Mark 7:1-13
1 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and 2 saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were "unclean," that is, unwashed. 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.[a])
5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with 'unclean' hands?"
6 He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
" 'These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
7 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught by men.'[b]
8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."
9 And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! 10 [d,e] For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' 11 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban' (that is, a gift devoted to God), 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that."
a. Mark 7:4 Some early manuscripts pitchers, kettles and dining couches
b. Mark 7:7 Isaiah 29:13
d. Exodus 20:12; Deut. 5:16
1 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and 2 saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were "unclean," that is, unwashed. 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.[a])
5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with 'unclean' hands?"
6 He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
" 'These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
7 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are but rules taught by men.'[b]
8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."
9 And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! 10 [d,e] For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' 11 But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban' (that is, a gift devoted to God), 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that."
a. Mark 7:4 Some early manuscripts pitchers, kettles and dining couches
b. Mark 7:7 Isaiah 29:13
d. Exodus 20:12; Deut. 5:16
e. Exodus 21:17; Lev. 20:9
Deaf Ears, Blind Eyes, and Thick Heads. The pharisees were in the presence of the Light of the World and saw only lawlessness. This occurs to us today, when Jesus Christ’s love is thrown out. Holiness is viewed as achievable moral excellence with man-made rules and definitions.
This formal tradition of the elders is applied when Christianity becomes Religion. Probably, most of this formality occurs when there isn’t a personal relationship with the Lord. One of my friends from church , a wonderful and witty lady, said talking to the Lord is just like having a conversation. Her husband doesn’t expect to come home to his wife saying, in solemn, austere, stilted tones, with her hand folded properly, “Dear Doug… How was your day?... Thank you for providing for us…We are grateful…. I hope you will continue to bless us… We are mindful of the needs of others…. Thank you…. “
About nine years ago, I was having a conversation with a group of English Christians. They were saying the Church of England’s attendance level fell off after the bombing of England during World War II and I asked them why. One said it was because God did not protect them from the horrors of war and then the anger led to indifference. One said it was because people were crying out to God, while the church just read the liturgy with the traditional order for a typical year, leaving people feeling the church didn’t respond to their ferocious need.
In each life, tradegy will strike. We do not leave this life unaffected. We can receive our lives as a blessing, knowing God rains on the just and the unjust. Understanding we are the just and we are the unjust; we are saved by God’s grace – not ours. Our lives find meaning by finding the blessing in our lives and being a blessing. Or we can spend our lives becoming bitter, trying to have meaning in life only by playing by the old school rules. Filling our lives with things like materialism; we’ve all seen the bumper sticker, ‘whoever has the most toys wins’.
Real blessings in life come from faith, hope and love.
Word of God Speak by Mercy Me -Listen
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
<><
Deaf Ears, Blind Eyes, and Thick Heads. The pharisees were in the presence of the Light of the World and saw only lawlessness. This occurs to us today, when Jesus Christ’s love is thrown out. Holiness is viewed as achievable moral excellence with man-made rules and definitions.
This formal tradition of the elders is applied when Christianity becomes Religion. Probably, most of this formality occurs when there isn’t a personal relationship with the Lord. One of my friends from church , a wonderful and witty lady, said talking to the Lord is just like having a conversation. Her husband doesn’t expect to come home to his wife saying, in solemn, austere, stilted tones, with her hand folded properly, “Dear Doug… How was your day?... Thank you for providing for us…We are grateful…. I hope you will continue to bless us… We are mindful of the needs of others…. Thank you…. “
About nine years ago, I was having a conversation with a group of English Christians. They were saying the Church of England’s attendance level fell off after the bombing of England during World War II and I asked them why. One said it was because God did not protect them from the horrors of war and then the anger led to indifference. One said it was because people were crying out to God, while the church just read the liturgy with the traditional order for a typical year, leaving people feeling the church didn’t respond to their ferocious need.
In each life, tradegy will strike. We do not leave this life unaffected. We can receive our lives as a blessing, knowing God rains on the just and the unjust. Understanding we are the just and we are the unjust; we are saved by God’s grace – not ours. Our lives find meaning by finding the blessing in our lives and being a blessing. Or we can spend our lives becoming bitter, trying to have meaning in life only by playing by the old school rules. Filling our lives with things like materialism; we’ve all seen the bumper sticker, ‘whoever has the most toys wins’.
Real blessings in life come from faith, hope and love.
Word of God Speak by Mercy Me -Listen
1 Corinthians 13:13
And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
<><
Posts
