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October 17, 2017

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Reading along with us in Mark? Here’s today’s reading:

Mark 7 (ESV)

Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” And he 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;
in vain do they worship me,
    teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”...Continue Reading

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This Post Has 6 Comments
  1. Verses 24 through 30 are very confusing to me, how do the woman’s words about the dogs eating the children’s crumbs show faith? Is this symbolic of us and God somehow?

    1. Jesus is reinforcing how desire and need function in our prayers to God, Sarah. Are we cavalier about our requests? Are we willing to persevere in prayer because we recognize how deeply we need God’s provision? Do we see God as one of many options in providing for our lives so if He doesn’t answer, we’ll just turn to plan B? When we continue to press into Him because our need and faith is that great, that is a good thing, and that is what Jesus reinforces here.

    2. I always took these verses to mean that Jesus was telling her that he came for the Jews and as a Greek, she had no Jewish lineage or belief. She in turn retorted with, well, I may not be one of your children, but I am willing to be your dog and eat the scraps. She demonstrated faith by recognizing that even the power of the “scraps” He had to offer, could heal her daughter.

  2. 6And he 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;
    7 in vain do they worship me,
    teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
    8You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

  3. What an important principle here that it is what comes out of our mouths that matters more than what goes into them. In this context, the issue is hand washing and how that external cleanliness was so important to the Pharisees when the greater heart issue of honoring parents was neglected. I wonder if today the better application would be about health. Society is becoming increasingly aware of what food they eat, counting calories or carbs, or Omega 3s or vegans or vegetablearians, but how about what harsh words they speak, or the gossip, or lies or…..

    And add healing a deaf mute to the list of miracles Jesus can perform…..what a Savior!

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