Three titles for today’s study and they are; Verses 1-23 Jesus explains what defiles. Verses 24-30 The Syrophoenician woman’s faith. Verses 31-37 Jesus heals a deaf and dumb man. Mark 7 and verse 1 reads.
Mark 7:1] Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.
Here they come again, these are Kenites, as we learned a few chapters ago.
Mark 7:2] And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.
They found fault, not in the scriptures, but with their own traditions. Let’s go to Jeremiah 17 and verse 5 reads.
Jer.17:5] Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD.
[6] For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited.
[7] Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is.
Cursed is the man that trusts in man, and blessed is the man that trusts in God. Back to Mark 7 and verse 3 reads.
Mark 7:3] For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.
Catch that it is the traditions of the elders and not the traditions of God. Paul would teach us in Galatians 1 and verse 13 reads.
Gal.1:13] For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
[14] And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
Paul zealously loved the LORD, just missed Isaiah 7:14, that a virgin would conceive and Emmanuel (God with us) would come in the flesh.
Gal.1:15] But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace,
[16] To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
But God is Spirit, the flesh is weak, but being Called in Spirit makes one chosen. Back to Mark 7 and verse 4 reads.
Mark 7:4] And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.
Funny how these Kenites would bring this up as if they had any knowledge. Let’s go to Leviticus 6 and verse 25 reads.
Lev.6:25] Speak unto Aaron and to his sons, saying, This is the law of the sin offering: In the place where the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed before the LORD: it is most holy.
We are speaking of the sacrifice for sins, Jesus Christ became the Passover Lamb. Jesus is standing right before them, and these Kenites would crucify him.
Lev.6:26] The priest that offereth it for sin shall eat it: in the holy place shall it be eaten, in the court of the tabernacle of the congregation.
[27] Whatsoever shall touch the flesh thereof shall be holy: and when there is sprinkled of the blood thereof upon any garment, thou shalt wash that whereon it was sprinkled in the holy place.
[28] But the earthen vessel wherein it is sodden shall be broken: and if it be sodden in a brasen pot, it shall be both scoured, and rinsed in water.
These Pharisees (Kenites) would pierce the very hands of Jesus Christ. Back to Mark 7 and verse 5 reads.
Mark 7:5] 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?
Why don’t your disciples not follow our traditions? You see, they would make big shows of throwing water over their shoulders to be seen as holy before the people. Jesus will set them straight.
Mark 7:6] He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
Let’s go to Isaiah 29 and verse 13 reads.
Isa.29:13] Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:
And their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men. This is what Jesus wanted you to go back and read. The traditions of men make void the Word of God. Let’s go to Colossians 2 and verse 8 reads.
Col.2:8] Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
[9] For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
Catch that the Trinity was revealed here. Back to Mark 7 and verse 7 reads.
Mark 7:7] Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctines the commandments of men.
Let’s go Colossians 2 and verse 21 reads.
Col.2:21] (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
[22] Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
Which ALL are to perish with using. Keep to the commandments of God and not the traditions of men. Back to Mark 7 and verse 8 reads.
Mark 7:8] For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.
[9] And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
Traditions of men are not compatible with the commandments of God. Prophesied long ago in Isaiah 24 and verse 5 reads.
Isa.24:5] The earth also is defiled under the inhabitants thereof; because they have transgressed the laws, changed the ordinance, broken the everlasting covenant.
And in Jeremiah 7 and verse 23 reads.
Jer.7:23] But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.
[24] But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.
Jesus will bring up this imagination of their evil heart in a minute. What we have are Blessings and Cursings. Follow the commandments of the LORD and all will go well with you. Back to Mark 7 and verse 10 reads.
Mark 7:10] For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:
Written in Leviticus 20 and verse 9 reads.
Lev.20:9] For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.
It is also the fifth commandment of God. Let’s go to Exodus 20 and verse 12 reads.
Exo.20:12] Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
I want you to catch that this is the first commandment with the blessing of longevity connected. It is also in Deuteronomy 5:16. Now that we know the law, Jesus will explain to the Pharisees their sins. Mark 7 and verse 11 reads.
Mark 7:11] But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
[12] And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
[13] Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.
Corban is G2878, and means; A gift to God in the Temple fund, or treasury. What Jesus is saying is; You take from your father and mother the money that would feed and take care of them and gift it to the temple. These Pharisees are responsible for this wickedness, and should have told them No, take care of your father and mother first. Verse 13 Making the Word of God of none affect through that tradition is Filthy Lucre.
Mark 7:14] And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:
Now Jesus turns to all the people to teach them this important lesson, listen closely he wants us to understand.
Mark 7:15] There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.
[16] If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.
Ears to hear, did you understand? Jesus will have to explain it to his disciples. It is very simple, talking about the false teachings of the Pharisees. This ears to hear means he wants you to know it is spiritual. Let’s go to Psalms 34 and verse 13 reads.
Psa.34:13] Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.
And in James 1 and verse 26 reads.
James 1:26] If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain.
Back to Mark 7 and verse 17 reads.
Mark 7:17] And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.
[18] And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;
[19] Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?
It’s not what is eaten that defiles a man.
Mark 7:20] And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
[21] For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
[22] Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
[23] All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
It is the evil that is within and is spoken that defiles the man. James (the half-brother of Jesus) would teach this, comparing it to the church also. James 3 and verse 3 reads.
James 3:3] Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.
[4] Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth.
[5] Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
[6] And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.
James says that just one member of the church can set the whole church into crisis. Jesus is saying that the words we speak defile the man, not what he eats. Keeping the health laws in perspective, it doesn’t matter if he washes his hands. Back to Mark 7 and verse 24 reads.
Mark 7:24] And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.
Tyre means; A rock. Sidon (Zidon in Hebrew) means; Hunter. Both are in the land of Canaan which was given to Israel by God when they came out of Egypt. But we will see here that this woman is a Gentile. This is why he did not want it known, but He could not hide.
Mark 7:25] For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:
She fell at his feet and worshipped him. John 3:16 For whomsoever.
Mark 7:26] The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.
She was Phoenician by race. In Matthew 15:22 she called him O Lord, thou Son of David. She knew the scriptures, and worshipped him. Jesus will not be rude to her, as it seems, but showing her that he came for the house of Jacob.
Mark 7:27] But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children’s bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.
Notice this is about bread, the body of Christ will be broken for all, Gentiles included, but only after the crucifixion.
Mark 7:28] And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs.
[29] And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.
[30] And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.
For great was her faith Jesus healed her daughter. Jesus did not break any laws of Israel, he simply spoke and her daughter was healed. Now, I want you to notice that Jesus just went 100 miles round trip just to heal this Gentile woman’s daughter.
Mark 7:31] And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.
Jesus is cutting a broad circuit.
Mark 7:32] And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.
This is one of many that Jesus would heal here. But this one is special, he is deaf, ears to hear. And he cannot speak.
Mark 7:33] And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;
Took him aside for the reason of unbelievers.
Mark 7:34] And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.
[35] And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.
Jesus opened his spiritual ears and gave him a tongue to preach.
Mark 7:36] And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;
Jesus knew if all were to know he would lose his ability to get around freely.
Mark 7:37] And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.
Jesus brought forth the prophecy of Isaiah to pass. Let’s go to Isaiah 35 and verse 5 reads.
Isa.35:5] Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.
[6] Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.
Notice that the Living Water has come to Israel. They believed after seeing the miracles. Let’s go to John 20 and verse 29 reads.
John 20:29] Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.
Blessed are you for believing without seeing the miracles. Let’s go to his throne.
Father, we thank you for your word and ask that you bless all that love you in Jesus’s precious name, Amen.
KJV along with The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of The Bible