Mark Chapter 7

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Mar 7:1

Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.: These people didn't come to learn from Jesus, but to watch Him and find something to accuse Him of.

Mar 7:2

Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.: I couldn't find anything in the Bible where the Jews were commanded to wash their hands before eating. The best I could find was from the Jewish Virtual Library's (JVL) article on Hand Washing. The JVL article says the ritual comes from Exo 30:17-21, but that passage only concerned Aaron and his sons going into the Tent of Meeting, and they were to wash their hands and feet. The hand washing ritual is still in practice today.

From the webpage: Ritual Hand Washing Before Meals | My Jewish Learning

Video for hand washing: https://youtu.be/ClIIYX0kF1I

They say a blessing while putting water on their hands: 

Full Text of Netilat Yadayim

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ עַל נְטִילַת יָדַיִם

Baruch ata Adonai, Eloheinu Melech ha-olam, asher kidshanu b’mitzvotav vitzivanu al n’tilat yadayim.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments, and commanded us concerning the washing of the hands.

Mar 7:3

For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.: Notice that there is no verse spoken of concerning this hand washing ritual. Mark specifically says it's a tradition of the elders. And we'll see over and over that Jesus accuses the Jewish holy leaders of replacing the scriptures with the commandments of men and distorting the meaning of what is in the Bible.

Mar 7:4

When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.: This verse at first seems to be repeating itself concerning the washing of hands, but it's not. The scribes and Pharisees would completely immerse themselves in water because they considered themselves ritually unclean if they were touched by the common people. They also did many other rituals that were passed down through tradition, such as washing their dishes and couches. These things were not from God. They were outward appearances of holiness.

Mar 7:5

Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?": Even the religious leaders acknowledge that these acts are tradition, not from the Tanak.

Mar 7:6

He answered and 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.: Isa_29:13. The religious leaders changed devotion to God into traditions that were an outward expression meant to impress people and show how holy they were, instead of following the Word of God and trying to impress Him.

Mar 7:7

AND IN VAIN THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.': Even the religious leaders when talking to Jesus acknowledged that this washing of hands was just a tradition of men, and was not a commandment from God. And you can tell that they were teaching these traditions created by men as commandments of God because of the way they approached Jesus here.

Mar 7:8

For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men— the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.": Jesus acknowledges that these are just traditions of men, and not from God. Additionally, they are ignoring the teaching of God and going with the teaching of men instead.

Mar 7:9

He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.: Not only are they ignoring God's Word, they reject it, as if the Word is getting in the way of their tradition.

Mar 7:10

For Moses said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER'; and, 'HE WHO CURSES FATHER OR MOTHER, LET HIM BE PUT TO DEATH.': Exo 20:12 & Exo 21:17. Jesus quotes these two verses.

Mar 7:11

But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban"—' (that is, a gift to God),: This is insane. These religious leaders were paid out of the donations to the temple, which they said were "Corban."

Mar 7:12

then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother,: And because the pay of the priests were from the gifts to God received from the people (Corban), the priests used that to disregard the commandment to help their parents. They were saying that they couldn't help because their pay was from gifts to God! What lunacy.

Mar 7:13

making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.": This is a perfect example that Jesus gave. Because the religious leaders hold tradition over the commands of God, they're nullifying it. Instead of honoring their parents, they're lying and saying they can't use their pay to take care of their parents because that money was given as gifts to God. That's nowhere in the Tanak. It's unbelievable how corrupt we humans are, and our ability to rationalize evil is amazing.

Mar 7:14

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand: The religious leaders were intimidating, and the people probably moved away while Jesus was talking with them. These leaders loved being in this position.

Mar 7:15

There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.: Jesus makes it clear here that what you eat doesn't matter. It doesn't matter if you do ritualistic washing before eating. You can eat pork. You can eat beef, chicken, veggies, even bugs. It doesn't matter. What matters is the heart, because the things that come out of your mouth are from the heart.

Mar 7:16

If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!": This has to do with the hardness of heart. The Holy Spirit speaks to us and teaches us. If Jesus speaks these things, and we do not hear them (absorb them, or take them to heart), we are not of His children. Those who hear the words but can't take in the teaching are so hardened of heart that the words fall on deaf ears.

Mar 7:17

When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.: They asked Jesus about the parable of the food not defiling a person. I'm sure that was a difficult teaching for them to understand because of the Jewish dietary laws. The JVL has a page on the Jewish dietary laws, and here's a relevant excerpt:

The Fundamental Rules of Kashrut

Although the details of kashrut are extensive, the laws all derive from a few fairly simple, straightforward rules:

• Certain animals may not be eaten at all. This restriction includes the flesh, organs, eggs and milk of the forbidden animals.
• Of the animals that may be eaten, the birds and mammals must be killed in accordance with Jewish law.
• All blood must be drained from the meat or broiled out of it before it is eaten.
• Certain parts of permitted animals may not be eaten.
• Meat (the flesh of birds and mammals) cannot be eaten with dairy. Fish, eggs, fruits, vegetables and grains can be eaten with either meat or dairy. (According to some views, fish may not be eaten with meat).
• Utensils that have come into contact with meat may not be used with dairy, and vice versa. Utensils that have come into contact with non-kosher food may not be used with kosher food. This applies only where the contact occurred while the food was hot.
• Grape products made by non-Jews may not be eaten.

Mar 7:18

So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him,: Jesus explains that food can't defile a person. The food itself can't because defilement is spiritual, not something carnal.

Mar 7:19

because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?": Food doesn't effect you spiritually, just by itself. It goes into the stomach, is broken down, processed into energy, and the waste is passed out. That physical process can't defile you. It's simply a physical process of converting matter into energy for the body.

Mar 7:20

And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.: Jesus contrasts that physical process with the spiritual side. Food can't effect who you are. Who you are is demonstrated by what comes out of the mouth.

Mar 7:21

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,: Food can't effect our thoughts. It can't make us ruminate on lustful things, or being wronged, or revenge. Those things come from our hearts. We need to guard ourselves from them. We can't allow ourselves to spiral down a negative path. It's so very easy to do. And I think one of the most profound teachings of the bible is that our nature includes the ability to reason away our evil. That can't be effected by food.

Mar 7:22

thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.: How can injesting food effect us stealing, or coveting what others have, or any other wickedness? On a side note, I find it interesting that Jesus calls foolishness evil. I read numerous commentaries on this, and looked up the definition. The commentaries try and expain this away, like foolishness being the culmination of these evil acts, but the plain reading doesn't say that. Reading this plainly, being foolish is sinful. That really translates into behaving senselessly. We are to act with purpose, which is very hard. How can we act with purpose? How do we know that our actions are the will of God? In my life, I've come up with a guide for this. Pray, act, feel. 1. Pray that God leads you on the path that He wants you to take. 2. Act on faith in the direction of no resistance. 3. If there is no push-back on the choice you make, you are going where God is leading. If there is push-back (and I don't mean fear, but God will know how to make it clear to you), change the choice until there is no push-back. For example, my wife and I knew we were to leave Washington state, but didn't have any clue where we were to go. My wife and I prayed about where to go. I had places in mind but I got push-back when looking into them. In this case, it was my wife that pushed back. We ended up deciding on a place that neither of us had even considered, and with zero push-back, ended up in our new place. There were things that God did along the way that made it clear to both of us that this was the direction we were to take too. During this time, we visited two other states and both times, there was push-back when we went there. I think for all of us, the push-back will come in different ways too, so I'm deliberately being vague. We have to be sensitive to what the Spirit is saying to us. Just don't make rash decisions. Feel out what God is telling you.

Mar 7:23

All these evil things come from within and defile a man.": The conclusion is that the food doesn't make a person do evil. A person can be known by their fruits. If they are evil inside, evil will come from their heart, and the waste product will come from their lips. If you harbor evil, that defiles you, not food.

Mar 7:24

From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be hidden.: This shows that the human side doesn't always line up with that God wants. Jesus always did exactly what the Father wanted, but that doesn't mean that the human side of Jesus wanted it. A good example is the garden of Gethsemane (Mat 26:36-46). Jesus clearly didn't want to suffer, but He submitted to the will of God.

Mar 7:25

For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet.: At this point, Jesus's fame had spread all over. This woman seems pretty desperate. Notice that Jesus didn't send her away.

Mar 7:26

The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.: She wasn't a Jew. Syrophoenician is only used here, so nobody is certain of it's meaning. But she was a local, possibly from Phoenicia. This lady kept at Jesus, asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. I find it interesting that even a woman who wasn't a Jew, knew that Jesus was special, and had the power to cast out demons, while the religious Jewish leaders wanted to kill Him.

Mar 7:27

But Jesus said to her, "Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs.": Jesus didn't answer her right away, and His response here is strange. It's basically a parable. The children represent Israel, and the dogs are the Gentiles. Jesus came for the lost sheep of Israel, not for the Gentiles. So Jesus tells her this in this parable.

Mar 7:28

And she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children's crumbs.": So the lady agrees. But she adds that even the dogs get scraps though. Whether she understood that Jesus was there for the Jews and not for the Gentiles doesn't seem to matter here. She had faith that Jesus could heal her daughter, and even if Jesus was only offering scraps, they were sufficient.

Mar 7:29

Then He said to her, "For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter.": Once again, we see that faith is what concerns Jesus. This woman who wasn't even part of Jesus's mission had faith that Jesus could heal her daughter, and Jesus cast the demon out of her daughter. Jesus didn't have to go to the house. He knew. This is more proof that Jesus was God Himself.

Mar 7:30

And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.: I wish I knew more about spiritual warfare. How did this lady know her daughter was possessed? Had the daughter been wild, and the mother now seeing her lying on a bed proof that the spirit had gone out? Was this daughter behaving like Legion? Or was the daughter sick, and was now healed? The scripture doesn't record this, but it is fascinating.

Mar 7:31

Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee.: Decapolis means ten cities. It was a region in Syria that was conquered by the Romans and named Decapolis.

Mar 7:32

Then they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him.: The only way a person could be deaf and be able to speak would be for this person to have lost their hearing. There's no explanation for the speech impediment or description of it. These people had established a point of faith for healing. They believed that if Jesus put His hand on the person, they'd be healed.

Mar 7:33

And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.: From other miracles that Jesus worked, it's clear that Jesus didn't need to do these things for Him to heal people. The people who brought the man asked Jesus to put His hand on him, so Jesus likely did these things for their benefit.

Mar 7:34

Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened.": As with the actions of Jesus putting His fingers in the man's ears and touching his tongue, looking up to heaven is also not necessary. This motion was for the man's benefit. When Jesus sighed, it was one of compassion. Jesus here speaking the healing into existence brings to mind Genesis chapter 1. Jesus spoke the universe into existence there too.

Mar 7:35

Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly.: Jesus spoke the healing into existence, and the result is immediate, just as it was in Genesis chapter 1.

Mar 7:36

Then He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.: Once again, Jesus heals someone but then tells them not to say anything. Jesus didn't want the people trying to set Him up as king. His time hadn't come yet.

Mar 7:37

And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.": The multitude around where Jesus was is included here. They were all astonished.