Mark 7:1-13  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.)  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.’  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 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.”

I.                   Context

A.  Pharisees and teachers of the law

                   i.      Pharisees- minority group seeking to maintain purity; sought to impose their vision of morality onto others; expect Jesus and his disciples to conform to their standards

B.   Conflict with Jesus

         i.      fellowship with outcasts (2:15-17); fasting (2:18-22); Sabbath observance (2:23-28)

         ii.      Now: Ritual defilement (current text)

C.   Verse 3- Mark’s explanation tells us at least some of his audience were non-Jews

D.   Ritual washings: derived from OT law for priests (Exodus 30:19; 40:13); they turned a law that had good intentions into a form of legalism that burdened people

II.                The Issue

A.  Disciples are not following their standards of purification- their traditions

B.   This neglect offends some Pharisees and teachers of the law- they go to Jesus- their leader

III.             Jesus’ Response

A. Jesus does not:  apologize or try to explain himself

B.  Jesus does:

         i.      Throw the issue back at them; quoting from Isaiah- shows it’s been a problem in Jewish history

         ii.      Reveal their false motives and hardened heart

        iii.      Reveals false thinking that outward actions makes one clean (clean= right before God)

IV.              Application

1. This is NOT meant to nullify God’s Word; rather what has been tacked onto God’s Word
2. Check your heart; don’t just look religious
3. Don’t let man made traditions and commandments get in the way of God’s work

             i.      Don’t miss the miracle because of the mode

             ii.      Our traditions should help us properly worship; when they stop doing that they must be modified

             iii.      Our rules (constitution) are there to guide us to be a more effective and Christ-centered church; when it hinders that, it should be modified

1. It’s far more important that your heart is right than how something is done; examples: communion, music style, liturgy—are you guilty complaining about the mode in which something is done rather than seeking to have the right heart before God?