The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem, 2 and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; 4 and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.)
Message: The Role of Tradition
Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source
material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57
and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39
times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's
servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and
circumstantial change.
What the Lord is Saying:
Preface - In Mark 1:15 are the words from Jesus - The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe in the gospel. Jesus initially calls a few to be his disciples and later expands it to 12. He will send out his disciples to speak this message of the kingdom of God. Along the way, Jesus performs many different types of miracles: physical healings, spiritual healings such as forgiveness, power over nature. There is the clear testimony of His power throughout these pages as He shares his message with the masses but also intimately with his disciples showing always his reliance on God and the power of God in people's lives. Jesus has become very popular in this area as many are coming to him to experience Him, to experience God.
There is the idea that Mark's intended audience for his book was a Gentile audience and verses 3 and 4 support this because he takes time to explain eating and washing requirements that would been understood by a Jewish audience while Gentiles do not know the customs of Jewish people.
This passage calls attention to the fact that the Pharisees and some of the scribes...had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed. The act itself of washing one's hands prior to eating is not a bad one, but what is being addressed here is a law that has been erected by Pharisees and kept in order to separate themselves from others and signify that they have kept rules and practices that in turn ensure that they are the ones most serious about their faith.
Joseph Benson commentary states:
The Pharisees, therefore, being very zealous in these trifles, would not eat at any time unless they washed their hands with the greatest care. From this source came that endless variety of purifications not prescribed in the law, but ordained by the elders. These ordinances, though they were of human invention, came at length to be looked upon as essential in religion; they were exalted to such a pitch, that, in comparison of them, the law of God was suffered to lie neglected and forgotten, as is here signified.
Verse 3 remarks that these are not words from Moses' law, but rather observing the traditions of the elders. Perhaps Jesus is simply emphasizing to his disciples that these traditions of men are just that traditions that each person decides whether or not they are useful, but they do not rise to a level of being a requirement for a person. Most likely this infuriated the Pharisees who possibly were following Jesus around, waiting to see something that they could call him on as being irreligious.
Summary - Mark pauses a moment in his gospel to bring attention to the Pharisees and their attack on Jesus for doing things that are contrary to the laws and traditions they have followed. Jesus permits his disciples to eat without clean hands.
Promise: Human traditions can be helpful. However, we must be careful to not elevate them to a status of divine revelation.
Prayer: Lord, help me to know the difference between what I must do and what I can do. Thank you for the freedom of Christ, but help me not to make that mean that you do not still have clear commandments that are there to protect me and make my life the best it can be. Give me wisdom to discern what I should and should not do each day. I want you to be glorified.
There is the idea that Mark's intended audience for his book was a Gentile audience and verses 3 and 4 support this because he takes time to explain eating and washing requirements that would been understood by a Jewish audience while Gentiles do not know the customs of Jewish people.
This passage calls attention to the fact that the Pharisees and some of the scribes...had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed. The act itself of washing one's hands prior to eating is not a bad one, but what is being addressed here is a law that has been erected by Pharisees and kept in order to separate themselves from others and signify that they have kept rules and practices that in turn ensure that they are the ones most serious about their faith.
Joseph Benson commentary states:
The Pharisees, therefore, being very zealous in these trifles, would not eat at any time unless they washed their hands with the greatest care. From this source came that endless variety of purifications not prescribed in the law, but ordained by the elders. These ordinances, though they were of human invention, came at length to be looked upon as essential in religion; they were exalted to such a pitch, that, in comparison of them, the law of God was suffered to lie neglected and forgotten, as is here signified.
Verse 3 remarks that these are not words from Moses' law, but rather observing the traditions of the elders. Perhaps Jesus is simply emphasizing to his disciples that these traditions of men are just that traditions that each person decides whether or not they are useful, but they do not rise to a level of being a requirement for a person. Most likely this infuriated the Pharisees who possibly were following Jesus around, waiting to see something that they could call him on as being irreligious.
Summary - Mark pauses a moment in his gospel to bring attention to the Pharisees and their attack on Jesus for doing things that are contrary to the laws and traditions they have followed. Jesus permits his disciples to eat without clean hands.
Promise: Human traditions can be helpful. However, we must be careful to not elevate them to a status of divine revelation.
Prayer: Lord, help me to know the difference between what I must do and what I can do. Thank you for the freedom of Christ, but help me not to make that mean that you do not still have clear commandments that are there to protect me and make my life the best it can be. Give me wisdom to discern what I should and should not do each day. I want you to be glorified.
No comments:
Post a Comment