Exploring the Meaning of Mark 7

Chapter Seven

Defilement Comes from Within

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1. And there are gathered unto Him the Pharisees, and some of the scribes, who came from Jerusalem.

2. And having seen some of His disciples eating bread with defiled, that is with unwashed hands, they found fault.

3. For the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they wash [their] hands to the fist, do not eat, holding the tradition of the elders;

4. And [when they come] from the market, unless they rinse, they do not eat; and many other things there are which they have received to hold, [as] the rinsing of cups, and pots, and bronze [vessels], and beds.

5. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Thy disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”

6. And He answering 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 away from Me.

7. And in vain do they serve Me, teaching teachings [which are] the precepts of men.’

8. For leaving the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, the rinsing of pots and cups; and many other such like things you do.”

9. And He said to them, “Well you spurn the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

10. For Moses said, ‘Honor thy father and thy mother, and he that speaks evil of father or mother, let him die the death.’

11. But you say, ‘[It is sufficient] if a man shall say to father or mother, Korban, that is, a gift, by whatever thou mightest have profited from me,’

12. And you no more let him do anything for his father or his mother,

13. Making the Word of God of no effect by your tradition which you have delivered up; and many such like things you do.”

14. And when He had called all the crowd [to Him], He said to them, “Hearken to Me all [of you], and understand:

15. There is nothing from outside a man which going into him can defile him; but the things which go out of him, those are they that defile the man.

16. If anyone have ears to hear, let him hear.”

17. And when He had entered into a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.

18. And He says to them, “Are you so without understanding also? Do you not consider that all from outside that goes into a man, cannot defile him;

19. Because it goes not into the heart, but into the belly, and goes out into the latrine, cleansing all the foods?”

20. And He said, “That which comes out of a man, that defiles the man.

21. For from inside, out of the heart of men, go out evil reasonings, adulteries, harlotries, murders,

22. Thefts, avarice, wickednesses, deceit, lasciviousness, a wicked eye, blasphemy, pride, senselessness;

23. All these wicked [things] come from inside, and defile the man.”

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In the previous episode, we saw that the people of Gennesaret have a simple, yet complete faith in Jesus. They represent a beautiful human quality which Jesus had already referred to in the parable of the sower. It is the quality of receptivity, a quality which includes the eagerness to learn, a compliant spirit that seeks to be instructed, and a willingness to put away negative thought patterns and destructive habits. This is what is meant by the “good ground” which receives the seeds cast by the Divine Sower. Good ground is soft, not hard; yielding, not resistant; accepting, not rejecting. It readily receives the seeds that are cast upon it and produces abundant fruit.

This simple, receptive faith, the good ground of so many miraculous healings, is now contrasted with the hard-heartedness of the religious leaders. As it is written, “Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. And having seen some of His disciples eating bread with unwashed hands, they found fault” (Mark 7:1). This is reminiscent of previous occasions where great miracles of healing are immediately followed by resistance from the religious leaders. For example, when Jesus forgave the paralytic, the religious leaders accused Him of blasphemy because only God can forgive sin (Mark 2:6). And when He healed the man with a withered hand, they plotted to destroy Him because He had healed on the Sabbath (Mark 3:6). Similarly, in this chapter, the religious leaders are utterly unconcerned about the miracles that Jesus has been performing. Instead, they are concerned that “His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, unwashed hands.” Therefore, “they found fault” (Mark 7:2).

This is what the religious leaders choose to focus on — unwashed hands. When the heart is hardened, it sees only what it wants to see. Because the religious leaders are determined to destroy Jesus, they focus only on those things that might discredit Him.

At that time, according to the laws of ritual purity, which had been in place since the time of Abraham, the Israelites were allowed to slaughter animals but not permitted to cook the meat. Instead, they were commanded to take the slaughtered animal to the temple where the priests would spill the animal’s blood on the altar and then cook the animal over a fire as a burnt-offering to the Lord (Leviticus 17:1-4). This would be followed by a communal eating of the sacrificed animal. However, before the eating could take place, the priests were strictly commanded to “wash their hands and their feet so that they may not die” (Exodus 30:21). The passage goes on to say that this must be “a perpetual ordinance.” From this, the idea spread that everyone must wash their hands before eating. Observing this ritual of cleanliness was considered to be absolutely necessary. To eat with unwashed hands would defile the food and cause death.

Jesus came to deepen our understanding of this ancient ritual. For Him, it was important to distinguish between the non-essential and the essential, the physical and the spiritual, the temporal and the eternal. To begin, Jesus takes them back to the Hebrew scriptures where the Lord said, “These people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (7:6; Isaiah 29:13). Honoring the Lord “with the lips” is non-essential and can be hypocritical. But honoring the Lord “with the heart” is essential and genuine. The religious leaders gave “lip-service” to God, while their hearts were corrupt. Following the laws of purification without a receptive heart is giving lip-service to the Lord.

We miss the deeper lesson, however, if we place our focus on the hard-heartedness of the scribes and Pharisees. The more important question is “What is it in us that would focus on the disciples eating bread with unwashed hands, while ignoring the miraculous feeding of the multitudes?” This can be compared to the times when we complain about current circumstances while forgetting about the miracles the Lord has brought about — and continues to bring about — in our lives. We spend our days majoring in minors and getting upset about non-essential matters, while overlooking the many blessings that surround us. The scribes and Pharisees, then, represent our tendency to overlook the miraculous while focusing on the mundane. As Jesus puts it, we focus on “the traditions of men rather than on the commandments of God” (Mark 7:9).

As an example of how the religious leaders placed their own traditions above the commandments of God, Jesus tells them about the commandment “Honor your father and mother,” adding “whoever speaks evil of one’s father or mother shall surely die” (Mark 7:10). Interestingly, when this commandment is given in the Ten Commandments, the additional words, “whoever speaks evil of one’s father or mother shall surely die” is not included. Jesus has taken these additional words from Exodus 21:17 and combined them with the original commandment. Jesus includes this here because the religious leaders had been finding fault with Him, even as He was doing the will of His Father. Jesus also knows that they have been telling people that if they make a gift to the temple, they are exempted from supporting parents, that is, exempted from honoring their father and mother. As Jesus puts it, “You say that if anyone has something that could be used for the support of parents, but says ‘This is Corban’ (which means it is an offering to God), he is excused from helping his father or mother. In this way you make void the Word of God through your traditions” (Mark 7:11-13). ¹

It is at this point that Jesus turns His attention to the crowd and says, “There is nothing that enters a man from the outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man” (Mark 7:15). In other words, Jesus is saying that the washing of one’s hands before eating, although an important hygienic practice, is not what is essential. “Eating,” in sacred scripture represents receiving the good and truth that flows in from the Lord. Our reception of goodness and truth does not depend on our physical state. Unwashed hands do not prevent us from receiving spiritual truth. Whatever our external appearance might be, our heart may be hungering to receive spiritual nourishment. As Jesus says, “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear” (Mark 7:16). ²

The disciples, however, do not understand what Jesus means. All their life they have been taught about the dangers of eating with unclean hands. It appears that Jesus is contradicting the plain teachings of the scriptures. And so, when they leave the crowd and enter a house, they ask Jesus to explain the parable to them (Mark 7:17). Jesus begins His explanation with these words: “Do you also fail to understand? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile? This is because it does not enter the heart, but rather goes into the belly, and then into the latrine” (Mark 7:18-19).

Jesus is here teaching that we should not regard defilement in an external way. No one is spiritually defiled by eating with unwashed hands. Food goes in and food comes out, either into the circulatory system or into the latrine. However, when there is hypocrisy and evil in our heart, no amount of ritualistic washing of the hands can cleanse an unclean spirit. Jesus puts it this way, “That which comes out of a person is what causes defilement. For, from within, out of the [unclean] heart, proceed evil reasonings, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a person” (Mark 7:20-23).

What goes into the mind does not condemn us. But if we welcome an unclean thought, embrace it, and enjoy it, it becomes a part of who we are. It passes from the thought into the will. This is what “comes out the mouth,” and this is what defiles us. ³

This is something to consider as we reflect on Jesus words, “These people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (7:6; Isaiah 29:13). In other words, it is not what we do that saves or condemns us, but rather what we intend, that is, what is in our heart. For this reason, it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart, be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer” (Psalms 19:14). ⁴

Acting on Pure Intentions

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24. And standing up thence, He went away into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entering into a house, He willed that no one know [it], and He could not be concealed.

25. For a woman hearing of Him, whose daughter had an unclean spirit, came and fell before His feet.

26. And the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician as to kindred, and she besought Him that He would cast out the demon from her daughter.

27. But Jesus said to her, “Let the children first be satisfied, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and to cast [it] to the little dogs.”

28. But she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord; yet the little dogs underneath the table eat from the crumbs of the little children.”

29. And He said to her, “On account of this word, go thy way; the demon has come out of thy daughter.”

30. And when she was come to her house, she found the demon gone out and her daughter laid upon the bed.

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Wherever Jesus went, and whatever Jesus said or did, His literal words and physical actions contained eternal truth. His physical distribution of the loaves and the fish represented the way He freely gives His love and wisdom to all who are willing to receive; His discourse about eating with unwashed hands contains the deeper truth that the thoughts that enter our mind cannot harm us, unless we embrace them, love them, and make them a part of our will, that is, unless we take them “to heart.”

Out of an evil heart, proceed false thoughts, and selfish actions — even actions that have an external appearance of goodness. Out of a good heart, proceed true thoughts and unselfish actions. In other words, our whole life and essential character is made up of what is on the inside, our loves, our affections, and our intentions. In this next episode, Jesus continues this theme, with a focus on how we might be able to determine what is truly in our heart, and how determined we are to live according to it.

Jesus encounters a Syrophoenician woman This episode begins with Jesus travelling from Gennesaret, on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, northward to the borders of Tyre and Sidon. It is a journey of about fifty miles, and when He arrives, He enters a house. Apparently, He is seeking to get some rest, away from the crowds, but He is unable to do so because His fame has spread throughout the surrounding lands, including Tyre and Sidon. A woman from that region, who has heard of Him and whose daughter has an unclean spirit, comes to Jesus, falls at His feet, and begs for His help. As it is written, “The woman was a Greek, from a Syrophoenician nation, and she begged Him to cast a demon out of her daughter” (Mark 7:26).

Jesus responds, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs” (Mark 7:27). Jesus is giving the Syrophoenician woman a chance to demonstrate her true intentions. The woman refuses to be put off. Her love for her daughter is so strong that she does not take offense. Her entire focus is on her daughter’s healing. This is where her heart is, and nothing can shake her from her loving intention. Therefore, she immediately responds, saying, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs” (Mark 7:28).

Through her wise words, this woman demonstrates her steadfast desire to heal her young daughter, a desire that will not be deterred. In her words, which come forth from a loving heart, we see a picture of true devotion. It is the part in each of us that will weather any storm, take on any challenge, and rise above ego in order to attain a noble end. This is the kind of heaven-sent determination that implores the Lord’s aid, even when it is not forthcoming. It is the persistence that comes from a pure and steadfast intention that will not rest until it is realized. ⁵

The crumbs that fall from Jesus’ table are the crumbs of divine love. And even though they may only be crumbs, they contain an infinity of divine blessing. As we saw in the miracle of the loaves and the fishes, Jesus can do much with only a little. The five loaves and two fish were enough to feed five thousand. The same is true of the crumbs sought by the Syrophoenician woman. Seeing the intentions of her heart, Jesus responds to her fervent desire with these words, “Because you have said this, you may go. The demon has gone out of your daughter (Mark 7:29). So, the woman went home. When she arrived, “she found her daughter lying on her bed, and the demon was gone” (Mark 7:30).

Because the mother’s intentions were pure, and she acted on them, Jesus granted her prayers. ⁶

The significance of our words

In this gospel, when the Gentile woman says to Jesus, “even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs,” Jesus responds with the words, “Because you have said this, the demon has gone out of your daughter.” In the Gospel According to Matthew, however, Jesus has a different response. In that gospel, when the woman says the same thing about the little dogs who eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table, Jesus says, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you according to your will.” In both gospels, the woman’s daughter was healed “at that very hour” (Matthew 15:28; Mark 7:29).

The different responses in Matthew and Mark provide a significant insight into the focus of each gospel and the process of our spiritual development. In Matthew, with its strong emphasis on faith in the divinity of Jesus Christ, the demon is cast out of the woman’s daughter because of her great faith. In Mark, however, the demon is cast out of the woman’s daughter, because she had said this. This indicates that in our own faith development there is a steady progression from developing one’s faith to confessing one’s faith. The Syrophoenician woman in this episode, then, not only exemplified a steadfast faith in Jesus, but also a willingness to confess it. She persevered, with an outspoken faith, a faith that seemed to say, “I believe in You. I am not giving up. Even a crumb will do. Anything. Anything at all to help my child.” Jesus, therefore, blessed her efforts by answering her faithful, steadfast, and persistent prayer. ⁷

Hearing and Preaching the Good News

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31. And again coming out from the borders of Tyre and Sidon, He came to the Sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis.

32. And they bring to Him one that was deaf, having an impediment in his speech; and they implore Him to set [His] hand upon him.

33. And taking him aside from the crowd by himself, He thrust His fingers into his ears; and having spat, He touched his tongue;

34. And looking up to heaven, He sighed, and says to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”

35. And straightway his hearing was opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke rightly.

36. And He charged them that they should tell no one; but as much as He charged them, the more exceedingly they preached [it];

37. And they wondered most exceedingly, saying, “He has done all things well; He makes both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.”

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Immediately after the healing of the Syrophoenician woman’s daughter, Jesus departs from the land of the Gentiles and returns to the area around the Sea of Galilee. As soon as He arrives, the people bring to Him “one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech” (Mark 7:32). When the people beg Jesus to lay hands upon the man, Jesus takes him away from the crowd, and puts His fingers in the man’s ears. Next, Jesus spits and touches the man’s tongue. Finally, Jesus looks up to heaven, sighs, and says to the man, “Ephphatha,” which means, “Be opened.” (Mark 7:34). Immediately, the man was able to hear and the impediment that restricted him from speaking was removed. As a result, “the man spoke plainly” (Mark 7:35).

In this episode, we are dealing with two healings in one person: first, the healing of the man’s ability to hear, and then, the healing of the man’s ability to speak. There are times when we cannot truly “hear” the Word of God or even understand how it applies to us because our minds our closed. But when Jesus puts His fingers to our ears and says, “Be opened.” He is urging us to open our minds to Him. As we learn to “hear” the Lord in His Word, we begin to hear beyond the words, and understand how they apply to our lives. It is for this reason that Jesus so often says, “He who has ears to hear, let him here.”

As we begin to truly hear the Lord, another miracle takes place. Jesus touches our tongue with His spirit, and we find that we are being given the right words to say, words that can be spoken without impediment. As it written in the Hebrew scriptures, “The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me. His word was on my tongue” (2 Samuel 32:2).

Connecting the episodes

There is a subtle, yet wonderful connection between the three episodes in this chapter. First, in order to properly proclaim the good news, we need to have clean spirits — spirits that are undefiled by selfish motives. This is addressed in the opening episode in which Jesus talks about the origin of defilement. It is not about washing hands. Rather, defilement comes from within, from unclean desires, which lead to unclean thoughts, which lead to unclean and hypocritical actions. The second episode shows how the confession of faith and steadfast perseverance of the Syrophoenician woman leads to the healing of her daughter. The pure desire of her heart — the desire to have an affection healed (represented by her “daughter”) — come forth in spoken words. Finally, in this episode, a man’s ears are opened, and his tongue loosed so that he can hear the Word of God, take it to heart, and then proclaim the good news. When our ears are opened, the tongue speaks.

This sequence is not unique to the gospels. In Psalms 51, for example, we see a similar series. The psalm begins with David’s plea to the Lord: “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,” says David, “and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalms 51:2). He is referring to his desire to be cleansed from the “defilement which comes from within.” As David goes on in the same psalm, he adds, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalms 51:10). The “steadfast spirit” that David seeks brings to mind the determination of the Syrophoenician woman who would not be deterred. And then, as David’s prayer reaches its culmination, he cries out, “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will show forth Your praise” (Psalms 51:15).

Recognition of sin is the beginning. Steadfastness of spirit follows. It is the persistent determination to shun evils as sins against the Lord. Finally, as we experience the wonders of a transformed life, we cannot but help to plainly proclaim the good news of salvation.

As the episode concludes, Jesus commands the crowd to say nothing about what they have witnessed. Refusing to heed Jesus’ command, the amazed crowd does not listen. Instead, “as much as He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it” (Mark 7:36). “He has done all things well,” they said. “He makes the deaf to hear and the mute to speak” (Mark 7:37).

This detail, which describes Jesus’ attempt to silence the crowd, is not mentioned in the Gospel According to Matthew. Also, the healing of the deaf-mute man is only briefly mentioned in that gospel as just one of a series of miraculous healings (Matthew 15:30) while in Mark, it becomes an entire episode. In Matthew, the whole question of who is qualified to spread the good news is a minor theme. In Mark, however, it becomes a major theme where we learn that those who have done the inner work of repentance are uniquely qualified to share the gospel with others. These are represented by the Gadarene man who had a legion of demons cast out.

Like a four-part symphony, with major and minor movements, each gospel contains major and minor themes. And yet, when the symphony is over, and the last note is sounded, we know that we have been in the presence of a masterpiece, arranged in perfect order, with every part contributing to the whole.

Mga talababa: