Posts
Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. 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. 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. 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?" 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.And in vain they worship Me,Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do." He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, 'Honor you father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' 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), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do."
When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand: 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. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!" When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. 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, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?" And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man."- Mark 7:1-23
Yesterday, we read that when evening came, the boat with the disciples was in the middle of the sea; and Jesus was alone on the land, on the mountain where He had gone to pray. Then He saw then straining at rowing, for the wind was against them. Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by. And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled. But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid." Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased. And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled. For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened. When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there. And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was. Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in the marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment. And as many as touched Him were made well.
Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. 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. 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. 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?" 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. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do." He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, 'Honor you father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' 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), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do." Jesus quotes here from Isaiah 29:13. My study bible tells us that the issue here isn't the observation of Jewish customs or traditions, which Jesus certainly does not prohibit (Matthew 5:17-19; 23:23). What Jesus is calling into question is setting human tradition contrary to the tradition of God. Jesus refers to the tradition of the elders, which is a body of interpretations of the Law, which for the Pharisees and scribes became as authoritative as the Law and frequently superseded it, as in the example Jesus gives here. According to this tradition, my study bible tells us, offerings (called Corban) could be promised to God in such a way that property or earnings could still be used for oneself, but not for anybody else, including parents. My study bible says, "Secondary traditions such as this obscure the primary tradition of the Law, which is contained in God's commandments."
When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand: 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. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!" When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. 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, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?" And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man." Of this passage, my study bible summarizes Jesus' teaching: "Food cannot defile a person because it is created by God and is therefore pure. Evil things are not from God, and these are what defile a person."
Today's reading begins with a question that really seems more like a criticism: the Pharisees and scribes ask why Jesus' disciples don't observe ceremonial washing practices before eating. Jesus returns this volley with a sharp criticism of His own, and immediately names the Pharisees and scribes hypocrites, calling into question their own practices which mask things that go against the Law given by Moses. It's a kind of defense of His disciples we can see here; on all occasions where they are somehow called into question, Jesus is always seen as protector and defender. Even at times when He means to criticize His own disciples for some reason, they are taken aside and never humiliated in front of others. So we first think of Jesus here as protector and defender of the disciples. His aim here in teaching via His criticism of the Pharisees and scribes is to get us to consider the things of the heart, the depths of what a person is. When He takes the example of Corban, He doesn't just make this point to criticize how money is collected or used in religious service. What He does do is emphasize the fact that this practice takes away from the care of the elderly, of parents, and destroys the direct purposes of the Law as given by Moses in the Ten Commandments. God's clear purposes are thwarted by the complexities of the traditions developed in this case around donations to the temple. But Jesus' discussion doesn't extend further into issues about money, or greed, or even care of the elderly. His discussion focuses on what is evil and what is good. He offers us a deeper perspective here than all the issues that seem to be laid out in this dialogue. Jesus poses to us a spiritual question: What truly defiles us, and what doesn't? That's a much deeper focus than anything else that appears to be "on the table," so to speak. Here we delve into the spiritual struggle that is behind all other questions. It's not the things of the world that are created by God that can defile in and of themselves; those don't have anything to do with what makes a person "unclean." What really counts are the things that we choose to harbor within ourselves, those things that lead to real brokenness, and not the things that the Pharisees are focused on. Jesus lists the things that can defile: evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. Those are the things that can take root in the heart, and have nothing to do with the stomach. In today's world, we seem to have a lot of emphasis on what we are like on the outside, such as what careful diets we follow; it's even sometimes treated as a moral question whether or not one follows a particularly fastidious diet, or where one buys food. But where's the emphasis on the rest of it, on the inner life of the heart? These are things that don't show so obviously to others, but they are what lead to all the problems we really do have, the things that get in the way of relationship and the way God calls us to righteousness, or "right-relatedness." Do we really need to hear, for example, on the television or via the internet, how important it was that a celebrity dressed a certain way or another? Can someone have a bad hair day without being treated as though they had committed some sort of sin? I'd say that all this external focus is a kind of poison that takes us away from the things that matter, and particularly from the things that are truly of God's love. There's a powerful role to play in standing up to all the emphasis on some form of external correctness, and focusing on what one can do to incorporate the practice of the love of God in one's own life, and how that changes the inside of a person. If only we paid as much attention to one as we do the to the other, perhaps our priorities would calm down a little and get down to what truly matters about a person. Then we could think about the "plank in our own eye" without the hypocrisy that is so easy to evoke when our focus is elsewhere. The external focus becomes a kind of endless competition and comparison, with endless rules we may or may not be violating. But the interior focus becomes a different kind of a life, in which, with God's help, and dialogue in prayer, we truly seek to think about what's essential, what makes life better for ourselves and for others, what creates right-relatedness, and where we take a stand as an example in ourselves. It's a far less frenetic and more truly "centered" life to do it Jesus' way, and one that takes humility for a virtue. This is always the place He seems to ask us to go, into a thoughtful life and not into a chase after the "holier than thou" appearance that makes us "alright" in one setting or another. So where's your focus today? Do the things of the heart matter? Or are we caught up trying so hard to appear perfect before others that we can't think of anything else? Jesus calls us to a radical honesty with ourselves, and a knowledge of the heart. That's a greater challenge, but the reward is far more genuine.
When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand: 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. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!" When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. 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, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?" And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man." Of this passage, my study bible summarizes Jesus' teaching: "Food cannot defile a person because it is created by God and is therefore pure. Evil things are not from God, and these are what defile a person."
Today's reading begins with a question that really seems more like a criticism: the Pharisees and scribes ask why Jesus' disciples don't observe ceremonial washing practices before eating. Jesus returns this volley with a sharp criticism of His own, and immediately names the Pharisees and scribes hypocrites, calling into question their own practices which mask things that go against the Law given by Moses. It's a kind of defense of His disciples we can see here; on all occasions where they are somehow called into question, Jesus is always seen as protector and defender. Even at times when He means to criticize His own disciples for some reason, they are taken aside and never humiliated in front of others. So we first think of Jesus here as protector and defender of the disciples. His aim here in teaching via His criticism of the Pharisees and scribes is to get us to consider the things of the heart, the depths of what a person is. When He takes the example of Corban, He doesn't just make this point to criticize how money is collected or used in religious service. What He does do is emphasize the fact that this practice takes away from the care of the elderly, of parents, and destroys the direct purposes of the Law as given by Moses in the Ten Commandments. God's clear purposes are thwarted by the complexities of the traditions developed in this case around donations to the temple. But Jesus' discussion doesn't extend further into issues about money, or greed, or even care of the elderly. His discussion focuses on what is evil and what is good. He offers us a deeper perspective here than all the issues that seem to be laid out in this dialogue. Jesus poses to us a spiritual question: What truly defiles us, and what doesn't? That's a much deeper focus than anything else that appears to be "on the table," so to speak. Here we delve into the spiritual struggle that is behind all other questions. It's not the things of the world that are created by God that can defile in and of themselves; those don't have anything to do with what makes a person "unclean." What really counts are the things that we choose to harbor within ourselves, those things that lead to real brokenness, and not the things that the Pharisees are focused on. Jesus lists the things that can defile: evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. Those are the things that can take root in the heart, and have nothing to do with the stomach. In today's world, we seem to have a lot of emphasis on what we are like on the outside, such as what careful diets we follow; it's even sometimes treated as a moral question whether or not one follows a particularly fastidious diet, or where one buys food. But where's the emphasis on the rest of it, on the inner life of the heart? These are things that don't show so obviously to others, but they are what lead to all the problems we really do have, the things that get in the way of relationship and the way God calls us to righteousness, or "right-relatedness." Do we really need to hear, for example, on the television or via the internet, how important it was that a celebrity dressed a certain way or another? Can someone have a bad hair day without being treated as though they had committed some sort of sin? I'd say that all this external focus is a kind of poison that takes us away from the things that matter, and particularly from the things that are truly of God's love. There's a powerful role to play in standing up to all the emphasis on some form of external correctness, and focusing on what one can do to incorporate the practice of the love of God in one's own life, and how that changes the inside of a person. If only we paid as much attention to one as we do the to the other, perhaps our priorities would calm down a little and get down to what truly matters about a person. Then we could think about the "plank in our own eye" without the hypocrisy that is so easy to evoke when our focus is elsewhere. The external focus becomes a kind of endless competition and comparison, with endless rules we may or may not be violating. But the interior focus becomes a different kind of a life, in which, with God's help, and dialogue in prayer, we truly seek to think about what's essential, what makes life better for ourselves and for others, what creates right-relatedness, and where we take a stand as an example in ourselves. It's a far less frenetic and more truly "centered" life to do it Jesus' way, and one that takes humility for a virtue. This is always the place He seems to ask us to go, into a thoughtful life and not into a chase after the "holier than thou" appearance that makes us "alright" in one setting or another. So where's your focus today? Do the things of the heart matter? Or are we caught up trying so hard to appear perfect before others that we can't think of anything else? Jesus calls us to a radical honesty with ourselves, and a knowledge of the heart. That's a greater challenge, but the reward is far more genuine.
