Introductory remarks:
In chapter fourteen we left Jesus healing all that were sick and infirmed; and now we begin chapter fifteen with the scribes and Pharisees coming out and they begin harassing Jesus trying to get Him to say or do something that they might convict Him. These legalists spend their entire careers interpreting the letter of the Law, rather than on trying to understand the purpose the Law was given. The Law was never intended to save a Jew; it was given to show them they needed a Savior; it was given to show them that it was impossible for anyone except Christ to keep in completely; it was given as a 'schoolmaster to drive them to Christ.' These religious hypocrites try and convict the Lawgiver with His own Law.
The Tradition of the Elders
(Mark 7:1-23)
Verses 1-2, "Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were in Jerusalem, saying, Why do the disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they wash not their hands when they eat bread."
LGT "Then come to Jesus from Jerusalem Pharisees and scribes saying, Why [do] Your disciples transgress the traditions of the elders? For they wash not [their] hands when they eat bread."
"Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were in Jerusalem,"
"Jerusalem is the headquarters of the conspiracy against Jesus with the Pharisees as the leaders in it. Already we have seen the Herodians combining with the Pharisees in the purpose to put Jesus to death (Mark 3:6; Matt. 12:14; Luke 6:11). Soon Jesus will warn the disciples against the Sadducees also (Matt. 16:6). Unusual order here, 'Pharisees and scribes.' 'The guardians of tradition in the capital have their evil eye on Jesus and co-operate with the provincial rigorists' (Bruce), if the Pharisees were not all from Jerusalem" (A.T. Robertson).
"Saying, Why do the disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?"
These traditions of the elders were exactly that, 'traditions.' They were not the Law as given by God, but they were additions to the Law added by these elders, who were commentators, for they did not translate the Law as it was given by God.
A.T. Robertson writes about these traditions:
"The tradition of the elders was the oral law, handed down by the elders of the past in ex cathedra (from the chair - that is, from their elevated office as elders) fashion and later codified in the Mishna (a man-made handbook interpreting the Law). Hand washing before meals is not a requirement of the Old Testament. It is, we know, a good thing for sanitation reasons, but the rabbis made it a mark of righteousness for others at any rate (I remember an old lady in our neighborhood when I was growing up used to say "Cleanliness is next to godliness you know."). This item was magnified at great length in the oral teaching. The washing of the hands called for minute regulations. It was commanded to wash the hands before meals, it was one's duty to do it after eating. The more rigorous did it between the courses. The hands must be immersed. Then the water itself must be clean and the cups or pots used must be ceremonially clean. Vessels were kept full of clean water ready for use (John 2:6-8). So it went on ad infinitum (forever). Thus a real issue is raised between Jesus and the rabbis. It was far more than a point of etiquette or hygienics. The incident may have happened in a Pharisees house."
Verse 3, "But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?"
LGT "But He answering said to them, Why you do also transgress the commandment of God, on account of your tradition?"
God does not say that His disciples did not transgress the traditions of their elders, but the term 'also' means the Pharisees put the traditions of the elders (the elders commentaries on the O.T.) on a par with the commandment of God. Jesus says that because you have transgressed the commandment of God, you transgress in a greater way.
Verse 4, "For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death."
LGT "For God said, Honor the father and the mother, and, the one who speaks evil of father or mother, by death let him die."
"Honor thy father and mother:"
Jesus uses the fifth commandment as His first example of the Pharisees not keeping God's Laws. The Pharisees were very particular in the way they kept the traditions of their elders, but they were breaking the fifth commandment by not honoring their parents. The traditions were not evil in themselves, for the word simply means to hand down something from generation to generation. What was evil in the elder's traditions was that they added to the Word of God. The elders over time wrote volumes added to what God had given the Jews.
McGee adds:
"Our Lord is saying that honoring father and mother includes supporting them. The way they got around that responsibility was to dedicate their money as a gift to God, and that would relieve them of supporting their parents. This gave a pious way for a man to break the Mosaic Law."
"He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death."
To curse the parent was to say anything disrespectful or harming to the parent, or to curse them, and not to take care of them. Let them die the death, was a Hebrew idiom meaning, they should surely die.
Verse 5, "But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;"
LGT "But you say, Whoever shall say to the father or the mother, [it is] a gift whatever you might be profited by me,"
The Law says, 'Honor the father and the mother', that is, take care of them in their old age; however, the traditions of the elders says it is more blessed to take the money or property and make it a gift to God; in this way a son was free not to be obligated to the care of his father and mother; in his mind the son had done a more important thing with his property or money than to aid his aging parents.
Vincent writes:
"The picture is that of a churlish [rude and boorish] son evading the duty of assisting his needy parents by uttering the formula, Corban, it is a gift to God. 'Whatever that may be by which you might be helped by me, is not mine to give. It is vowed to God.' The man, however, was not bound in that case to give his gift to the temple treasury, while he was bound to help his parents; because the phrase did not necessarily dedicate the gift to the temple. By a quibble it was regarded as something like Corban, as if it were laid on the altar and put entirely out of reach. It was expressly stated that such a vow was binding, even if what was vowed involved a breach of the law."
Verse 6, "And honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition."
LGT "No way [does] he honor his father: and he made void the Word of God on account of your tradition."
These Pharisees made the Law of God of no effect through their hair-splitting interpretations, and their putting the traditions of the elders ahead of the Law of God.
Verses 7-9 "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophecy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
LGT "Hypocrites! Esias prophesied well concerning you, saying, This people honors Me with the lips, but there heart holds off from Me: but in vain they worship Me, teaching [as] doctrines, traditions of men."
"Ye hypocrites,"
This reprimand by Jesus had a very stinging reproach to the Pharisees. The word hypocrite meant something different in Christ's day, than it does in our day. Then it meant 'a stage actor', one who read from a script; as applied to these Pharisees it meant that they responded to Jesus with their memorized traditions of the elders; they were mimics, who could not think for themselves; they were puppets of the religious society of self-important religious leaders. "The religious leaders were eager to have people go through the ceremony of washing their hands, but they ignored the condition of the heart, which was the important thing to God. In a very pious way they were breaking the Mosaic Law" (McGee).
"Well did Esaias prophecy of you,"
Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:13. Jesus knew that Isaiah was speaking to the nation of Israel as a whole, but He is saying that these Pharisees have this national character as hypocrites. These Pharisees were teaching as doctrine these traditions of the elders. "There is sarcasm in this pointed application of Isaiah's words (Isa. 29:13) to these rabbis. He beautifully pictured them. The portrait was to the very life, teaching as their doctrines the commandments of men. They were indeed far from God if they imagined that God would be pleased with such gifts at the expense of duty to one's parents" (Robertson).
Verse 10, "And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:"
LGT "And having called to [Him] the crowd, He said to them, Hear and understand:"
Jesus calls the crowd to Him and says that He wants to teach them true doctrine that they should understand and hide it in their hearts through understanding.
Verse 11, "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."
LGT "Not that which enters into the mouth defiles the man; but that which goes forth out of the mouth, this defiles the man."
The Greek word for 'defiles' is koinoi, from koine 'common'. Jesus is teaching that what is common religiously ceremonially unclean. Jesus is teaching the difference between physical and spiritual defilement. These rabbis have been teaching spiritually defiling traditions. "One who is thus religiously common or unclean is cut off from doing his religious acts. 'Defilement' was a grave issue with the rabbinical ceremonialists. Jesus appeals to the crowd here: Hear and understand (akoute kai suniete). He has a profound distinction to draw. Moral uncleanness is what makes a man common, defiles him. That is what is to be dreaded, not glossed over. 'This goes beyond the tradition of the elders and virtually abrogates the Levitical distinction between clean and unclean' (Bruce). One can see the pettifogging pretenders [a person dealing in small matters] shrivel up under these withering [scornful] words" (Robertson).
Verse 12, "Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?"
LGT "Then having come, the disciples saying to Him, Do You know that the Pharisees, having heard the saying were caused to stumble?"
The disciples could tell by the look on the Pharisees' faces that they were offended and had turned against the Christ. "They were so Zealous of their traditions that they could not endure that their absurdities should be exposed" (Barnes).
Verse 13, "But he answered and said, Every plant which My heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up."
LGT "But He answering said, Every plant which has not [been] planted [by] My heavenly Father shall be rooted up."
Jesus is saying that any doctrine that contradicts the Word of God must be rooted up and thrown away. When it comes to false doctrine the Lord cannot let it remain; He must expose it for what it is, error. Not withstanding, the Pharisees taking offense, the Lord lets the chips fall where they will; the truth should never apologize. Today, these contemporary preachers even brag about not preaching 'hell fire and damnation' sermons. This is what Rick the 'slick' Warren brags about; he says that he built his church by pulling away from the 'Old time Religion' of the Southern Baptist Church; he went door to door in south Orange County asking people why they didn't attend church. When he realized it was because they didn't like hearing about 'Hell Fire', he said that his church would not preach these things that offend; the result; Saddleback Church with a congregation numbering twenty six thousand members plus.
Verse 14, "Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."
LGT "Leave them: they are blind leaders [of the blind]: but if [the] blind lead [the], both into a pit will fall."
Christ is using biting sarcasm stating that the Pharisees were the blind leaders leading the blind Jews; it must be noted that the Jews who were led astray by these false religious leaders did follow them of their own accord. Men will follow any religious leader who will tickle the ears. Men do not want to hear that they are heading for hell and that they are need of a Savior.
Verse 15, "Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable."
LGT "And Peter answering said to Him, Expound to us [this] parable."
What Christ had been saying to the Pharisees, Peter wanted for Him to explain more fully; Peter evidently is speaking for the other disciples.
Verse 16, "And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?"
LGT "And He said, You are still without understanding?"
Jesus finds it hard after all that He had said to the Pharisees that they were still not understanding the difference between the legalists traditions and His true doctrine. "One must never forget that the disciples lived in a Phaisaic environment. Their religious world-outlook was Pharisaic. They were lacking in spiritual intelligence or sense, totally ignorant" (Moffatt - quoted by Robertson).
Verse 17, "Do not ye understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and it cast out into the draught?"
LGT "Do you not perceive that everything which enters into the mouth goes into the belly and is cast forth into draught."
Jesus is saying that the food you eat goes through the natural process of digestion, but it does not affect the spirit. Do not ye understand Christ expected His disciples to use their minds and think about what He is saying. The disciples came out of Judaism so they were confused at His words.
Barnes notes:
"The doctrine of the Pharisees, that neglect of washing and of similar observances defiles a man, cannot be true. Those things pertain to the body as much as food does, and they cannot affect the soul. That must be purified by something else than external washing, and it is polluted by other things than a neglect of mere outward ceremonies. The seat of corruption is within - it is the heart itself; and if men would be made pure, this must be cleansed. If that is corrupt, the whole man is corrupt."
Verse 18, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man."
LGT "But the things which come forth out of the mouth out of the heart come forth; and these pollute the man."
We read in Proverbs 23:7: As he thinketh in his heart, so he is, and again in Proverbs 4:23: Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Eating with unwashed or un-baptized hands can never pollute a man; but evil thoughts treasured up in the heart and then escaping through the mouth surely pollute. McGee put it this way: "What is in the well of the heart will come up in the bucket of the mouth sooner or later." A sure way of keeping the heart pure is not allowing the mind to remain on evil pursuits; this of course can be from allowing oneself to dwell on pornography to acquiring riches; we must feed daily on God's Word, seriously, and not just devotionally, and keep our eyes remaining on Christ.
Verse 19, "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:"
LGT "For out of the heart comes forth evil reasonings, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnessings, blasphemies:"
The human heart is where all sin originates in the individual; The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" It isn't until a man is born again from above that the heart is made new, and the Lord takes up residence in that heart that the Holy Spirit can produce righteousness.
Verse 20, "These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man."
LGT "These things are they which defile the man: but eating with unwashed hands defiles not the man."
These things are the things mentioned in verse nineteen; they are the things that defile a man. Man is totally depraved and in need of a Savior. Washing of the hands does not pollute a man, but the things that come forth from a depraved sin nature, theses things pollute. "Man has to be controlled. He is the most vicious animal on earth. We put other animals in cages, but man must be free to do his thing, and our Lord has told us what mankind will do, and He says that these things defile. All about us today is an emphasis on sex - in our schools, even in our churches, on television, on radio; it stares at you from billboards, from the covers of magazines, from the newspaper headlines. My friend, these things defile. Don't tell me that you are immune to it; no one is immune to this type of thing. Our children and young people are being defiled - all in the lofty-sounding terminology of freedom of speech! The things that are in the heart are now coming out. Our Lord has made a tremendous statement here" (McGee).
The Canaanite Women's faith
(Mark 7:24-30)
Verse 21, "Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon."
LGT "And going forth from there, Jesus withdrew into the parts of Tyre and Sidon."
Jesus leaves the boundaries of the land of Israel for the first time. He came to Israel to be their King, but they rejected Him. When He sent His apostles out He told them not to go into the way of the Gentiles; they were not to go into the way of sinners; they were only to go to the 'lost sheep of the house of Israel.' Now because of their rejection He now goes out to the whole world.
Tyre and Sidon were on the sea-coast of the Mediterranean. He went there for the
purpose of staying concealed from the wrath of Herod Antipas.
Verse 22, "And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil."
LGT "And behold a Canaanitish woman from those borders, having come cried, saying, Have pity on me, Lord, Son of David: my daughter [is] miserably demonized."
"And behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts,"
"This woman is called, also, a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, Mark 7:26. Anciently the whole land, including Tyre and Sidon, was in the possession of the Canaanites, and called Canaan. The Phoenicians were descended from the Canaanites. The country, including Tyre and Sidon, was called Phoenicia, or Syro-Phoenicia. That country was taken by the Greeks under Alexander the Great, and those cities, in the time of Christ, were Greek cities. This woman was therefore a Gentile, living under the Greek government, and probably speaking the Greek language. She was by birth a Syro-Phoenician, born in that country, and descended, therefore, from the ancient Canaanites. All these names might with propriety be given to her" (Barnes).
"And cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David:"
This woman by crying out O Lord, thou Son of David, she was literally saying, Lord, the Messiah.
My daughter is grievously vexed with a devil."
This last phrase is literally; My daughter is miserably demonized. As I have noted before, there is only one devil, but there are many demons; the Greek word for 'demon' here is daimonizetai meaning she is demonized. The Greek word for 'devil' is diabolos.
Verse 23, "But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us."
LGT "But He answered her not a word. And having come to [Him] His disciples asked Him, saying, Dismiss her, because she cries after us."
"But he answered her not a word."
The Lord was not being rude here, for it is impossible for Him to be rude, but He is showing for the moment that this Phoenician woman, a Gentile, had no claim on Him as the Son of David. This message, as we will see, is not only for the woman but also for all. I also believe with Barnes that the Lord is testing her faith. Being a Gentile woman she had no claim on the Lord as the Son of David. In the next verse He will give His reason for ignoring her.
"And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us."
The disciples did not like this public annoyance, for her crying embarrassed them.
Verse 24, "But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
LGT "But He answering said, I was not sent except to the sheep, the lost of the house of Israel."
Here is the test for the woman; the Lord says that He was only sent to the lost sheep of Israel; this Phoenician woman represented the problems of the Gentile world; the Pharisees were included in the lost sheep. "Jesus came as King of the Jews. You mark that down - it was the primary issue that had to be settled. He died with this superscription written over Him on the cross: THIS IS JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS" (McGee).
Verse 25, "Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me."
LGT "But she having come did homage to Him, saying, Lord, help me."
In verse twenty two her plea was to Israel's King, and being a Gentile, she had no claim on Him; but here she kneels before the Lord and cries out for help, saying, Lord, help me.
Verse 26, "But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to the dogs."
LGT "But He answering said, It is not good to take the bread of the children and to cast [it] to the little dogs."
"It is not meet to take the children's bread,"
Notice that when Christ speaks directly to the children of Israel He uses some very harsh words and reprimands; but when He speaks to outsiders, He speaks with generous terms. The Jews were supposed to be the Light shining in the darkened world; they failed and eventually He will give this Light to the Gentiles, but not yet; Israel had to be tested to the very end.
"And to cast it to the dogs."
This is quite a strong statement of rejection, which would have turned most people away in a huff, and as McGee says, they would reply, You can't talk to me like that.
Verse 27, "And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table."
LGT "But she said, Yes, Lord: for even the little dog's eat from the little morsels which fall from the tables of their masters."
The woman did not take offense to the Lord's remark about being a Gentile dog, because she was more interested in the healing of her daughter.
Barnes notes:
"What you say is true. Let it be that the best food be given to the children - let the Jews have the chief benefit of Thy ministry; but the dogs beneath the table eat the crumbs. So let me be regarded as a dog, a heathen, as unworthy of everything. Yet grant one exertion of that almighty power displayed so signally among the Jews, and heal the despised daughter of a despised heathen mother."
Verse 28, "Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour."
LGT "Then answering Jesus said to her, O woman, great [is] your faith: be it unto you as you desire. And her daughter was healed from that hour."
The Lord marveled at the faith of this Gentile woman; she knew the Lord could heal her daughter, and she was persistent in her singleness of mind for the benefit of her daughter. The woman went home and found her daughter completely well (Mark 7:30). "This woman asked for and received what most of Israel had cast aside" (Pentecost).
The Healing of Many People
Verse 29, "And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the Sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there."
LGT "And having departed there Jesus came towards the Sea of Galilee, and having gone up into the mountain, He was sitting there."
Jesus goes up into a mountain overlooking the Sea of Galilee to rest and look out over the Sea and reflect on what had just transpired, and also to teach His disciples in private.
Verse 30, "And great multitudes came unto him, having with them those that were lame, blind, dumb, maimed, and many others, and cast them down at Jesus' feet; and he healed them."
LGT "And great crowds came to Him, having with them lame, blind, maimed, dumb, and many others, and they cast them at His feet, and He healed them:"
Great crowds gathered around the Christ because of the news that He was a great Healer.
"And cast them down at Jesus' feet;
The Greek word for 'cast them down' is eripsan, a very strong word flung them down, "not carelessly, but in haste, because so many were coming on the same errand" (Vincent).
"And he healed them all."
This is further proof that Jesus did not pick and choose the one He healed; He healed them all!
Verse 31, "Insomuch that the multitude wondered, when they saw the dumb to speak, the maimed to be whole, the lame to walk, and the blind to see; and they glorified the God of Israel."
LGT "So that the crowds were filled with admiration seeing dumb speaking, maimed sound and lame walking around, and blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel."
The crowds wondered literally, they were filled with admiration. The Greek word for 'glorified' is edoxasan, an aorist active indicative, they praised the God of Israel; that is, they praised the God Israel worshipped.
The Feeding of the Four thousand
(Mark 8:1-10)
Verse 32, "Then Jesus called his disciples unto him, and said, I have compassion on the multitude, because they continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat; and I will not send them away fasting, lest they faint in the way."
LGT "But Jesus having called to [Him] His disciples said, I am moved with compassion toward the crowd, because already three days they continue with Me and not have what they may eat: and to send them away fasting, I am not willing, lest they faint in the way."
In the last chapter verses 14-21, Jesus also heals the sick, but there He feeds five thousand men, besides the women and children; it also states there that He had compassion toward the crowd. Here it states that they were three days without eating; it may be that what is meant is that "they had run out of any provisions they might have brought" (Ironside).
Verse 33, "And his disciples say unto him, Whence should we have so much bread in the wilderness, as to fill so great a multitude?"
LGT "And the disciples say to Him, Where to us in a desert [to find] so many loaves as to satisfy a crowd so great."
It seems strange that His disciples forgot so soon the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand recorded in the last chapter that they seem to ask the same type question, How can this take place? The point made by Matthew recording this event so soon after the feeding of the five thousand, I believe, is to show the persistence of unbelief.
Verse 34, "And Jesus saith unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven, and a few little fishes."
LGT "And Jesus says to them, How many loaves have you? And they said, Seven, and a few small dainties [fishes]."
Here in this verse we see that the crowd had brought provisions with them, but not enough for three whole days.
Verse 35, "And He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground."
LGT "And He commanded the crowds to recline on the ground."
To recline on couches made for dining was the normal position taken during a meal. So out in the wilderness it was normal for them to become as comfortable as they could upon the ground.
Verse 36, "And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave them to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude."
LGT "He took the seven loaves and the fishes, and having given thanks, He broke and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the crowds."
There is not much I can say about this verse that has not already been said in the last chapter, for the wording is the same.
Verses 37, 38, "And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the broken meat that was left seven baskets full. And they that did eat were four thousand men, beside women and children."
LGT "And all ate and were satisfied. And they took up of the fragments that which was over and above, seven baskets full. And they who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children."
Here McGee computes that there were about twelve thousand fed that day, counting the entire families.
Verse 39, "And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala."
LGT "And having dismissed the crowds, He entered into the ship, and came to the borders of Magdala."
"On the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee and so in Galilee again. Mark terms it Dalmanutha (8:10). Perhaps after the same place as Magdala, as most manuscripts have it" (Robertson). "This was the birthplace of Mary Magdalene, out of whom the Savior cast seven devils, Mark 16:9. Dalmanutha was probably a small village near to Magdala, of which no remains have been discovered. There is no contradiction in the statements of the two evangelists here, for they do not say that Jesus went to either of these towns, but only to the coasts or parts where they were situated" (Barnes).
Share freely but cite the source: http://bbbiblehelps.epizy.com