On Line Bible Study - For the week May 4-10, 2009

Lesson 386

Mark 7:1-23 - This is a lengthy passage, too long to quote in full here. Here is a summary:

1-5 - Pharisees and Scribes see some of Jesus' disciples eating without having done the ritual washing first. They ask: Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?

6-8 - Jesus quotes from Isaiah 29:13, with the assessment that You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.

9-13 - Jesus points out a contradictory practice - that vows made to parents are superseded by vows made to the temple. In so doing, Jesus says they nullify the word of God by their traditions.

14-23 - Jesus explains first to the crowds and then to his disciples in private that what goes in to us does not make us unclean; rather, what comes out of us is what is potentially evil.

If you have the chance to read the passage in full, you will notice that what began the dispute is not what ends it. The Pharisees and Scribes were concerned about washing, not about eating. Jesus quotes from Isaiah and introduces the problem of 'human rules'. How important are the "traditions of the elders"? Does Jesus intend to throw out all the traditions associated with Jewish religious practice? Why is the switch made from "washing" to "what goes into a person"? And finally, what difference does Jesus' teaching make in the early church?

One at a time . . .

1. Traditions of the Elders ... First Century Christianity is faced with the daunting task of identifying itself. One way to do that is to say what you are not. As Jewish temple worship was compromised with the destruction of the temp, and it became less and less expedient to be a Jew in later First Century Roman occupied territories, Christians began to separate themselves from their Jewish roots. It may not be too much of an exaggeration to say that before they were sure of who they were, Christians were becoming certain of who they were not - more and more, they were not Jews. This saying of Jesus (and there is real debate as to what exactly can be attributed specifically and verbatim to Jesus, and what is being remembered by this young Christian Community in the throes of transition) is an "exit ramp" for Christians moving away from Judaism. Whatever they were, they were not bound by the "traditions of the elders".
2. Does Jesus throw out all the traditions? The text itself would say "No". What does Jesus do to counter the "traditions"? He quotes from the Scriptures! And he calls the Pharisees and Scribes (and presumably anyone listening who was guilty of the practice) on the temptation to displace Sacred Texts with human habits. Scripture is, or seems to be, of paramount importance for Jesus.
   
3. Why the switch from "washing" to "eating"? What could be eaten was a major issue for First Century Christians, as evidenced by texts in Acts (10:9-16; 15:1-21), Galatians (2:11-14), and passages in I Corinthians and Romans. There was "distress" in the Christian Community over what people were eating - The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking . . . says Paul (Romans 14:17); apparently, there were some who thought it was! The passage in Mark 7 takes aim at an on-going problem in the early church.
4. What difference did Jesus' teaching make? Perhaps it is fair to say that initially, Jesus' saying did not make much difference at all. But could we also say that it did pave the way for not only a more liberal understanding of food "in theory", but in practice as well? Peter had to learn the lesson several times over before he could finally allow himself to eat what had been previously thought to be "unclean". It may be that Peter struggled with this his whole life long. But finally, the church came to the place where faith and faithfulness was not tied to diet.
   

If you were to consult a commentary with regard to this text, you would be introduced to all sorts of complexity! Also, remember that bread figures in throughout Mark 6:30 - 8:21. Is this text something of a "tipping point", or at least a "turning point" for the church? It is so easy to fall into the trap of imposing what is meaningful (and comfortable?) for us on everyone else! Jesus did not let people do that to each other. And he seemed intent upon doing all he could to insure his followers would not do that to each other.

Given his efforts in this regard, how are we doing?

More on Mark 7 next time.