Read Mark 7 here: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark+7&version=NIVChapter 7 may be the most difficult we’ve read yet- it’s the first time we hear about Jesus not wanting to heal- Jesus being against hand washing- and of course because Mark needs to fill us in on everything with limited details there’s a healing of a deaf man. What does all of that mean for us? The Pharisees thought Jesus was one of them. They and their disciples had specific ritual forms of hand washing that others didn’t use. Seeing Jesus disciples not do them was a surprise and an offense to them. These washings weren’t dictated by the Old Testament and Jesus uses this as an opportunity to point out sins of the heart. Actual sins as we might call them. Then we have Jesus healing what appears to be another gentile but he tests her faith first.
It’s interesting that I don’t know if Jesus heals a Pharisee. He heals lots of gentiles though. It’s interesting that the gentiles- this woman also hadn’t washed her hands appropriately- comes to Jesus looking for healing. But the Pharisees come looking to judge and trap Jesus. The theme of a prophet not being accepted in his hometown keeps coming up throughout Mark. He’s prepping the reader for the betrayal that is to come and perhaps also for the good news that will be more accepted by gentiles than by the Jewish people that Jesus was a part of.
We finish the chapter off with a deaf and mute man speaking also in the gentile region. I don’t recall another story of the deaf speaking. It’s interesting that Mark’s focus seems to be more on the miracles than Jesus teaching. He’s a fan of showing what Jesus did more than telling in his writing.
This is good for us to know as well- it’s easy for theologians to pontificate and discuss the number of angels on a pin and debate the intricacies of the trinity. Those things while interesting don’t bring people to faith. Share what Jesus has done in your life and the lives of those around you instead. That’s what brings people to Jesus. Don’t dissect what the spirit has done. Share what the spirit has done for you and your family. Then come to Jesus with faith and look for healing and see what God does with that!
Marking It Up 