Inside Out

Lesson 6 Inside Out

(Mark 7 & 8)

Copr. 2024, Bruce N. Cameron, J.D. Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Suggested answers are found within parentheses. If you normally receive this lesson by e-mail, but it is lost one week, you can find it by clicking on this link: http://www.GoBible.org. Pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit as you study.

Introduction: Those who regularly read these studies know that I frequently cite Deuteronomy 4:2 which instructs us that it is just as wrong to make up rules and claim God requires them as it is to tell people they do not have to follow the rules that God gives. Our study this week is in part a fuller explanation of that point. In Mark 7 Jesus gets into an extended discussion about rules with the Pharisees, but as we have seen before, Jesus’ arguments seem illogical until we drill down deeper. Let’s start drilling into God’s word!

1. Clean Hands and Unclean Food
   
   1. Read Mark 7:1-4. Who do you think has the superior position, the religious leaders who promoted cleanliness in eating, or the fisherman who are eating with dirty hands? (I vote for the people who support clean eating.)
   2. Read Mark 7:5-7. Is Jesus opposed to cleanliness? (No. This gets us back to Deuteronomy 4. There are lots of good ideas, such as washing your hands before you eat and cleaning your eating pots, glasses, and plates. The problem arises when you claim that your good ideas are required by God.)
   3. Read Mark 7:9-12. What does not honoring your parents have to do with not washing your hands? This reminds me of a boss who tells an employee to dress more neatly, and the slovenly employee responds, “You don’t love your parents!” (If I were debating this with Jesus I would be tempted to say, “don’t change the subject.”)
      1. Would anyone like to defend Jesus’ response? Can anyone connect a debate about clean hands with loving your parents?
      2. If the issue is really an application of Deuteronomy 4:2, does it matter if the subject matter is different? (No. If you look deeply at what Jesus argues it makes perfect sense. He complains that the religious leaders are focused on cleanliness being required by God while at the same time completely undermining one of God’s actual requirements - the Fifth of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:12)- which says to honor your parents.)
         
         1. I would paraphrase Jesus’ argument as: “You make up fake religious rules, while opposing the real rules.”
2. The Nature of Sin
   
   1. Look again at Mark 7:6. Jesus quotes Isaiah who says that the people “honor” God with their lips, not their heart. How are the religious leaders honoring God with their lips? (They talk about things that are not important, while neglecting the important.)
   2. Read Isaiah 6:1-3 and compare it with Isaiah’s response in Isaiah 6:5. Why is Isaiah talking about lips? (The angels give perfect praise to God, but Isaiah feels woe because he does not.)
      1. What should be the goal of every Christian? (To give glory to God. To honor Him.)
      2. In an honor/shame culture, would it be shameful to let your parents suffer when you could help them? (A person who truly honored God would honor his parents. Washing your hands does not honor God. At best it improves your health.)
   3. Read Isaiah 6:5-7. Is Isaiah saved by grace? (Yes. He realizes the problem and God forgives him in preparation for future service.)
   4. Read Mark 7:14-15. Does this make sense to you? Assume a person is an alcoholic who is never sober. Is that person defiled?
      1. What about a person who is so fat that he cannot walk. Is that person defiled?
      2. The Finis Dake commentary says that Jesus is not talking about alcohol, narcotics, or tobacco, instead Jesus is talking about meat. Does that ignore the plain text of what Jesus said? (Yes. There is no basis in what Jesus said to draw a line like that.)
      3. What does the context suggest Jesus is talking about? (The context is hand-washing. But Jesus is speaking very broadly.)
   5. Read Mark 7:17-23. I’ve used a couple of examples of addiction. Some might push back and argue, “Bruce, that is being impaired not defiled.” What do you think Jesus means by the word, “defiled?” (The examples Jesus gives of defilement are either part of planning to harm or actually harming someone else.)
      1. Go back to our discussion of a Christian’s obligations to bring glory to God. If God’s people are an open criminal group, does this brings dishonor and shame to God?
      2. Go back to our discussion of alcohol, drugs, and tobacco. Can you draw a line to defend Jesus’ comment? (Jesus says that what goes into the body enters the stomach and is expelled. When we talk about drunks, the addicted, and the morbidly fat, these problems take consumption to a point that results in harmful actions. This is what goes into the body plus foolish actions.)
   6. Read again Mark 7:19. The distinction between clean and unclean foods is found in Genesis 7:2 in connection with the flood. This is long before the instructions in Leviticus 11 were given. What does that suggest to you about eating unclean meat?
   7. Wait a minute! Is this good advice or a command? Didn’t God command in Leviticus 11:7-8 not to eat, much less touch, dead pigs?
   8. Read Mark 2:28. Is Jesus also Lord of creation? (If Jesus clarifies or changes a prior command, He has that right. He is Lord. My conclusion is that eating unclean meat is a bad idea. God must have had some serious reason for making this distinction between animals. Much of the ceremonial law was about healthy living. I want to live a healthy life, and I am confident this long-standing rule rests on reasons God thought important for humans.)
3. Dog Food
   
   1. Read Mark 7:25-27. Is Jesus calling this woman’s daughter a “dog?” (Yes.)
   2. Read Mark 7:28. If Jesus called your child a “dog,” and it had a racial basis, would you respond like this mother?
      1. Tell me exactly what you would say to Jesus? (This is a little girl who did nothing to be demon-possessed. A loving person would not give a harsh, racist response.)
   3. Read Mark 7:29-30. Is Jesus’ unloving response a test? (It is a test of three things. First, if the mother listened carefully (as opposed to just getting mad), Jesus referred to the children being fed “first,” thus leaving an opening for her daughter. Second, any dog “under the table” must be invited by the owner. She could take that hope and look past the insult. Last it takes character to overlook an insult.)
      1. Why does Mark include this story? Does it build on the evidence that Jesus is God? (Part of acknowledging that Jesus is God is that we are not. This woman had her focus on what Jesus could do for her daughter, and not on personal insults.)
4. Boat Food
   
   1. Read Mark 8:14-16. If you were sitting in the boat listening to this, what problem would you see? (Jesus and the disciples are talking about two entirely different things.)
   2. Read Mark 8:17-18. Is Jesus unhappy with the disciples? (Yes. If I were a disciple I would consider these comments to be insults to my intelligence.)
   3. Read Mark 8:19-21. Answer Jesus’ question. What should the disciples understand? (They need not worry about having enough to eat. Instead they should focus on Jesus warning about bad religious teaching.)
   4. Why do you think Mark included this story? (What we studied in this lesson has a common theme: focus on what is important. Place your focus on bringing glory to God and not on good ideas, insults, or your personal needs. God will take care of you if you focus your life on Him.)
   5. Friend, will you resolve right now to focus on bringing glory to God?
5. Next week: Teaching the Disciples: Part 1.