Bible Study - Everything (7) - JESUS Corrects - Mark 7:5-15 - January 14, 2018

Bible Study – Everything (7) – JESUS Corrects – January 14, 2018

This is lesson seven (7) and the final lesson in this series entitled “JESUS Changes Everything.”

Our focus scripture is Mark 7:5-15.

JESUS calls us to a higher standard.

JESUS calls all Christians to a higher standard at the instant they accept HIM as their Savior. The good news is that Christians are equipped with the indwelling Holy Spirit to empower, enlighten, guide and assure them as they encounter the issues of life.

This is our final lesson in this series of study “JESUS Changes Everything.” 

Christians have a will that needs to be brought under the authority of JESUS. 

The key is, when we accept JESUS as our Savior, we must allow HIM to be the LORD of our lives. That takes courage and Satan/the Devil will place every road block and barrier in your path to attempt to prevent you from allowing JESUS to be the LORD of your life. It is no longer my will but YOUR will.

Taking such a step of faith is the step needed to build the right relationship with JESUS and GOD. Will it be easy? NO! But one thing certain, JESUS will never abandon you or leave you. These past six lessons are foundational for our daily walk with JESUS.

JESUS stills calls us to be HIS disciples

JESUS still teaches us through GOD’S Word and the Holy Spirit as we encounter the issues in life. Certain issues we encounter in life translate to a parable as the Holy Spirit enlightens us.

JESUS has the power to heal, give life to both the physically and Spiritually dead and so much more.

JESUS has power over the physical, Spiritual and Satanic kingdoms.

JESUS was born 100% human and 100% Divine, tempted as human’s are tempted, yet HE remained sinless. How do we know that? Because GOD raised HIM from the physically dead to receive HIS eternal Glorified body as an example of the covenant GOD makes with each and every person who accepts JESUS as his or her Savior by faith. HE gives to each person who accepts JESUS as his or her Savior the Holy Spirit to indwell him or her as the guarantee that this will take place. HE gives each Christian eternal life through the miracle of rebirth in his or her Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is not dormant in the lives of Christians but active to the extent we relinquish our will to HIM. Yes, the Holy Spirit is a person; the third person of the Trinity and dwells in each Christian, as such, every Christian is the temple of GOD. Every place a Christian steps is Holy ground because of the presence of GOD. Awesome and carries a huge responsibility which can only be accomplished because of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Let’s explore!

The religious leaders of JESUS’ day nitpicked over ceremonial things and failed to look beyond the letter of the law and tradition to the Spirit of the Law. It is easy for Christians to get bogged down in the mundane.

Let’s read Mark 7:5-8:

5 Then the Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, "Why don't Your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders, instead of eating bread with ritually unclean hands?"

Traditions are both good and bad. It this case the tradition was simply washing your hands before a person ate a meal. When the religious leaders washed their hands they washed up to their elbow. If you didn’t include up to the elbow, they considered a person’s hands unclean, that is ceremonially unclean. The religious leaders of JESUS day pointed this out to JESUS. HIS disciples were not cleaning their hands according to tradition. This was a teachable moment for these religious leaders as we read on ----

6 He answered them, "Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: These people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.

Going through the motion of worshiping or honoring GOD is a futile exercise. 

The key to worshiping GOD is, “What is HE leading or telling you to do as an act of worship or honor?” Ritual or following tradition does not cut it. We are to worship GOD in truth (Being honest with GOD! GOD already knows our true feelings and attitude toward HIM. Being honest with GOD forms the basis upon which GOD and each of us can work together to build the right relationship with each other.)

7 They worship Me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commands of men.

When we attend a worship service, are we being fed Spiritually or do we attend because it is the thing we have always done? Of course, being fed Spiritually is a two-way street. Are we seeking truth? Is truth being presented? Is it our attitude toward JESUS/GOD that we get little from attending a worship service? Or is it un-confessed sin? If that is your situation ask GOD to reveal the truth to you. Why am I not being fed Spiritually? You may need an attitude adjustment or change where you attend to be fed Spiritually.  

8 Disregarding the command of God, you keep the tradition of men."

Religious institutions today and Christians have to be careful not to embrace the traditions of man as coming from GOD.

I still eat black-eyed peas, collards, pork and sweet potatoes on New Year’s Day because I like them. But in my upbringing, this meal had lots of tradition for good fortune for the coming year, which was and is non-sense. But often such traditions take on life controlling status – rabbit’s foot, four-leaf clover and the list goes on.

Let’s read Mark 7:9-13:

9 He also said to them, "You completely invalidate God's command in order to maintain your tradition!

To drive HIS point home, JESUS gave them a “for instance”----- as we read on --

10 For Moses said: Honor your father and your mother; and, Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.

11 But you say, 'If a man tells his father or mother: Whatever benefit you might have received from me is Corban' " (that is, a gift [committed to the temple]),

12 "you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother.

13 You revoke God's word by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many other similar things."

JESUS cited an example that these religious leaders knew was true, which was the great reveal of the hypocrisy of religion. Simply, Moses, who they greatly respected, honored and paid attention to, instructed them to honor their father and mother. Yet, according to the teaching of that day, if a person’s father and mother needed a financial helping hand and the adult child chose not to help his or her parent or parents all the person had to do was to declare their resources “dedicated to GOD” or “Corban.” Therefore, supposedly their resources were not available to be used for their parents. This was a sham.

The child or children had full use of their resources which had been dedicated to GOD even though they were “Corban.” It was their way out of having an excuse NOT to take care of their parent or parents. Yet, if they needed access to what they had placed in “Corban,” they had access to them.  

JESUS had an afterthought, oh, one more thing regarding tradition---- as we read on---

Let’s read Mark 7:14-16:

14 Summoning the crowd again, He told them, "Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:

15 Nothing that goes into a person from outside can defile him, but the things 

that come out of a person are what defile him.

16 If anyone has ears to hear, he should listen!"

JESUS had another thought while teaching the religious leaders regarding ceremonial versus regular hand washing before eating. Did these religious leaders think that touching food with ceremonially unclean food defiled the food and thus the food defiled the person eating the food?

Again, this was a teachable moment for the religious leaders. JESUS wanted these religious leaders and those who followed them to use common sense. Nothing a person ate defiled that person. Defilement went deeper than what a person ate.

JESUS challenged them to ponder what HE had just told them.

So what was HIS message? Let’s continue to read as JESUS elaborated upon what HE had stated to HIS disciples because they wanted to understand what JESUS was teaching --

Let’s read Mark 7:17-23:

17 When He went into the house away from the crowd, the disciples asked Him about the parable.

JESUS’ disciples didn’t understand what HE had just told the religious leaders. They had likely been raised knowing about or possibly observing many traditions that didn’t make a lot of sense to them. They wanted to get it straight in their minds from JESUS.

18 And He said to them, "Are you also as lacking in understanding? Don't you realize that nothing going into a man from the outside can defile him?

JESUS, in essence, told HIS disciple, guys put on your thinking caps. It is not what you eat or the ceremonially clean nature of your hands that defiles a person but what you think and comes from a person that is important. Physical food is just that it sustains your physical life but Spiritual food is different. What you feed or allow into your mind is vital to your walk with GOD and Spiritual health – GOD’S Word, scripture memorization, praying and pondering Spiritual issues with GOD versus dwelling upon what the world offers – addictions, cravings, hatred, sexual fantasies, lust for riches and fame and the list goes on.  

19 For it (physical food) doesn't go into his heart but into the stomach and is eliminated." (As a result, He made all foods clean.)

20 Then He said, "What comes out of a person-that defiles him.

21 For from within, out of people's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders,

22 adulteries, greed, evil actions, deceit, lewdness, stinginess, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness.

23 All these evil things come from within and defile a person."

The Jews were very careful about what they ate. There is nothing wrong with being careful about what we eat to sustain our lives but when what we eat takes on Spiritual purposes then it becomes problematic. JESUS, in essence, was saying don’t get hung up such nonsense because it leads you to focus on food and not on what GOD has provided.

As you may recall, GOD led the Apostle Peter to deal with the issue of food this in his life before he could move on from ministering to the Jews to ministering to the Gentiles as recorded in Acts 10:9-23:

9 The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city, Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour.

10 Then he became very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance

11 and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners, descending to him and let down to the earth.

12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air.

13 And a voice came to him, "Rise, Peter; kill and eat."

14 But Peter said, "Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or unclean."

15 And a voice spoke to him again the second time, "What God has cleansed you must not call common."

16 This was done three times. And the object was taken up into heaven again.

17 Now while Peter wondered within himself what this vision which he had seen meant, behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made inquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate.

18 And they called and asked whether Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there.

19 While Peter thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are seeking you.

20 Arise therefore, go down and go with them, doubting nothing; for I have sent them."

21 Then Peter went down to the men who had been sent to him from Cornelius, and said, "Yes, I am he whom you seek. For what reason have you come?"

22 And they said, "Cornelius the centurion, a just man, one who fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy angel to summon you to his house, and to hear words from you."

23 Then he invited them in and lodged them. On the next day Peter went away with them, and some brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

Often, our traditions can hamper our freedom to obediently serve GOD.

JESUS had already taught Peter and HIS other disciples regarding the food they ate. It was not what a person eats that defiles a person but it is what they feed into their minds and their thought life.

What is your thought life? If our thought life were broadcast on a big screen for all to see, would we be proud of what we think? If not, ask JESUS to bring your thought life into obedience with HIS will and purpose for your life and service for HIM. 

All Christians are being renewed in their minds through the indwelling and power of the Holy Spirit as written in Romans 12:2 - 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Blessings!!!