issues they counted important. The tradition of the elders (see Matt. 15:2) was a series of rules meant to bolster the ceremonial law of the Jews. Its authority was not supported by
Scripture. Jesus did not directly answer the question but instead addressed two more significant issues: (1) the superiority of God's law over man-made and (2) the difference between ceremonial and true moral defilement (vv. 14–23). Jesus enters into the argument by calling His adversaries hypocrites. Thus the Pharisees were not genuinely religious; they were merely playing a part for all to see. In earlier times the Hebrews held the written law of God, the Torah, in such esteem that they would not write down their reflections on it, lest they should tempt later generations to consider their words as important as God's law. But as time went on, written commentaries on the law, collected in the Talmud, assumed greater authority than the Torah itself. Jesus mercifully raised to life the only son of a widow.