Monthly Archives: September 2024

Gospel of Mark

Ephphatha! Mark 7: 31-37

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Jesus Heals a Deaf and Mute Man

31 Then Jesus left the vicinity of Tyre and went through Sidon, down to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.[h] 32 There some people brought to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place his hand on him. 33 After he took him aside, away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34 He looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). 35 At this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly. 36 Jesus commanded them not to tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it. 37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

Mark 7:31-37

Horsham: 27th September 2024

In my previous post, we discovered that Jesus and the disciples had travelled beyond Israel’s borders to the region of Tyre on the Mediterranean coast. It was here that he miraculously healed the daughter of a gentile Syro Phonecian woman. Today we read that some time later, he travelled from there further north into modern Lebanon to the city of Sidon, before travelling back down south, probably passing the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee to another gentile region which we know as the Decapolis. We don’t know how long this journey took, but it is likely to have been months rather than weeks, and it was in this area in which Jesus encountered a man who was deaf  and could not speak properly. The word used suggests that the man’s speech was impaired. The friends of this man beg Jesus to lay his hands on him. You might recall that Jesus has been in this area before, so we should not be surprised the people knew who he was and what he was capable of offering.

This is a huge moment for this man, and we shouldn’t be surprised that Jesus draws him to one side. Look at the things he does. First, his fingers are placed in the man’s ears. Next he spits on a finger and touches the man’s tongue. This sounds a little random to us, and in our post covid world it sounds particularly odd. Notice this – the man was perceived by his friends to have two problems. He could not hear, and he could not speak properly. Jesus touches his ears – actually putting his fingers into his ears. Jesus physically touches his tongue. Do you see how these actions meet this man perfectly at his point of need.

Jesus sighs deeply. The word suggests a deep, heartfelt sigh. ‘Ephphatha’ is an Aramaic word, and it simply means ‘be opened’. The man’s ears were opened and immediately (that word is there in the Greek) he began not just to speak, but to speak clearly. To emerge from a place of silence or distorted hearing and immediately be able to speak clearly is a sign of complete healing.

It’s not so surprising that people couldn’t keep quiet about this. The healer who passed through some time ago and healed that man who was so mentally ill that he was chained up has come back. The guy who has been healed would be known locally for his deafness and his strange voice. The fact that he was now hearing and speaking normally would be exciting news and even if the man himself remained silent, others would want to talk about it.

“He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.” (v37)

The disciples have heard this being said about Jesus. Any Jew would be unable to miss a link here. This verse of the prophet Isaiah anticipates the coming of the Messiah.

‘Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped.’

Isaiah 35:5

End Piece:

A group of people brought a friend in great need to Jesus because they knew in their hearts that he could help them. The person in need was a gentile – not the kind of person you would imagine ever going looking for Jesus. Yet the opportunity was there – Jesus welcomed the friend and met him absolutely at his point of need. Everyone who knew this man could see that his life was dramatically changed.
Who do you love enough to bring them to Jesus?

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

Humility and Faith in an Unexpected Place: Mark 7:24-30

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Jesus Honors a Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith

24 Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre.[g] He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret. 25 In fact, as soon as she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure spirit came and fell at his feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter. 27 “First let the children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” 28 “Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 Then he told her, “For such a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 She went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.

Mark 7:24-30

I want to encourage you to read the version of this story which is in Matthew 15. The two pieces of Scripture complement each other perfectly, and together they bring a clearer view of what’s going on.

Jesus has left the town of Capernaum in Galilee where he was largely based, and moved a considerable distance to the north west and the Mediterranean coast. I want you to notice that by travelling to Tyre, Jesus has left Israel. He is in a mainly gentile area, in modern Lebanon, which is part of the ancient Phoenecian empire and has been subject to Greek influence for generations. There is still much that Jesus needs to teach his disciples, and time is short, so moving to the area around Tyre may have been an attempt to reduce the distractions caused by crowds of people, and of course, Pharisees. Mark tells us that Jesus found a house where he hoped to find some privacy, but the word was out. I get the impression that before he’s even gone into the house, this local woman is pleading for his help. Matthew tells us that this woman was a Canaanite. The disciples were keen to send her away. Of course, they see her as a nuisance, but more tan that, a rabbi would not normally allow himself to engage in this way with a woman – certainly not a gentile woman.

She falls at his feet, reflecting respect and desperation. She begs for Christ’s help. Her daughter is very sick. This is a mother who is fearful for her much loved child. You can sense her anxiety and distress. She persists in her approach in spite of the disciples.

In the UK we love our pet dogs. We look after them, and if we see a neglected animal we are likely to do something about it. You don’t have to travel far, even into central Europe, to find a very different attitude which is closer to 1st Century Palestine. The majority of dogs were wild, diseased, uncared for scavengers. Even for us, to call someone a dog is always an insult, but in a culture where dogs steal and scavenge to stay alive it carries much more weight.

Christ’s response to the woman looks challenging. Some people are deeply troubled by it. I don’t think we need to be. I’m not going to deny that it looks harsh and downright rude, but I’m going to raise a note of caution that something which, when translated into your language, sounds rude to you might mean something quite different in its original language and culture. Words which sound harsh when spoken loudly, can have very different nuance when spoken with a gentle smile. We’ll look at what Jesus meant by his response, but the core of his answer appears to be ‘No.’

A few years ago I was working in Egypt and I was invited to dinner with a large and wonderful family in a village near Asuit. It was only towards the end of the meal that I realised that I was eating only with the invited guests and the men of the household. We were the first to eat. The younger members of the family, including most of the woman, had not eaten. They were to be called to the table only after I and the others had finished eating. In short, the children would be last to eat. How appalling would it have been for me to offer food to the dog after I had had my fill, but before the children had the opportunity to eat.

In Matthew 7:6 Jesus refers to those who reject the Gospel as dogs. It clearly conveys a sense of insult. However, the word used at this point in Mark’s Gospel is slightly different. It indicates small dogs. Alongside the feral dogs, there was a culture which is familiar to us, of small dogs being kept as house pets.  These dogs might well be accepted lingering close to places where people were eating, ready to clear up any scraps which reach the floor, but of course we wouldn’t deliberately feed the dog until after the children have eaten. I don’t think there can be any doubt that this is a rule which, in every culture, is sometimes broken. The point is, the ‘dog’ in question, is typically part of the household, and that, I think, is significant.

In the light of all this, Jesus’ comments sound less harsh than they might have done a few minutes ago. The implication that the children implies the of Israel would not be lost on the woman. They should be able to eat all they want before the others, the Gentiles, have their opportunity to eat anything.

There’s no suggestion that the woman is offended. On the contrary, she picks up his analogy and runs with it. In Christ’s presence, she, as a gentile, might have a similar status to a house dog, but even they hang around the table and pick up scraps which might fall to the floor. It seems to me that this is a recognition that Jesus is right – she has no claim of right for his help. There is an extraordinary humility here. Yet she knows Jesus can still help if he chooses to do so.

I’ve mentioned often that as a contemplative, I find it helpful to imagine that I was in the room, watching biblical scenes unfold. If only we could see the body language, how much more might we learn of an interaction like this. The text doesn’t suggest this and we need to be careful not to add to it, but I found myself wondering whether along with Jesus, the woman and the disciples, there might not have been a house dog and some children in the courtyard? In my mind, I see a growing smile on Christ’s face as he reflects on her response. Her respect. Her humility. Her faith in him. It’s a gentle, kind smile.

Matthew’s account says that Jesus said ‘You can go. You will find your daughter healed.’ Mark’s account says that she did.

One last word on this story. Like the woman, apart from his grace, we have no claim on Jesus. It is for us to approach him with the greatest respect, the deepest humility, and our fragile faith.

‘Those of us who are of non-Jewish descent need to remember that we are wild olive branches that have been grafted into the tree of Israel (Romans 11:17-18). In terms of redemptive history, we are the dogs. But because the children refused the gift of the Father to them, the Father gave that gift to us who had no claim on it originally.’

RC Sproul, Mark: An Expositional Commentary, p160

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

You are not what you eat!: Mark 7:14-23

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14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” [16] [a]
17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19 For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)
20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. 21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

Mark 7:14-23

24th September 2024: Horsham

There are lots of food related commandments in Leviticus. These had been interpreted carefully over many generations to develop intricate legalistic teaching on what should, or should not, be eaten. Eat the right stuff, in the right way, and you are ok with God. Eat the wrong stuff in the wrong way, and you’re not. You are what you eat.

This was taken very seriously by devout Jews. There are stories of Jewish people being forced to eat foods which were forbidden in their Law as a form of torture. many suffered terrible abuse,  preferring death rather than defiling their bodies by breaking their commitment to purity before God (i).

Against this backdrop Jesus tells a crowd that “Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” I wonder whether you can see that this is the complete opposite of the Jewish understanding of the Law which created a culture of obsession over what was put in to the body.

We are so far removed from first century Jewish culture that we really can’t grasp how radical this teaching is, and that is probably why he spoke in a parable rather than using direct speech. In our relationship with God, says Jesus, the outpouring of our heart, reflected in our thoughts, words and actions, is much more important than what we had for breakfast.

Where, then, does this leave the Jewish law? It is, after all, compliance with the Law which sets Israel apart from the rest of the world. “Actually, [Jesus] was declaring null and void the entire Mosaic system of clean and unclean foods, but at the same time, he did not explain this radical truth to the crowd.’ (ii) Had that crowd fully understood what Jesus meant, it’s likely that he would have found his freedom and ministry immediately curtailed, and whilst that day was drawing near it was not yet God’s timing for that.

Not for the first time, along with most of the crowd, the disciples missed the point. “Are you so dull?” says Jesus. His explanation will have shocked them.  You, he says, are defined by your actions and your words which reflect the state of your heart, and that’s mmuch more important than your strict compliance to dietary rules.

In context, Christ’s teaching is revolutionary. He is preparing the disciples for the next lesson about the nature of God’s kingdom. The Kingdom of God is wider than they think. If these rules don’t matter, what’s to stop the Kingdom extending even to the gentiles? Is it even possible that some who assumed that they had access by birthright are mistaken and may have missed the mark?

Of course, our physical bodies are affected by the food that we eat and the way we eat it. Yet in God’s eyes, you are not what you eat. It is your thoughts, words and actions that matter, and that is exactly what the Law was designed to influence.  Before God, says Jesus, purity – righteousness -relationship with Him – is measured not by what you eat, but by the state of your heart.

(i) An example is recorded in 1 Maccabees 1
(ii) Wiersbe: Be Diligent (Mark); p89

Gospel of Mark

Follow closely: Mark 7:9

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23rd September 2024, Horsham

For me, my relationship with Christ is deeply personal. It’s like having a one to one relationship with him. Being a ‘follower of Jesus’ is much more important to me than denominational affiliation, membership of a particular Church group, or a focus on narrow doctrinal differences. It’s not enough to casually wander behind others who speak loudly and confidently about their own views of Jesus, conforming to their views and attitudes. The requirement is to get close yourself. Follow closely.

I often mention in this series the importance of context when quoting Scripture, and therefore I rarely write about a single verse. Here’s an exception. For me, this verse seems profoundly relevant and powerful the world we live in today .

Of course, I’m not about to ignore the context. Jesus is in confrontation with some of the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law who have been critical of the behaviour of his disciples for their failure to adhere to the teachings of the Mishna (the Rabbinical interpretation of the Jewish Law). You can read my post about it here and you can read the full story at Mark 7:1-13.  Calling them hypocrites (Mark 7:6), Jesus turns the criticism back on to the Jewish leaders for putting a higher value on their interpretation than on the Law itself.

Part way through this argument we come to this verse.

‘You have let go the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.’ (Mark 7:9)

There’s something profound in this for me about being a Christian in our times. I’m constantly bombarded by the views of Christian friends, preachers and writers, many of whom think they have deep insight and the right to criticise others who hold alternative views.

This verse holds a warning for leaders who are able to dictate the view of the Church on doctrinal issues and worship style.  I’m not saying that strong leaders are always wrong, but we need to guard against the risk of elevating the traditions and views of those around us, or even our own interpretations of Scripture, to a higher level of importance than the teaching of Jesus.

History is littered with appalling, shameful actions taken in the name of Jesus, often justifies by reference to verses of Scripture torn from their intended context and invested with erroneous meaning. We live in a time when the Word of God is more accessible than it has ever been before, giving us the privilege of reading and learning for ourselves. Jesus warned that to hear his words and not put them in to practice is like building your house on the sand. To take individual verses out of context and interpret them to meet our personal or political views or ambitions is to build your house on quicksand.

To be a follower of Jesus, we need to build on the rock. As best we can, we need to put His words into practice. We need to be very cautious about accepting the views and traditions of others around us, attractive though they might seem to be, without first testing them against Scripture, always looking for the context within which it was written.

You have let go of human traditions, and hold on to the commands of God.

Avoid legalism. Recognise traditions for what they are. Avoid misunderstandings.

Follow closely. Listen to the words of Jesus. Reflect on them. Put them into practice.

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

Laws, Traditions and Misunderstandings (2): Mark 7:9-13

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9 And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe[c] your own traditions! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’[d] and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’[e] 11 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— 12 then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”

Mark 7:8-13 (NIV)

6th September 2024, Horsham

The word ‘Corban’ is a bit tricky, but suffice to say it was a term which was used to declare something as dedicated to God. The term doesn’t appear in the Law of the Old Testament. The concept which it refers to appeared over time as the Jewish teachers developed a detailed oral interpretation of God’s law which created regulations intended to ensure compliance with the Law – the goal of all good Jews.

Jesus reminds us that in God’s law, as given to Moses, the Ten Commandments require that we honour our father and mother.  He also points to Leviticus 20:9, where we read that anyone who curses their father and mother is to be put to death. This sounds incredibly harsh to our ears, but of course the purpose of any Law is to say ‘don’t do this’. The ‘death penalty’ simply says ‘No – really! don’t do this!’. Most people would naturally respect and take care of elderly or infirm parents and, uncomfortable though it is, we need to acknowledge that the culture in which Moses lived, execution was much more accepted and practiced as a punishment than it is in ours. If you sought to live within God’s law, abusing your parents in any way would be inconceivable. The underlying point is that there was a family responsibility to look after those who were struggling or unable to look after themselves. That was a practice based on love and was always God’s plan.

Jesus is pointing at a practice which meant that in order to avoid providing support to parents, one might declare that the resources which should have been used to support parents is Corban – dedicated to God. The declaration was an oath before God which once declared, could not be revoked. It’s like saying, sorry you’re living in poverty and unable to survive Mum and Dad, but all my stuff is dedicated to God so I can’t help you out.

There had developed a belief that the way to be a good Jew was to live in obedience to every requirement of the detailed interpretation of the Law which had developed into the oral tradition. Jesus is condemning the practice of allowing our own rules, regulations and traditions to take supremacy over God’s law.

‘Jesus was attacking a system which put rules and regulations before the claim of human need. The commandment of God was that the claim of human love should come first: the commandment of the scribes was that the claim of legal rules and regulations should come first. Jesus was quite sure that any regulation which prevented anyone from giving help where help was needed was nothing less than a contradiction of the Law of God.’ (i)

How does this affect us? We can miss the fact that some of our own spiritual practices are based on tradition rather than Scripture itself. We can find ourselves feeling offended and argumentative when other Christian’s don’t do things the way we do and question our own way of doing things. The challenge for us is to discern which parts of our own practice are based on tradition rather than Scripture, and not allow our traditions to dominate our faith.

‘Part of being a Christian is to learn the art of spiritual discernment. And part of that art is learning to understand scripture, and to test human traditions against it.’ (ii)

(You may also be interested in Laws, Traditions and Misunderstandings (1): Mark 7:1-8)

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

(i) William Barclay: New Daily Study Bible; The Gospel of Mark, Kindle edition, loc 3516
(ii) NT Wright: Mark for Everyone; p88

Gospel of Mark

Laws, Traditions and Misunderstandings (1): Mark 7:1-8

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7 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus 2 and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.[a])

5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?” 6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

“‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
7 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’

8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

Mark 7:1-8

3rd September 2024, Horsham

The first six Chapters of Mark’s Gospel have broadly been about the things Jesus did. Places he went. People he met, and how he responded to them. Whilst that will continue, this passage brings into focus the fundamental point of difference between the beliefs of Jesus and those of the Pharisees, scribes and Jewish leaders. Rumours of Jesus’ teaching and behaviour had reached Jerusalem, and there was sufficient concern that a group of Pharisees and scribes made the 100 mile journey to Capernaum to see what was going on. These are important visitors. Their arrival in te town will have attracted attention.

To the Jewish mind, righteousness before God came from living in the strictest obedience to rules. There were the ten commandments, and there was the law of Moses, enshrined in the first five books of the Bible (sometimes called the Pentateuch or the Torah). Interpretation of the regulations was a matter of conscience, until, that is, around several hundred years before the birth of Christ. Around that time, a tradition developed which called for detailed interpretation of every command and guideline of the Law. Over several hundred years, this had developed into a collection of writings which we call the Mishnah. Developing form oral traditions, the Mishnah became a detailed and complex document which provided rabbinical guidance on how the Law was to be interpreted.

Two ‘rules’ are mentioned here. The first relates to the washing of hands. The point of issue here is not about hygiene, it’s about ceremonial washing of hands before eating. There were some rules in the Law about handwashing, but they are directed at priests and Levites, rather than all people. The Mishna had lengthy rules which all Jews had to abide by, including detailed descriptions of how the washing was to take place. The second refers to a range of regulations related to the cleaning and disposal of pots and kitchen implements. The underlying theme of both these issues is the avoidance of being or becoming ‘unclean’. The text tells us that the criticisms levelled at Jesus and his disciples relate to ‘the traditions of the elders’ rather than the Law of Moses. Those traditions raised here by the Pharisees and teachers of the Law relates to rules which are articulated in the Mishna, of whose interpretation they were the custodians.

Jesus regarded God’s Law as fundamental to having a right relationship with God, and even told his followers that the Law would be valid for all time . ‘For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. (Matthew 5:17 – 18). Jesus was obedient to God in every way, but he declined to be bound to the regulations of the Mishna. Strict adherence to these man made regulations distracted from the true meaning and undermined the purpose of Scripture. These detailed rules, Jesus was saying, are the not of God, but of man.

Jesus confronted these important Jewish visitors, calling out their hypocrisy. Jesus uses the quote from Isaiah to demonstrate that this is not a new problem. Men of old were ready to allow their own rules rather than being faithful to the Word of God. It is a perennial problem.

‘You are so busy holding on to the traditions of men that you let go the commandment of God!’ (Mark 7:8 (JB Phillips)

Those of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus would never fall into that trap. Surely?

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

(You may also be interested in Laws, Traditions and Misunderstandings (2) – Mark 7:9-13)