Day #292

Sermon - Audio
Matt 15 & Mark 7 - Reading
Matt 15 & Mark 7 - Audio

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Matthew 15 and Mark 7

Matthew 15:1-9 and Mark 7:1-13

15:5 – “Given to God” reflects a technical term for a formal vow (Corban – Mark 7:11). This allowed a person to be released from other responsibilities, such as caring for aged parents.

7:5 – Scribes are sent from Jerusalem to investigate the situations brought about Jesus’ popularity. It is evident that many Pharisees and scribes intend to convict Jesus of breaking the written law of Moses as interpreted by the later tradition of the elders and thus to discredit His authority with the people. The disciples are not breaking the Mosaic law, but rather later Jewish traditions that prescribed ritual washing of hands, utensils and furniture. By His example, Jesus implies that His disciples can ignore these traditions.

15:6 – The Pharisees have “made void the word of God” with their traditions and rulings: anyone who broke a vow (human law) in order to help needy parents (God’s law) would have committed a serious transgression, according to the Pharisees.

Matthew 15:10-20 and Mark 7:14-23

15:14 – The Pharisees are both blind to their own hypocrisy and blindly leading the people astray because they cannot see the true intent of God’s will in the OT.

7:19 – Mark notes that Jesus’ teaching declared all foods clean. The Mosaic ceremonial laws distinguishes between “clean” and “unclean” foods. Their purpose was to instill an awareness of God’s holiness and of the reality of sin as a barrier to fellowship with God. But once defilement of the heart is thoroughly removed and full fellowship becomes a reality (through the atoning death of Jesus) the ceremonial laws have fulfilled their purpose and are no longer required.

Matthew 15:21-28 and Mark 7:24-30

15:24 – “only the lost sheep of the house of Israel” – Later, through the apostles, the message of the gospel is to go to the Gentiles, but at this point in the unfolding of God’s purpose, the focus is on the Jews and their spiritual need.

15:27 – The woman presses Jesus by alluding to the extending blessings promised to the Gentiles through Abraham (Gen 12:3), which she knows about.

7:27 – It is reasonable to conclude that Jesus spoke as He did merely to test the woman’s faith.

Mark 7:31-37

7:33 – Unlike His other healings, Jesus uses physical means to heal the man. The healing not only demonstrates Jesus’ power, but it also allows Him to confront His disciples by word and deed with the problem of spiritual deafness and blindness.

7:37 – The people are astonished in the sense that they wonder whether Jesus is the Messiah.