Today’s passage: Mark 7:1-23
Helpful thoughts:
- The Pharisees gathered and scribes were sent from Jerusalem to find fault in Jesus and how He was leading His disciples. All they found was that Jesus did not enforce their supplementary (And at times contradictory) man-made traditions.
- In response to this errant rebuke, Jesus quoted Isaiah’s prophecy (Isaiah 29:13) and gave them a specific example of how they had come to use a man-made tradition to disobey God and feel spiritual about it.
- The word “corban” means, dedicated to God. If their hearts and money was truly dedicated to God, they would have used it to obey Him. This is Jesus’ argument.
- Man needs a purified heart to be restored to God, not just a better habit of washing his hands.
- Our actions and words do not come from without, they come from within our own hearts/minds. (Ezekiel 36:26, 2 Corinthians 5:17)
Questions to consider:
- Would it be possible for us to organize or participate in church in ways that are contrary to God’s commands and teaching because we prefer our own way? What is the only way we would actually know if we have? What is the final authority? What can we be prone to do when how we do things becomes “comfortable,” even if it disagrees with God’s Word?
- Why were all of the ceremonially unclean foods from the OT Law made “clean” by Jesus’ statement in this passage (Verse 18-19)? How did the Law teach us about our greater need (Romans 3:20)?
- There are so many things we could focus our attention on as a church? But what should our greatest focus be? How does this passage help us to see this? What then is the purpose for everything else our church does (From the leadership, to the building and property, to the music and media, etc.)? How does a unity of overall purpose help a church stay united in the details?