Mark 7

Background

Mark has told us that Jesus ministry has reached levels of popularity insomuch He can longer hide himself. Despite the equally rising conflict against Him, Mark 6 ends by telling us everyone from the whole area ran to Him, brought their sick to Him and begged for healing. The new heights of His popularity with the people and the buzz that the Messiah has possibly been found have prompted the opposition in Jerusalem to send those who might frustrate Jesus’ claims, v2 (“they found fault”).

What Can we Observe About God?

God Himself is without hypocrisy and desires for His people to possess moral integrity.

It is ironic the ones who have travelled from Jerusalem to find fault in Jesus carry the most glaring faults themselves.  The greater irony is what they think is moral excellence in keeping cultural traditions is actually the means whereby they come under the curse of God’s law.

⁸ For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men…

The discussion began when Pharisees noticed the disciples eating without washing first which violated their so-called tradition.  It seems the tradition itself has been transcendalized and was expected to be followed as one of God’s commandments. This particular tradition, the washing of the outside of cups and bowls, does not deal with problem of sin in the heart but merely an outward show–a cover up.  Religious leaders adorning themselves with all sorts of outward coverings, clothes, behaviors, traditions only covered the sin.  God’s law however is aimed at the sin problems that lie in the heart.

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.

The laws of God show us God. He himself is without evil or corrupted thoughts.  But yet we are, and so the law was given to reveal our corruption where it lies–in the heart.  When we try to cover our sins with attempts at self-justification, ie. traditions, rituals, good deeds, we are ignoring God’s law and attempt to excuse our guilt with our own reinventions of what is right and wrong.  This is idolatry–putting our word and tradition in the place of the God who made us.

To make matters worse, these Pharisees from Jerusalem represent the official response against Jesus.  And these men with their traditions impose the idolatry referred to above onto the common people, “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, v7″.   It Therefore the Pharisees spread their hypcrisy and idolatry  all the while supposing their heighetened rule-keeping is holiness before God.  Jesus tells them it is worship in vain, v7, and pronounces on them the woe from the book of Isaiah.

The problem of self-justification and hypocrisy existed since Genesis 3 when mankind first made their stand against God.  After their eyes were opened to what they had done, they sewn fig leaves together in attempt to cover their nakedness.  Then they began to pass the blame around once they knew they could not hide themselves.   Just as Jesus revealed the hypocrisy of the Jewish leaders, so God draws out the hyprosy of Adam and Eve.  God does concern Himself with the moral hypocrisy of those created in His image. He desires integrity in the heart.

Jesus quotes from Isaiah 28:13, showing us God’s heart on this matter has ever been this way,

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. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 

Thus the judgement of God is ready at hand to fall on the hypocrites also.  There will be no self-justification before the God who in pure.   There will be none that will stand before God in wearing outward garments to disguise the corruption. For as long as people will make attempt to justify themselves, they will be condemned.

Who then is without hypocrisy?  It isn’t so obvious that we possess it as we are often willfully blind to our own faults.  We are often keen on the hypocrisy of others while malking defense of our own, hence is the irony of our own sin.  Who then can stand before God and ask His blessing when the guilt of hypocrisy stains us all?

How Does The Passage Point to Jesus and the Gospel?

God removes hypocrisy and transforms their nature through Jesus in those humble themselves in faith.

On the tail end of Jesus sharp rebukes against the hypocrisy of the Jews, Jesus responds to the faith of two seperate “outsiders”.  The Syrophoenecian woman along with the man of Decapolis, both undeserving foreigner according to the law and the covenant given to Abraham. These two individuals would have possessed no basis to make any claims on the blessings of God.  So they do what they can only do, beg the goodness of Jesus.

The woman displayed humility in her response to Jesus initial refusal.  She knew she had no standing with the Hebrew’s God but yet may He kind enough to grant her just a small crumb of a blessing,

²⁸ And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children’s crumbs.

 Jesus responds to this outsiders faith and humility with all that she asked for. Similarily, the man of Decapolis, like the man possessed with the Legion would have been utterly unable to even ask being mute.  Yet the faith of his friends brought him before Jesus and asked in his stead.  The Bible does not say, but I can only assume these men heard from the man possessed with the Legion about the great things Jesus had done for him, perhaps its even possible that ne of these men helping their friend is the man himself.

Either way, Mark makes the point clear as we contrast the unrepetent hypocrisy of the Jews with the underserving yet humble outsiders who receive their miracles.  Jesus reveals the heart and plans of God.  He wants to include foreigners and outsiders based on their humility and faith.  In faith because they seek Jesus and ask for His saving power. In humility because they admit their unworthiness and hope upon God’s goodness and compassion.  These attitudes of belief are rewarded with a blessing.

More important than the healings is the mission of Jesus to call sinners to repentence.

I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. Mk 2:17

In a few short chapters Jesus will call all sinners to repentence from the cross.  At His cross those who come in the like faith of the syrophoenecian woman and like the man of Decapolis will be forgiven of the sin that ultimately curses us.  He will tell them plainly He will be killed and rise the third day, but they will not understand. Still He calls them to forsake all and follow Him that they might possess eternal life (Mk. 10:21).

Application

Because I love the God who gave His Son for me, I am compelled by His love to keep His comandments and please God according as I understand Him in His word.  Like the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, I admit my own hypocrisy is often in my blind spots, covered by pride and sin.  When I pray next, I will ask God to uncover what I cannot see that I may not hinder someone seeing Jesus in my testimony.  I know that God wants to bless me in spite of my sin.  He will not reject contrite heart who approaches Him in humility.

I am already aware of some moral hypocrisy of my heart and because I want to please God, I will bring what He has revealed to the front of my attention as I pray and go about my day.  I know God is pleased when I make confession of what I know to be wrong.  I umderstand that the purpose of my testimony and integrity should point others to Christ rather than be a means for self-righteousness.  Like the friends of the man of Decapolis, so I too can bring folks to Jesus who are otherwise unable.