Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does Mark Chapter 7 mean?

Mark chapter 7 includes accounts of teaching, debating, and miracles. In all the stories, Jesus emphasizes the importance of God’s moral standards over man’s tradition, setting the stage for the culture of the church that will live in the truth that Jesus has fulfilled the Law. The sequence of Mark 6:31–7:37 is loosely paralleled in Mark 8:1–30, including feeding a multitude, crossing the sea, dealing with the Pharisees, teaching about bread, healing, and a confession of Jesus as Messiah.

The scribes from Jerusalem once again join the local Pharisees to debate Jesus (Mark 3:22). They attack the disciples who do not follow the tradition of washing before eating. Jesus responds with strong words, pointing out that their human tradition is not as sacred as they insist; they can even use their extra-scriptural standards to refuse to care for their aging parents and look pious doing it.

Jesus then gives the people a lesson in ethics, showing exactly why the Pharisees are in the wrong. God gave Moses and the Israelites ceremonial laws as a sign that their culture was far removed from that of the pagan nations they interacted with. He also gave them moral laws to define right from wrong and civil laws to enforce ceremonial laws, moral laws, and enforce general order. While these laws are not explicitly grouped as civil, moral, or ceremonial, context gives us great insight into which ones represent earthly concerns, and which are expressions of God’s character. He never meant the people to honor the ceremony more than the moral principle behind it. He never meant for the religious leaders to add to and use the ceremonial law as justification for neglecting the moral law. And He certainly never intended for the religious leaders to add manmade traditions that placed a heavy burden on the people (Mark 7:1–23).

The story of the Syrophoenician woman is a subject of much debate, but when seen in the context of the chapter, it makes more sense. The Pharisees value the traditions of washing and keeping an oath at all costs. All devout Jews value the tradition of avoiding Gentiles. Even Jesus’ ministry in general is designed to reach the Jews and leave reaching the Gentiles for Paul and early members of the church. The gospel is meant for the Jews first. But when faced with a Gentile woman with a great need, Jesus forgoes tradition and takes the moral act of granting her request. The controversy of the story comes in the way He stages the interaction. What some scholars see as dismissive and insulting can also be interpreted as a cunning revelation of faith the disciples can’t understand (Mark 7:24–30).

After teaching the disciples that the ceremony of avoiding Gentiles is passing away, Jesus travels through the Gentile regions of Tyre and Sidon, then turns east and enters Decapolis again. The witness of the man freed from a legion of demons has done its work, and the people are much more amenable to His presence. They bring Him a deaf and mute man whom He heals (Mark 7:31–37).

Jesus began this tradition vs. moral argument with the Pharisees early on in His ministry when He defended His disciples as they picked heads of grain on the Sabbath. It’s interesting to note that the traditions the Pharisees value serve more to make them look good than to worship God. We still argue about tradition, like what should a pastor wear, what songs should we sing, what instruments should we use, if we should celebrate Christmas…. We forget that tradition is merely an optional tool designed to point us to God. It is never meant to take the place of obeying God’s law to love Him and others. When it does, it becomes an idol.

Chapter Context
After showing His authority over demons, death, and physics, Jesus asserts His superiority over manmade traditions. For generations, Jewish religious leaders have added to the Law in an attempt to keep the nation holy. Such traditions, however, serve to make the leaders look good but unnecessarily burden the people. Jesus argues in word and action that any law that dismisses love is either misinterpreted or manmade.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem,

The scribes are professional scholars and lawyers who specialize in the Mosaic Law. They claim, in addition to the written Law—the books of Genesis through Deuteronomy—that God gave Moses a series of oral laws which give more detail to what is written. Jesus first met with the scribes of Jerusalem in Mark 3:22–30 when they accused Him of performing miracles by the power of Satan. Some of the scribes are also Pharisees, but not all.

The Pharisees are a sect of ultra-conservative Jews who also value the oral law. The scribes and Pharisees believe that following the oral law will prevent anyone from coming close to breaking the written law. Their desire to follow the law is admirable, as the last time Israel neglected God’s commandment the Babylonians destroyed the temple and the wall around Jerusalem, and took the people into exile for seventy years. But their fear of God’s wrath leads to an unhealthy mix of pride, legalism, and hypocrisy. Too often practicing the oral law results in contradictions to the intent of the written law. In their attempt to remain as clean as possible, the scribes and Pharisees come to value their traditions over what God actually gave Moses.

Jesus has already addressed the Pharisees’ teaching that good Jews should not associate with sinners (Mark 2:15–17), harvest a meal on the Sabbath (Mark 2:23–28), or heal on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1–6). In the future, He will challenge their beliefs on God’s view of marriage (Mark 10:2–9) and their responsibilities to the pagan government (Mark 12:13–17).

Context Summary
Mark 7:1–13 argues that the traditions of Jewish elders are twisted interpretations of the Mosaic Law that hide the purpose of that law. Washing is a particular requirement of priests and has nothing to do with ensuring the ceremonial cleanness of a meal. And keeping a rash oath does not relieve a child from the commandment to care for his parents. In their attempt to add to the ceremonial law, the elders subtract from the moral law. They find that anyone who attempts to find salvation through works will end up stumbling on Christ (Romans 9:30–33). This story is also found in Matthew 15:1–9.

Verse 2. they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed.

To understand the context of this passage, some background information is necessary.

The Mosaic Law says that meat that has touched something unclean should not be eaten (Leviticus 7:19). If a food container is touched by a dead mouse or lizard, it and the food it holds is unclean (Leviticus 11:29–34). Food is very specifically divided in the Old Testament. There is that which is clean to eat, such as lamb or goat. Then, there is that which is unclean and must not be eaten, such as shrimp, or camel meat. If a person eats unclean food, the prescribed punishment is: nothing. The Mosaic Law does not give a punishment for breaking kosher laws (Leviticus 11).

Typically, a person would become ceremonially unclean because of touching a dead person or a non-kosher animal, or from having a discharge of some kind. As a result, they were not allowed to eat the peace offering (Leviticus 7:19–21). A peace offering is a voluntary expression of thanks wherein a person takes an animal or some grain to the temple and gives it to the priest. The priest burns some of it and gives the rest to the offeror and to the poor to eat. In order to break the law, the person would have to be knowingly unclean when they intentionally travel to the temple and perform the offering. They would then be cut off from their people (Leviticus 7:11–21).

When God gave Moses instructions to build the tabernacle, He included a large bronze basin filled with water. Aaron and subsequent priests are to wash their hands and feet before entering the tabernacle or approaching the altar to present a food offering (Exodus 30:17–21).

The scribes’ and Pharisees’ hand-washing tradition is based on Exodus 30, when it comes to priests. However, they disregard the intended application of Leviticus 11, regarding kosher laws. The religious leaders want a ceremonial cleanness that approaches that of a priest entering the temple, so they symbolically replicate the priests’ hand-washing before eating food purchased at the marketplace. They wash their hands, and possibly the food, in case they have accidentally touched something or someone unclean. They expect the same diligence from other devout Jews.

Their thought process is that if their food is contaminated and made unclean, it will defile them when they eat it. “Defile” is from the Greek root word koinos. Literally, it means common or ordinary. In regard to the ceremonial law, it means unclean or profane. Jesus has a completely different interpretation. He says that what goes into a person’s digestive system cannot make them unclean. Uncleanness comes only from a hardened heart—which the scribes and Pharisees have despite their legalism.

Verse 3. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders,

Mark 7:3–4 is a parenthetical comment to explain Jewish tradition to Mark’s Gentile audience. The scribes from Jerusalem have joined the local Pharisees in questioning why Jesus’ disciples don’t ceremonially wash before they eat (Mark 7:5). When the text says “all the Jews,” it doesn’t mean every single Jewish person follows this tradition. “All the Jews” was a cultural euphemism used when describing Jewish culture to Gentiles. It might mean Jewish leadership, or it might mean it was a common—but not universal—custom. “Elders” often means contemporary Jewish leadership, but here refers to the writers or traditional teachers of the Talmud from the time of the Old Testament.

The ESV says the Pharisees wash their hands “properly” while the New American Standard Bible says “carefully.” The definition of the Greek root word pugme is difficult to translate; it can mean with a clenched hand or up to the elbow or fist. Tradition is that, as water is precious, a handful is taken with a loosely clenched fist so the water can run through the fingers and cover the back of the other hand. They don’t immerse and scrub their hands; the act is ceremonial but thorough. The practice started before Jesus’ time and continues to ours.

The Mosaic Law states that priests must wash their hands and feet prior to entering the tabernacle or approaching the altar (Exodus 30:17–21). The Old Testament scribes had a habit of taking ceremonial law meant for priests and Levites and transforming that law into extra-Scriptural regulations for lay-people. One significant example is how they based their rules for following the Sabbath on the instructions God gave to build the tabernacle. In this case, they take the Mosaic Law directed at the priests and use it to “cleanse” their hands before a meal. In the second century BC, much of the Jewish populace followed suit before morning prayers.

After the diaspora of AD 70, as Jewish elders recorded the oral law in writing, Orthodox and traditional Jews transferred the ceremony of the laver and the priests to the home. They washed before eating bread or matzah as if they were priests and the bread an offering placed on the altar. By the third century AD, eating bread without washing was condemned. In the Babylonian Talmud, the Seder Nashim (Rules on Women), Tractate Sotah 4b (Suspected Adulteress) states:

“Whoever eats bread without previously washing the hands is as though he had intercourse with a harlot; as it is said, For on account of a harlot, to a loaf of bread.” (Refers to Proverbs 6:26: “for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread…”) And, “Whoever makes light of washing the hands [before and after a meal] will be uprooted from the world.” And “Whoever eats bread without first wiping his hands is as though he eats unclean food…”

Even today, Orthodox Jews use a two-handled cup to pour water twice on their dominant hand then twice on the other; Hasidic Jews pour water three times. After giving the ceremonial blessing, they do not speak until they eat some bread.

Verse 4. and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches. )

This is a continuation of Mark’s parenthetical comment to explain Jewish tradition to his Gentile readers. The Mosaic Law demands that when priests or Levites enter the tabernacle, they must wash their hands and feet (Exodus 30:17–21). The Jewish religious leaders twist this law into a rule that all Jews should wash their hands before they eat for fear of defiling their food, and thus themselves. Mark explains that in addition to washing their hands before they eat, they also clean the implements used in the meal.

This washing is a bit different, however. In Mark 7:3, the Pharisees are described as “properly” washing their hands. The Greek describes a process by which they pour water so that their hands are rinsed at least up to the wrist. Here, the Greek root word is rhantizo which means to purify by sprinkling, emphasizing the ceremonial aspect of the tradition.

The phrase about washing after going to the marketplace can be interpreted in one of two ways: either the Jewish leaders fear they may touch something unclean and need to wash their hands, or they wash their food after purchasing it. Regardless, they believe that if the food is at all defiled, they will become unclean as well.

The Pharisees and scribes, despite their expertise in the Law and their utter devotion to following it, miss what “being clean” means. They follow a tradition based on what they can see in the physical world (Colossians 2:8) instead of understanding that true spiritual cleanness comes from within (Mark 7:14–23).

Verse 5. And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?”

Having already hassled Jesus about eating with sinners (Mark 2:15–17), fasting (Mark 2:18–22), and “working” on the Sabbath (Mark 2:23–28; Mark 3:1–6), the Pharisees now challenge Jesus’ disciples for not washing their hands before they eat. The Pharisees are experts at the Mosaic Law—the law that God gave Moses for the Israelites to follow. Their criticisms of Jesus, however, center around His disregard for the manmade traditions the elders added to the Law.

The exile of the Kingdom of Judah to Babylon marked a significant change in the way Jews interacted with the Mosaic Law. God exiled them for their idolatry (Jeremiah 9:13–14) and refusal to observe the Sabbath (Jeremiah 17:27). In the years after their return to Jerusalem, the Jews make it a priority to follow the Law. To help that endeavor, scribes codified the oral law, which they claimed Moses—and others—received from God along with the written law.

The oral law is a long list of regulations that spell out exactly how the written law is to be followed. It is from these regulations that the Pharisees claim the disciples broke the Sabbath by picking off heads of grain (Mark 2:23–24). Here, the charge is that the disciples do not wash their hands before they eat.

Jesus attacks their argument on two levels, neither of which address hand-washing. The Pharisees honor these rules as the “tradition of the elders.” Jesus points out that the “elders” were men (Mark 7:8) and their traditions are nothing compared to God’s Word. In fact, sometimes their traditions go so far they countermand God’s commandments (Mark 7:6–13).

Jesus’ second argument relates to the Pharisees’ and scribes’ fear of “defiled hands.” “Defiled” is taken from the Greek root word koinos. Here, it means unholy or unclean according to the Levitical law. The Jewish leaders fear that if their hands have accidentally touched something unclean, they will contaminate their otherwise kosher food. If they then eat that food, they will become unclean. Jesus argues that uncleanness comes from the thoughts and intentions of our hearts, not the state of our food. Truly “defiled hands” are those that steal and abuse, not those with a little dirt or bacon grease on them.

Verse 6.And he 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;

When the Pharisees and scribes push Jesus’ disciples to follow manmade tradition, Jesus responds with Scripture. Mark 7:6–7 include a paraphrase of Isaiah 29:13 which reads “And the Lord said: ‘Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men…” Isaiah preached this warning to Judah through Jerusalem, its capital. About one hundred years later, Judah was taken into exile in Babylon for those crimes.

The great irony is that while the “traditions of the elders” that the Pharisees and scribes so carefully follow (Mark 7:5) were designed to prevent Israel from again falling into catastrophic spiritual failure, the hearts of those who obey the traditions are no better than the idol worshipers in Isaiah’s day. An idol is an idol, be it an image of Baal in a temple or belief that adherence to a manmade law can save you from the wrath of God.

Since the day Jesus healed the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath, the Pharisees had been searching for a way to destroy Him (Mark 3:1–6). Here, they try to publicly shame Him, condemning the smallest of His disciple’s actions in an attempt to cast doubt on Him, His ministry, and His teaching. Instead of debating, Jesus exposes that their holiness is all talk.

Verse 7. in vain do they worship me,teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

The Pharisees and Jewish leaders think that following the traditions of the elders (Mark 7:5) will ensure their close relationship with God. Jesus tells them the opposite—the pride and control that impels them to demand adherence to their extra-scriptural rules is what keeps them from God. Isaiah, whom Jesus paraphrases, equates such hubris with a man thinking his actions are hidden from the Lord and the clay questioning the wisdom of the potter (Isaiah 29:15–16).

Later, Peter will discover that Jesus revoked the Jewish dietary law (Acts 10:9–16), and James, Jesus’ half-brother and pastor of the church in Jerusalem, will affirm that Gentile believers should not be held to the Jewish law of circumcision (Acts 15:1–21). Paul will warn Christians against getting caught up in “Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth” (Titus 1:14). Today, that can include insisting that Jesus will return during the Day of Atonement or other significant Jewish date, or being dogmatic about other end-times predictions.

Orthodox Jews still follow much of the traditions of the elders, including ceremonial hand-washing. David, however, said that God’s law is complete, by which he meant the written Word (Psalm 19:7). Jesus affirms that while the Pharisees “tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear, and lay them on people’s shoulders” (Matthew 23:4), God meant for the burden of His law to be light (Matthew 11:30).

The church today is often guilty of trying to enforce similar traditions. Tithing, for instance, is not a command meant for the church age. Speaking in tongues is not evidence of having the Holy Spirit. Jesus fulfilled the Sabbath to the point that we are not required to observe it. Some of our modern church traditions are useful and some are harmful, but none of them is necessary for salvation.

Verse 8. You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

Despite hundreds of years of warnings, the Jews refused to obey the Mosaic Law in clear issues like not worshiping false gods (Jeremiah 9:13–14) and observing the Sabbath (Jeremiah 17:27). Even after the seventy-year captivity in Babylon, those who returned to Jerusalem had to learn the difficult lesson of not taking pagan wives (Ezra 10). But they did work harder, up to and including developing additional rules known as the oral law.

While the Pharisees and scribes revere this oral law as instructions of the elders passed down from Moses, Jesus regards it as manmade traditions. Ostensibly, the oral law is a supplement to the Mosaic Law, a gate-keeper that prevents anyone from breaking the laws God gave directly. In reality, it is an unnecessary burden that denies the perfection of God’s Word (Psalm 19:7) while inciting pride in its followers. In addition, strict adherence to the manmade rules invariably leads to disobedience to God.

“Leave” is from the Greek root word aphiemi and means to abandon all claims to. “Hold” is from the Greek root word krateo and infers a mastery or control marked with power and strength. The words describe the beginning stages of the religious leaders’ change of heart toward God’s law.

The Pharisees and scribes claim that following the traditions makes it easier to obey the Law. Today’s church still has a tendency to follow suit. It’s fine to have a tradition, such as a Christmas pageant or a summer church picnic. It’s fine for a church to have a particular culture, such as favoring a music style or formal clothing. It’s not okay for tradition or culture to supersede the purpose of the church, which is to be a place where believers can serve and love each other.

Verse 9. And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!

The words Jesus use here illustrate the natural progression from Mark 7:8. “Reject” is from the Greek root word atheteo. Where “leave” means they disassociate themselves from God’s law, “reject” means they deny its validity. “Establish” is from the Greek root word tereo which goes beyond mastering the tradition and into guarding and keeping what already exists.

In this, the Jewish leaders are successful. By the third century AD, devout Jews consider eating with unwashed hands equivalent to sleeping with a prostitute; for example, see the Babylonian Talmud, Seder Nashim, Tractate Sotah 4b. In making a law that purports to keep followers ceremonially clean, the scribes manage to show their own arrogance and disrespect God’s law.

Their attitude towards God’s commandments is in stark contrast with King David’s. The longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119, is David’s declaration of devotion to God’s law. David has no wish to add to the law, but to keep it. He sees that the law brings life and requires his heart and soul. But he also knows that when he sins against that law, the answer isn’t more laws, but God’s grace. He knows God will heal him (Psalm 41:4) and make him clean (Psalm 51:4–7). Over a thousand years before the Pharisees and scribes condemn Jesus’ disciples for making themselves unclean by eating with unwashed hands, David writes that it is only God who can make our hearts clean (Psalm 51:10).

Verse 10. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’

The Pharisees and scribes have harassed Jesus about specific ways in which He and His disciples do not follow the tradition designed to supplement the Mosaic Law. The disciples do not fast (Mark 2:18–22) and they pick grain on the Sabbath (Mark 2:23–28); Jesus, Himself, heals on the Sabbath (Mark 3:1–6). Thus far, Jesus has countered the religious legalism with paradigm-changing ideas. For instance, that His disciples can’t fast while they are in His presence, or that the Sabbath was designed by God for man’s benefit, not the other way around. Jesus has explained that the traditions Pharisees and scribes follow merely disguise their lack of worship of and respect for God and His Word. Now He gets down to their level and gives a specific example.

He sets the stage by quoting the Mosaic Law that the scribes and Pharisees claim to honor. By beginning with, “For Moses said,” Jesus offers two important insights. First, He affirms Moses as the primary author of the Torah. Second, He refers to the highest source of authority among the Jewish religious leaders, something much greater than the traditions of the elders (Mark 7:5).

Jesus’ first quote is from the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16). The second is from one of the most controversial topics in the Mosaic Law, the law that states if a son curses his father or mother he should be put to death (Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9). “Revile” is from the Greek root word kakologeo and means to speak evil of to the point of cursing. It doesn’t mean to complain about, but to disrespect to the point of abuse. In the example Jesus gives, it means to vow to not honor one’s parents, which is a capital offense.

Verse 11. But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God) —

The concept of corban is understandably confusing since it is not defined in the Bible. It is a type of vow that devotes something to God, or the temple, which bans its use by another. Jesus refers to a case where a son declares that his property and possessions shall not be used to benefit his parents, but rather given to the temple. Or, at least, by “declaring” as much, whether or not it was physically given to the temple. It’s unclear why such an oath would be made, but it could have been made in the heat of an argument and shortly after regretted. The vow does not mean that the property must be donated to the priests or another worthy cause, just that it cannot be used to benefit those whom it might have belonged to otherwise.

Of course, the oath itself breaks both the commandment to honor one’s father and mother (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16) and the law forbidding a child to curse his parents (Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9). But to renege on the vow would be against Numbers 30:2 which states, “If a man vows a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.”

The Jewish elders had to determine which was worse: to abandon your responsibility to your parents or to break an oath? According to the oral law, the oath is paramount. Even if someone wanted to support their parents, the scribes and Pharisees would forbid it (Mark 7:12) if they’d declared some or all of their property as corban. In doing so, they use manmade tradition and legalism to nullify God’s commandment and the intent behind it (Mark 7:13).

We see this today in any church that encourages members to make a pledge of money or time and holds to that pledge even if circumstances change. If someone pledges to donate to a new building but loses his job, he should not be held to that pledge. If a woman promises to teach for a year but is unexpectedly overwhelmed by family demands, the church should do what it can to support her, not demand her service. Of course, Jesus would suggest that we just don’t make vows (Matthew 5:33–37).

Verse 12. then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother,

The relationship between the Pharisees and the people is an interesting one. The Pharisees have no legal authority. They have no direct ties to the priests or the temple. They are lay-leaders who study the Mosaic and oral laws thoroughly and try to live by what they read. In doing so, they come to value the law more than the law-Giver. They see people through the lens of the law: do they follow it or not? This is in contrast to seeing people through a lens of God’s love and grace. The Pharisees’ discipline deserves a measure of respect (Matthew 5:20), but their self-assumed prophetic power over the people is unhealthy and unbiblical.

Even so, it is very effective. Gamaliel was a Pharisee on the council, a teacher of the law, not a priest, when he suggested that the Christian movement would die out if it was not of God (Acts 5:33–42). We’re not sure if Paul was an “official” Pharisee, or if he was just studying to be one (Philippians 3:5), but he had the authority to capture, imprison, and vote for the deaths of Christians, even those outside of Israel (Acts 26:10–11).

When Jesus says that the scribes and Pharisees do not “permit” the Jews to break a vow for the sake of his parents, He expresses the influence the teachers hold over the people. That hold is despite some serious contradictions. 1. The Mishnah has sections that prioritize the commandment over the rash vow, but apparently some of the scribes and Pharisees didn’t agree. 2. Scripture, itself. Leviticus 5:4–6 says that if someone realizes he is guilty of a sinful rash vow, he can make atonement. It is better to acknowledge one’s sin and deal with it than to continue on at the expense of others.

Verse 13. thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

The scribes from Jerusalem and the local Pharisees have accused Jesus’ disciples of breaking the Jewish traditions by not washing their hands before they eat. Instead of defending His followers, Jesus tells the accusers that their devotion to such petty, manmade traditions exposes the fact that their honor of God is all talk and no heart.

The scribes of old created the oral law in an attempt to protect the Jews from breaking the Mosaic Law. Such efforts not only don’t work, but the results of applying the oral law often directly contradicted the Mosaic Law. Jesus uses the example of inflating the importance of a rash oath (Numbers 30:2) until a man is forced to disobey one of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:12) and a law punishable by death (Exodus 21:17).

The “word of God” here simply means God’s utterances. In this case, it refers to the fifth commandment, not Jesus or Scripture as a whole.

“Making void” is from the Greek root word akuroo. It means to remove all power and authority. What started as disassociating from the law (Mark 7:8) and grew to rejecting its authority (Mark 7:9) has come to fruition in removing its authority. Although we cannot really nullify the authority of God’s words, we can make them functionally useless by living and teaching as if our standards are greater than His. By doing so, we take His name in vain.

Jesus mentions that He could have given other examples. A possible reason that He gave this one is that refusing to support one’s parents is a crime worthy of capital punishment.

Verse 14. And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand:

Jesus has had altercations with the scribes and Pharisees before, most notably regarding associating with sinners (Mark 2:15–17), “working” on the Sabbath (Mark 2:23–28; 3:1–6), and where His authority comes from (Mark 3:22–30). In this passage, He not only decisively shuts down the religious leaders’ authority, Jesus very carefully explains why they are wrong.

“Hear” is from the Greek root word akouo and means to pay attention and learn. “Understand” comes from the Greek root word suniemi and means to fit all the little pieces together until you comprehend the main idea and how to apply it. Jesus wants the people to really understand what cleanness and uncleanness mean and how the scribes and Pharisees show hypocrisy in their definitions and applications. Their teaching disrespects God and harms the people both physically and spiritually. Physically, their added traditions create a burden of time and resources God never intended (Matthew 23:2–4). It is spiritually harmful because they teach the people that following extra-scriptural tradition is more important than their heart’s attitude (Matthew 5:21–48).

Too often young Christians leap into teaching and serving roles before they have studied what they believe. There are few things more dangerous for a Christian than trying to defend the gospel without understanding it. Jesus’ call to hear and understand applies to all of us.

Context Summary
Mark 7:14–23 contains Jesus’ rebuttal to the Pharisees’ beliefs about cleanness (Mark 7:1–5), by condemning their habit of rejecting God’s law for their own tradition (Mark 7:6–13). Here, He goes into more detail about what actually makes someone unclean. After, He will live out His teaching of love over tradition by healing a Gentile girl then remaining in a Gentile area to heal and feed four thousand (Mark 7:31–8:10). A parallel description can be found in Matthew 15:10–20.

Verse 15. There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”

The scribes from Jerusalem join the local Pharisees, criticizing the disciples who ate without washing (Mark 7:1–2). Elders before them had twisted a rule God gave only to the priests into an unnecessary ceremony to try to ensure the Jews’ holiness. In time, their tradition grew in importance and they taught that the people would become defiled without it.

“Defile” is from the Greek root word koinoo. At its most benign, it means to become common, but it also means to be unclean or profane. The scribes and Pharisees teach that food at the marketplace can become unclean either by the hands of the buyer or the seller. Eating unclean food causes the person to become unclean, himself. The remedy is to wash before eating.

Jesus points out that these religious leaders don’t understand what “unclean” means. In the ceremonial law, God gave standards for what the Jews were to eat and what they were to avoid. But eating shrimp or bacon is nothing compared to the selfishness and pride that fills the hearts of the scribes and Pharisees. Ungodly attitudes identify that you are already defiled in your heart. Neglecting to wash your hands has nothing to do with your heart. The religious leaders turn cleanness into a cult while dismissing the spirit of the law.

Verse 16. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. KJV

This verse is one of handful that are not recorded in all Bible translations. The text is “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” It is found in the King James Version and New King James Version; the New American Standard Version has it in brackets. The English Standard Version and New International Version include it in a footnote.

The KJV is an English translation based on the Textus Receptus (“received text”), which was Erasmus’ attempt to reconcile five or six Greek New Testaments dated from the twelfth century, and the Codex Vaticanus, which is dated to the mid-fourth century. The more modern translations combined the Codex Vaticanus with the Codex Sinaiticus (which was discovered in 1859 but printed in the late-fourth century) and remnants of the Dead Sea Scrolls. These earlier versions do not contain several verses the Textus Receptus includes, such as Mark 7:16 and Mark 16:9–20. It may be that the text “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” was an editorial comment added by a scribe. Or, it might have been added during the copying process in an effort to make it more similar to later statements.

Whether the verse is included or not does not cast aspersions on the rest of the Bible. There is no impact to the theology of the Bible, especially since the exact words are found in Mark 4:9 and paraphrased in Mark 7:14. A reminder to take heed of Jesus’ words certainly does not change the theme of the Bible.

Verse 17. And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable.

The location of the confrontation with the scribes and Pharisees and the ensuing explanation with the disciples isn’t given, although “the house” typically means Peter and Andrew’s residence in Capernaum. The use of “disciples” frequently indicates that Jesus is speaking to more than just the Twelve.

“Parable” comes from the Greek root word parabole, which is a story that uses a metaphor to reveal a spiritual truth. A “parable” can also be a pithy saying or proverb. Jesus uses parables when He teaches to crowds (Mark 4:33–34). Later, when the disciples ask, He goes into a more in-depth explanation (Mark 4:10, 33–34). It’s reasonable for those listening to think His statement that what goes into a person cannot make him unclean (Mark 7:15) is a parable, although Mark 7:19 suggests that Jesus is also being literal, building on the fact that these scribes and Pharisees thought unwashed hands made kosher food unclean.

Whatever missteps the disciples make in their journey to understand Jesus’ teaching, their dogged devotion to Him is something we should all emulate. Going to church and hearing the preaching with “the crowd” is a good starting point, but church attendance doesn’t make a disciple. We need quieter settings and smaller groups to really understand God’s Word. That may include a Bible study, a private meeting with the pastor, or individual study time with prayer and a commentary such as BibleRef.com.

Verse 18. And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him,

James 1:5 says, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.” Jesus has given a puzzling statement about what makes a person clean or unclean, and the disciples naturally ask for an explanation. The problem is that the disciples’ misunderstanding isn’t because they lack wisdom but because they have so stubbornly held to their own perceptions of who Jesus is that they miss what He’s saying.

“Without understanding” comes from the Greek root word asynetos which means “senseless or unintelligent.” Jesus isn’t asking the disciples if they’re having difficulty weaving all the threads together into a new a complicated theology. He’s asking, in deliberately shocking fashion, “are you stupid?”

This isn’t the difficulty of a learning disability or the confusion of someone faced with a difficult topic. This is the foolishness of people who have hardened their hearts to the truth (Mark 6:52; 8:17–21). Jesus is frustrated because as much as the disciples love to hear Him teach, and even obey His orders, they don’t understand what He is saying if it contradicts their pre-conceived ideas. The Law does not provide a way for us to save ourselves; it exposes the fact that we cannot save ourselves. Adding rules to the Law, as the scribes and Pharisees do, not only doesn’t save, it takes authority away from the Law.

God gave food laws to the Israelites as a sign that they are set apart from the pagan nations around them. Non-kosher food is called unclean, but those who eat it are not called unclean. People are declared unclean because of what they touched or associated with (Leviticus 5:3) or what came out of their bodies (Leviticus 13:3; 15:18), not what goes into their bodies. In fact, the Old Testament doesn’t even give a punishment for eating unclean food.

Verse 19. since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.)

“Heart” is from the Greek root word kardia which refers to the source of physical and spiritual life. It is from the heart that we think, desire, and decide what we want. “Is expelled” is an overtly polite translation of a much longer Greek phrase: eis ton aphedrōna ekporeuetai. This literally means “is passed into the toilet.” Without going into the details of digestion, Jesus is saying that physical food, with its clear trajectory through and out of the body, cannot cause a heart—our spiritual condition—to become defiled.

The latter half of this verse flummoxes scholars. Jesus clearly revokes the kosher dietary laws, so why did the early church struggle so much? There are two possibilities. First, this statement might be a commentary by Mark or Peter who feel the need to defend what Jesus taught Peter about kosher food on the rooftop in Acts chapter 10. Second, this may be a reference to an obscure belief, held by some scribes and Pharisees, that human excrement was ceremonially clean. Most Bible teachers believe the former, especially considering Ezekiel’s reluctance to cook over human dung (Ezekiel 4:12–14). Since Mark’s audience is most likely Gentiles, it’s an important affirmation of the Gentile Christians’ freedom from the Mosaic Law.

Jesus’ statement that nothing that goes in us can defile us (Mark 7:15) is literal in regard to food but becomes a parable when applied to other areas of life. It is not a sin to hear someone swear, accidentally come upon a pornographic image, or withhold offerings from a church. Our hearts decide if these things are unclean or not. We are “unclean” if we swear with a rebellious and disrespectful attitude toward God or others. We are “unclean” if we seek out images or entertainment for the purpose of sinning. We are “unclean” if God convicts us to give and we refuse. We are also “unclean” if our hearts convince us to do something that is permitted but in a sinful way or against our convictions (Romans 14:14).

Verse 20. And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him.

cleanness and uncleanness are priorities (Leviticus 10:10), but they aren’t necessarily determined by sin. Disposing of something or someone that is dead makes someone unclean (Leviticus 5:2). A dead mouse lying on a piece of cloth makes the fabric unclean (Leviticus 11:29–32). Childbirth (Leviticus 12:2), having sex (Leviticus 15:16–18), and menstruation (Leviticus 15:19–24) make people and sometimes the things the people touch unclean. Even a skin condition makes someone unclean (Leviticus 13:35–59) and mildew on a house makes the house unclean (Leviticus 14:33–53).

This is the type of “uncleanness” the scribes and Pharisees wish to avoid. While at the marketplace, they have no way of knowing if the vender picked up a dead mouse or if a locust fell into the basket that holds the grain. By washing, they hope to cleanse themselves and their food so they will not become unclean unintentionally.

Jesus’ concern, however, is that as the religious leaders teach about ceremonial uncleanness, their hearts are black with sin: the scribes and Pharisees emphasize keeping an oath over caring for one’s parents (Mark 7:9–13). God has no use for teachers who go above and beyond in their religious service but treat people with callousness. Matthew 15:18 specifically says, “But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.” The traditions we observe mean nothing if our hearts are hard.

Verse 21. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,

In their zeal to keep the Mosaic Law, the scribes and Pharisees over-emphasize manmade traditions to the point that they nullify the law. They obsess over ceremonial uncleanness in fear that they may accidentally eat unclean food and, thereby, become unclean themselves. Jesus explains their foolishness; whether you are unclean as a person is dependent on your heart, not your diet.

“Heart” is from the Greek root word kardia. It is the core of our being from which our desires, thoughts, and judgments come. Our actions reveal the state of our hearts, they do not define our hearts. A hardened heart will cause a person to indulge in the evil deeds listed in this verse and the next.

“Evil” is from the Greek root word kakos and means inappropriate, harmful, or bad. “Thoughts,” from the Greek dialogismos, doesn’t mean flickering impulses but careful deliberations and machinations. When the scribes and Pharisees teach the people that it is more important to fulfill a rash oath than care for their parents, they do so after careful, but hard-headed, deliberation.

Most of the rest of the list is self-explanatory and several examples touch on the Ten Commandments. “Sexual immorality” means any improper sexual intercourse, whether it be adultery, fornication, homosexuality, incest, or bestiality.

This passage suggests a very important distinction between having an evil intent and being the victim of evil. A person is unclean if their heart pushes them into sexual sin. A person is not unclean if they are the victim of sexual assault. The shame of a victim of molestation, rape, or voyeurism is not from God. God does not see the person as damaged or sinful or unclean.

Verse 22. coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.

With the exile in Babylon, the Israelites turned away from idolatry and toward the Law; there’s no mention of Baal worship in the New Testament. The scribes and Pharisees develop ceremonies to ensure the people maintain the purity appropriate for God’s chosen people. But while God wants His people to return their hearts to Him (Joel 2:12–13), the religious leaders who insist on extra-scriptural tradition miss the purpose of the Law (Deuteronomy 6:4–6). The Law is to be in their hearts to direct their hands, not on their hands for show (Mark 12:38–40). In their attempt to eradicate idolatry, they make an idol out of keeping the Law.

Jesus continues His explanation of what makes someone unclean. It isn’t avoiding contaminated food; it’s a heart that delights in sin. “Coveting” is from the Greek root word pleonexia and means to want more. “Wickedness” is from porneria and means depravity or intentional malice. “Deceit” is dolos: craft, deceit, or guile; it can also refer to unjust business practices, scams, or injustice in general. “Sensuality” is from the word aselgeia, which means sexual shamelessness.

“Envy,” from the Greek root word ophthalmos poneros, translates literally to “an evil eye,” which is a Semitic term for stinginess (Deuteronomy 15:9). It means to sin with one’s eyes or to see something with a wicked intent. “Slander” is the terms blasphemia, or speech that dishonors someone’s good name. In the Old Testament, it always refers to blasphemy against God. “Pride” is translated from huperephania, referring to an unrealistic, inflated view of oneself with a corresponding contemptuous view of others. “Foolishness” is taken from the Greek aphrosune: a reckless disregard for God’s morals. In the Old Testament, foolishness was very often associated with wickedness (Proverbs 14:17).

Several of these sins characterize the scribes’ and Pharisees’ attitude toward Jesus. They covet His influence and respond with malice. Their accusations are filled with deceit and guile as they manipulate Pilate into condemning Jesus to death (John 18:30, 38–40; 19:12). Early on, the local Pharisees cast an evil eye on Jesus as they seek for a way to destroy Him (Mark 3:6). In the first interaction the scribes from Jerusalem have with Jesus, they slander Him by claiming His power comes from Satan (Mark 3:22). Jesus roundly condemns the scribes’ and Pharisees’ pride, accusing them of attempting to do good merely to win the admiration of others (Matthew 23:5–7). All their acts show a deep foolishness toward God’s standards.

It is these behaviors, not accidentally eating an unclean piece of food, that make the people unclean.

Verse 23. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Jesus is bringing in a more complete way of thinking. The law proves insufficient for salvation because although it somewhat controls people’s actions, it doesn’t change their hearts. In fact, Jewish leadership finds it easier to add unnecessary traditions than to honor the laws God gave them. Following the law doesn’t make you holy; your heart determines if you are truly clean in your nature or not.

Jesus’ latest argument with the scribes and Pharisees is over whether eating something unclean can make a person unclean. The religious leaders fear that accidentally eating food that has touched something unclean will make them spiritually removed from God. Jesus explains that a heart hardened from within is the only thing that can make someone spiritually unclean, and He spends the next three sections living out this truth.

First, He will seek refuge in a Gentile town and heal the daughter of a woman whose people have a long history of persecuting and abusing Jews (Mark 7:24–30). Next, He will return to the Gentile region where He’d healed the man with a legion of demons and heal a great many people (Matthew 15:29–31), including a deaf man (Mark 7:31–37). Finally, He will decisively show the foolishness of worrying about unclean food by providing a meal for four thousand people in a Gentile nation.

Verse 24. And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house and did not want anyone to know, yet he could not be hidden.

Jesus has spent much of the previous two chapters trying to find a quiet place for the disciples and Himself. He tried the east coast of the Sea of Galilee but was driven out by the people who were afraid of His power (Mark 5:1–20). He then brought them to the northern tip of the Sea of Galilee, but was met by five thousand men, plus women and children, practically before the boat landed (Mark 6:30–44).

Now He travels to the region of Tyre and Sidon, about twenty miles northwest of Capernaum. Tyre and Sidon are the major cities of a district known as the economic bully of Galilee, and the people are not loved by the Jews. Josephus called the Tyrians “our bitterest enemies.” It’s reasonable to expect that Jesus and His followers can avoid the Jewish crowds in a hostile Gentile district.

In the Old Testament, “Tyre and Sidon” represents the pagan world. Sidon the city is west of Damascus, and Tyre is south and a bit west of Sidon and north of Caesarea. Technically, the region is Canaanite, but the Greeks called it Phoenicia after the purple dye for which they were famous. Tyre wasn’t always antagonistic toward Israel; the king sent cedar and craftsmen to help King David build his palace (2 Samuel 5:11) and did the same to help Solomon with the temple (1 Kings 5:8–11). Although the region survived Nebuchadnezzar, it was conquered by Alexander the Great.

This and the time spent in Decapolis are the only times Jesus leaves the Tetrarchy. This is the only time Jesus leaves the historical borders of Israel. In order to train His disciples, Jesus has to leave the country. The thought begs the question, do we give our spiritual leaders the space to rest? Or do we demand so much they must seek rest outside the reach of the church?

Context Summary
Mark 7:24–30 follows a lengthy dissertation on what makes a person clean or unclean. Jesus takes His disciples to Gentile territory. There, He acts in strict contrast to the elders’ traditions by interacting closely with Gentiles. First, He heals the daughter of a Canaanite woman. Mark’s account of the faith of the Canaanite woman is relatively short. Matthew 15:21–28, written specifically to Jews, is fleshed out to better drive home the point. Through the end of chapter 7 and into chapter 8, He heals a deaf man and several of his neighbors (Matthew 15:24–30). Finally, He decisively dismisses any concern about clean or unclean food by providing a meal for four thousand, many of whom are undoubtedly Gentiles.

Verse 25. But immediately a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit heard of him and came and fell down at his feet.

The account in Matthew 15 gives more flesh to Mark’s bare-bones narrative. The woman cries out, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon” (Matthew 15:22). She falls at His feet, a humble act duplicated by only a few amongst the many jostling crowds. She enters a private residence to see Him, an act Jesus sees as bold and faithful (Mark 2:1–5; Matthew 15:28).

It’s likely she heard of Jesus from early on in His ministry. At some point around the time He finalized His twelve disciples, Jesus was nearly crushed by a large crowd “from Galilee and Judea and Jerusalem and Idumea and from beyond the Jordan and from around Tyre and Sidon” (Mark 3:7–8). She would have heard that Jesus can both heal and exorcise demons (Mark 3:10–11).

Most striking, however, is that she calls Jesus “O Lord, Son of David.” “Lord” could refer to an understanding that Jesus is God, but it more likely means she is submitting to Him as an authority. “Son of David” has only one meaning: Jesus is the promised descendent of David who will sit on the throne forever—He is the Jewish Messiah. How a Canaanite woman came to understand this about Jesus is unknown. How she understood it when the scribes and Pharisees, experts of the Jewish Scriptures, did not is mind-boggling.

Verse 26. Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter.

As Jesus tries to rest in a home in the Gentile region of Tyre, a Canaanite woman enters the house seeking healing for her daughter. Canaanites were the original inhabitants of the Promised Land. They lived on the shore of the Mediterranean from Lebanon to nearly Egypt, and east to the Jordan River. Descended from Noah’s grandson Canaan (Genesis 9:18–25), the Canaanites were known for being wicked and idolatrous. But this woman recognizes Jesus as the Son of David, Messiah of the Jews (Matthew 15:22).

Some versions say the woman is Greek. The woman is Hellenistic and speaks Greek, but ethnically she is a Canaanite and geographically she is Syrophoenician. Syrophoenicia is a portmanteau of “Syria,” the Roman province which administers the republic of Tyre, and “Phoenicia,” the Greek term for the region known for its purple dye. Syrophoenicia stands in contrast to Libophoenicia which belongs to Carthage in North Africa.

Mark states that the woman begs; Matthew adds specifics. As Jesus seemingly ignores her plea, the woman continues to the point that the disciples ask Jesus to make her leave (Matthew 15:23). Like with the woman with an issue of blood (Mark 5:25–34) and blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46–52), Jesus doesn’t act until everyone’s attention is where He wants it. This is part of the reason for His denial: a deliberate tactic to bring out an important point. We don’t know why this woman is so desperate, but considering another demon tried to throw a young boy in fire and water (Mark 9:17–27), her determination is understandable.

Verse 27. And he said to her, “Let the children be fed first, for it is not right to take the children ‘s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

Matthew gives more context to this particular encounter. This Canaanite woman is begging Jesus to free her demon-possessed daughter, while the disciples beg Jesus to send her away (Matthew 15:23). Once Jesus has the disciples’ attention, He tells the woman, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). The stage is set to demonstrate the faith and wisdom of a Gentile woman.

She responds by kneeling before Him. She is a Gentile from a nation that treats Jews poorly. She likely knows how little respect Jewish religious leaders have for Gentile women (John 4:9). She is educated enough to understand and respond to Jesus’ riddles. But right now she humbles herself before the Jewish Messiah (Matthew 15:22) and says, “Lord, help me” (Matthew 15:25).

The woman understands Jesus’ metaphor. The “children” are the Jews (Deuteronomy 14:1) and “bread” is God’s provision in whatever form it may take. She is the “dog,” and although He uses a diminutive form of the word that means household pet—rather than an insulting remark—it’s still not very flattering.

Despite the cultural baggage behind the Jewish tradition of calling Gentiles “dogs” and Jesus’ seeming dismissal, the woman catches something that the disciples will take years to understand: Jesus the Messiah came for the Jews first but not only (Acts 1:8; Romans 1:16–17). She takes the chance that if Jesus has plans to reach the Gentiles later, He can make an exception and save her daughter now.

Some scholars have a different view. Instead of great theological significance, the interaction may have more to do with the household setting. The term “dog” is diminutive, meaning the household pets that get the scraps the children drop. The children are the disciples who need rest and nourishment (bread). The woman is disturbing their peace, and it is Jesus’ priority to make sure His disciples get what they need before yet another person steals His attention. It’s possible the woman recognizes the metaphor in the setting—she as household puppy who is distracting the Master from the children—and not as a racial slur.

And Jesus may be reluctant because if He heals her daughter there’s no telling who she will tell. He might once again become swarmed by mob (Mark 4:1; 5:21; 6:34), this time Gentiles in search of magic.

More likely, He isn’t reluctant at all. He just wants the situation to be clear: that He also came for Gentiles, that she is clever and able to understand His teaching, and that the disciples have hardened their hearts to what Jesus is trying to teach them (Mark 8:17) and think too much of themselves and their position with Jesus (Mark 10:13–16).

Verse 28. But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children ‘s crumbs.”

The Canaanites have feuded and warred with Israel since the time of Joshua, but now a Canaanite woman kneels before Jesus, begging Him to free her daughter from a demon. He tells her, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs” (Mark 7:27), and she sees her chance.

Unlike the disciples who continually show fear and anxiety (Mark 4:38; 6:37; 8:4), the woman has faith that all she needs is crumbs. She doesn’t even ask Jesus to come to her house. She believes that whatever attention and power He has to spare is enough.

“Lord” is from the Greek root word kurios and is used to identify someone with authority. Scripture also uses the title of Jesus to mean Messiah (John 20:28), but here she probably means “sir.” She places herself under His authority and discretion. She has one request and trusts that He can and will meet it. This is the faith the Nazarenes couldn’t understand (Mark 6:1–6).

Most of the Jews don’t understand Jesus’ riddles or parables and have to ask Him to explain. The Canaanite woman understands immediately and plays along. The Gospels show that she is not the only woman to show insight into Jesus’ character. The woman at the well might have been trying to dodge Jesus’ choice of topic, or taking the unexpected chance to have a theological discussion with a Jewish prophet (John 4:19–20). Mary of Bethany may have been the only person who fully realized Jesus was going to die (Mark 14:3–9).

The image of the children and the dogs is a metaphor for Christianity. God fed the Jews with truth until they could take no more and hanged Jesus on a cross. Then He sent the gospel to the Gentiles (Romans 3:29). Those who are happy to receive the crumbs under the table will find themselves at the wedding feast of the Lamb (Revelation 19:6–9).

Verse 29. And he said to her, “For this statement you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.”

The woman is a Canaanite, from a line whose patriarch disgraced Noah (Genesis 9:20–25), and which God had told the Israelites to eliminate (Deuteronomy 20:17). But Jesus says, “O woman, great is your faith!” (Matthew 15:28). The Pharisees with their extensive hand-washing traditions and their fear of ceremonial uncleanness are upstaged by a Gentile woman kneeling on the floor. They add rule upon rule because they don’t have faith that God will keep them from being defiled. The woman humbles herself and asks, which is what God wants from all of us.

Jesus and the disciples have searched for a quiet place where they can rest and where Jesus can teach, but have been thwarted by demons (Mark 5:1–13) and unexpected mobs (Mark 6:30–34). In a private home in a Gentile district, a woman comes to demonstrate the greatest lesson of all. Salvation knows no traditions to follow, no boundaries to observe, no historical/cultural baggage to acknowledge. Just faith.

It’s easy today to become overburdened by religious “shoulds.” Traditions and social niceties can be expressions of our faith and a convenient way to maintain order and peace (1 Corinthians 14:33). But we must never put manmade convention above the needs of others or the worship of God. As C. S. Lewis said, unpleasant things are not interruptions of our lives; they are our lives, and many are God-sent.

Verse 30. And she went home and found the child lying in bed and the demon gone.

This passage is of great importance to the Gentile readers of Mark’s Gospel as it reveals Jesus’ acceptance of both Jews and Gentiles who come to Him by faith. Though His earthly mission largely focused on the Jewish people, Jesus was and is available to all who will come to Him. Further, His acceptance of a woman kneeling before Him, asking for help, again shows Jesus as a person who cares about the needs of women and responds to their concerns. In a time when women’s rights are often neglected, Jesus expresses much compassion and respect to the women who come to Him.

At the time of the writing of this commentary, western culture is reeling at the fusillade of revelations of abuse and violence against women and ethnic minorities. No matter how many of these accusations have ties to a church, a denomination, or a “Christian” organization, it’s essential to understand that this was never Jesus’ heart. He condemns religious leaders who take advantage of their charges (Ezekiel 34:1–10) and welcomes anyone with faith—even a woman from a nation antagonistic toward Jews.

Paul said that in the church, there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, male or female (Galatians 3:28). Jesus here shows that there is no distinction between Jew and Canaanite. And today, there is no distinction between white, black, Hispanic, Asian, or any other earthly ethnicity.

As Jesus prayed in John 17:20–21: “I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.“

Verse 31. Then he returned from the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, in the region of the Decapolis.

Tyre was originally an island city off the coast of the Mediterranean Sea about thirty-four miles northeast of Capernaum. Sidon is also on the coast, about twenty miles north of Tyre. The text doesn’t say that Jesus entered into the cities, just that He went into the region of which Tyre and Sidon were significant population centers. Tyre and Sidon are inhabited by Hellenized (Greek-cultured) Canaanites. The area is administered by Syria in service to the Roman Empire. The region is also called “Syrophoenicia”—”Syro” because of its ties to Syria, and “Phoenicia” for the purple dye the residents collected from murex sea snails.

Decapolis, by contrast, is east of Capernaum, on the other side of the Sea of Galilee. The northwestern arm borders the southeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee and the eastern shore of part of the Jordan River. The body of the district lies yet further east. “Deca” means ten and “polis” refers to cities. The cities referred to are actually city-states which share a similar culture but are administratively independent of each other.

Jesus apparently designs this circuitous route to avoid the district of Galilee. Their exact location in Decapolis isn’t given, and neither is the particular shore on which Jesus earlier rescued the man possessed by a legion of demons (Mark 5:1–13), but they are in the same area. The last time He had been in Decapolis, the crowd had begged Him to go, but He told the man to tell his friends what God had done for him (Mark 5:14–20). Apparently the man’s testimony acts as a sort of target-softening, and this time the people are much more receptive.

Context Summary
Mark 7:31–37 mentions only this one healed man and is the only Gospel to do so, while Matthew 15:29–31 describes Jesus healing a great crowd. It’s possible that this one healing created the crowd mentioned in Matthew. Healing the deaf is associated with God’s direct blessing (Isaiah 35:5) and the Old Testament does not record any account of a literally deaf person being healed; most mentions of ”deaf” people are references to those who are spiritually hardened. The people praise Jesus not only for healing the deaf and mute man, but for doing it well.

Verse 32. And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment, and they begged him to lay his hand on him.

The last time Jesus and the Twelve were in this area, the crowd drove them away (Mark 5:17). Now the villagers and farmers rush to greet Him, hopeful He will heal a deaf man.

“Deaf” is from the Greek root word kophos and means dull of hearing. The word often encompasses the state of being unable to speak, as well. “Speech impediment” belies the speculation that the man is completely mute. The Greek root word mogilalos means that either he speaks with difficulty or others find him difficult to understand. Either way, the description suggests he was not born deaf.

That the people ask Jesus to lay hands on their friend indicates that the disability may have been caused by trauma. They, at least, did not believe it to be due to demon possession like the mute man in Matthew 9:32–34. When Jesus heals physical ailments, He typically touches the victim (Mark 1:31; 5:23; 6:5; 8:25). When He frees people from demons, He does so with the power and authority of His words (Mark 1:25; 5:7–8).

It appears that the locals like or respect this man. Like the crippled man who was let through the ceiling (Mark 2:1–12) and the blind man at Bethsaida (Mark 8:22–26), they bring him to Jesus. Neither the man with a legion of demons (Mark 5:1–13) nor blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46–52) received such a courtesy. Fortunately, even when we don’t have friends to lift us up to God, He hears us where we are.

Verse 33. And taking him aside from the crowd privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and after spitting touched his tongue.

We can’t know what the deaf man thinks of all this, but Jesus shows particular gentleness with him. The man seems to be in a vulnerable state; Jesus doesn’t use him as a public object lesson, like He does the woman with the issue of blood (Mark 5:25–34) and the Canaanite woman (Mark 7:24–30). Instead, Jesus pulls him away, perhaps so he won’t be overwhelmed when his hearing returns.

Then, Jesus lets the man know what is going to happen. Spit is thought to have healing powers in Jewish and Greek tradition. By going through the process of touching his ears and tongue, Jesus invites the understanding of the man who can’t hear what was going on.

This is very similar to how Jesus heals the blind man in Mark 8:22–26. People bring the man to Jesus, but Jesus leads the man out of the village, spits on his eyes, and heals him. It’s important to remember that we can “bring” our friends to Jesus in prayer, but His work is an intimate experience between Himself and the one who needs healing. We cannot heal others; we need to trust Christ.

Many people are healed by touching Jesus’ robe (Mark 6:56), and, on our side, we often ask for healing or help in a similar kind of immediate but anonymous way. We need to remember that God wants our relationship more than our comfort. We grow closer to Him when He pulls us aside and interacts with us, showing us where He is working and not just relieving our inconvenience or pain and letting us go on our merry way.

Verse 34. And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”

Jesus and the disciples are in Decapolis, possibly near the southeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. A group of people have brought Him a man who is deaf and can’t speak clearly. Jesus has pulled him away from the crowd and indicates what He plans to do.

Jesus tends to look up in situations where He wishes to direct attention to God, notably, when He feeds the five thousand (Mark 6:41) and raises Lazarus (John 11:41). “Ephphatha” is either Hebrew or Aramaic for “be opened.” Like with the raising of the little girl (Mark 5:41), Mark records the original words, perhaps to show Jesus did not use a magical spell.

There’s a lot of confusion over the fact that although Jesus is God, He often prays to God. The topic touches on the nature of the Trinity and whether Jesus is all-powerful during His life on earth. Jesus clearly states that as a person, He is separate from the Father (John 5:19–27). In fact, He “emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant” (Philippians 2:7). Jesus’ power comes from the Holy Spirit, not Himself (Mark 3:22–30).

Jesus, the Father, and the Holy Spirit are members of the Trinity. They are of the same essence, but they are different persons with different roles. In His time on earth, Jesus learns obedience to God (Hebrews 5:8) and asks God for power (John 11:41–42) and wisdom (Mark 1:35; 6:46). Jesus, the only perfect man who ever lived, serves as our example; no matter how much we think we have what we need, we still need to ask for God’s power.

Verse 35. And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly.

The healing of the deaf and mute is a prophecy, directly identified with the work of God: “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy” (Isaiah 35:5–6). Like many Messianic prophecies, part of Jesus’ earthly ministry was to bring a taste of what we will experience in the Millennial Kingdom and on into eternity.

The first recorded miracle that Jesus performed was turning the water into wine at a wedding in Cana. When the master of the feast tasted the wine, he told the bridegroom, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now” (John 2:10). Jesus didn’t just make wine so that the wedding party wouldn’t be embarrassed. He made better wine than the groom had been able to afford. In the same way, Jesus has completely healed the deaf man with a speech impediment. Not just well enough to communicate, but completely (Mark 7:37).

This is hope for those of us who suffer now. We many never see complete healing in this world; those who insist that you will be totally healed if you have “enough faith” are false teachers. But those who trust in Christ for their salvation can rest in the knowledge that we will spend eternity completely whole. We will not shed tears, suffer pain, or feel sorrow (Revelation 21:4). We will never be separated by death again (Revelation 20:6). And, greatest of all, we will spend eternity with the God who healed us (1 John 3:2; Revelation 21:1–4).

Verse 36. And Jesus charged them to tell no one. But the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it.

Very rarely does Jesus tell those He healed to spread the word. He did give the order to the man who was released from a legion of demons (Mark 5:19), which may be the reason why Jesus is crowded with those who need healing now (Matthew 15:29–31). Most of the time, Jesus tells the newly healed to either remain quiet or show themselves to the priests for verification (Mark 1:44; Luke 17:14), particularly if they had leprosy. When word does spread around, the sheer number of people who want Him delays the more important work of training the disciples and sometimes threatens Jesus’ safety (Mark 3:9).

Today, we need to be careful how we proclaim Jesus. He gives us specific promises in His Word that tell us what to expect in a life devoted to Him. They include gifts for the service of others (1 Corinthians 12), conviction of our sins (John 16:7–11), forgiveness (Acts 13:38), and persecution (2 Timothy 3:12). They do not guarantee complete or instantaneous physical healing (2 Corinthians 12:7), immediately- or fully-healed relationships (Matthew 10:35), an easy lifestyle (Matthew 8:20), or a long life (Acts 7:54–60). Healing and restoration are possible, but not certain during earthly life. Many of God’s promises to us must be accepted, or even fought for, such as the fruit of the Spirit which we can’t receive until we lay down our own desires (Galatians 5:22–24).

Jesus doesn’t want those He heals to proclaim what He has done, yet, because physical healing isn’t His primary mission. Like any miracle, the healings and exorcisms affirm His position as a prophet of God (John 10:37–38), but they are secondary to His more important purpose: to reveal the way of salvation and train others to spread the gospel after He leaves. Many seek signs, but the gospel is Christ, and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 1:21–23). It is this message that we need to spread.

Verse 37. And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

When the crowd brings the deaf man with the speech impediment to Jesus, they don’t ask Him to heal him but to lay His hands on him (Mark 7:32). It could very well be that the people don’t expect healing, but just a blessing. “Astonished” is from the Greek root word ekplesso and means to be struck with amazement, as if someone hits you. “Beyond all measure” is from the Greek root word huperperiossos and is used only here in the New Testament. When the crowd says Jesus has done “all things” well, it suggests they knew of His success in healing in other areas—perhaps from the man Jesus freed from a legion of demons (Mark 5:1–20).

Although the term for “speech impediment” is used in Mark 7:32, here the crowd seems to say the man was mute. The Greek root word alalos can mean completely speechless or just impossible to understand. The healing brings to mind the Messianic prophecy in Isaiah 35:5–6, in which God promises, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” Earlier, Jesus did not correct the Canaanite woman when she called Him “O Lord, Son of David” (Matthew 15:22). Soon, Jesus will lead Peter to confess that Jesus is, in fact, the Jewish Messiah (Mark 8:27–30).

Despite Jesus’ request that the crowd keep this secret, they can’t contain it (Mark 7:36). Before long He will pull away to a mountain where many will demand healing, including the prophesied lame, blind, and crippled (Matthew 15:29–31). Yet again, the day will grow late, and the people will get hungry. The Pharisees scolded Jesus’ disciples for not practicing the manmade tradition of washing hands before eating. Meanwhile, Jesus is happy to interact with a Canaanite woman at the table (Mark 7:24–30) and share bread with some four thousand Jews and Gentiles, sitting on the ground (Mark 8:1–10).

Chapter Context
Jesus counters another traditional error from the scribes and Pharisees, explaining that food in and of itself does not make a person unclean. Rather, it is the intent of the heart that matters to God. He specifically condemns traditions which effectively undo the original intent of God’s commands. Jesus heals the daughter of a persistent Gentile woman, and a man suffering from deafness and a speech impediment.

End.

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