Mark 7: Cleanliness

[David_McQueen]

Mark 7

Clean and Unclean

1The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and 2 saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were "unclean," 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. 4When 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.)

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 'unclean' 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 but rules taught by men.'] 8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."

9 And he said to them: "You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! 10 For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.' 11But you say that if a man says to his father or mother: 'Whatever help you might otherwise have received from me is Corban' (that is, a gift devoted to God), 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his 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."

14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.' "

17After 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 man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? 19For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.")

20 He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' 21 For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' "

[David_McQueen]

It would appear from the beginning of this passage that the Pharisess were complaining about ceremonnial cleanliness.

We look at Jesus rebuttal of their hypocrisy by referring to Corban for example and then he starts mentioning about what comes out is not unclean. Now apart form the parenthesized statement at the end of verse 19, where else does Jesus state in context that all foods are now clean? Wasn't his focus on behaviour rather than consumption of food?

Thoughts

[Amelia]

I agree. I think Jesus is talking about behaviour. But I can see where many would use this as an argument for being able to eat all foods, clean and unclean.

[David_McQueen]

Thing is there still such a thing as clean and unclean food since the eradication of the old covenant?

[benherndon]

(David, I hereby apologize for 'cutting you off' when you asked me about the Sabbath doctrine.)

On the point of 'clean vs unclean' ceremonials and foods, please note that the Bible says "Thus HE declared all foods clean." He was speaking to the point of "foods"----ceremonial or otherwise. He had already said with some emphasis, "Listen to me,..."...that is a statement always given with emphasis inherent in it. Remember the 'Transfiguration'? God said in That voice from heaven, "This is my son in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!" Doesn't this mean to listen to Him rather than listening to Moses who representd the Torah laws, the Law of Moses? Doesn't this also mean to listen to what Jesus has to say...giving Him all the authority? Don't let what Moses or the prophets (represented by Elijah) said hold you back from believing everything Jesus said.

Jesus 'declared all foods clean'. He didn't declare what wasn't food clean, He spoke only in regard to foods. Later on in the NT Paul says to eat what is sold in the market place without regard to conscience, meaning to me, at least, 'clean vs unclean'.

Don't let anybody tell you what to eat or when to eat it.

"Do not handle. Do not taste! Do not touch! These are destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings." (Col 2)

There is, of course, healthy ways to live and those ways become more apparent as time and experience are gained. But, what the New Testament says about food is this---Don't get your diet mixed up with the Gospel!

Ben

[Bravus]

Excellent statement, Ben. Agreed in all points!

[David_McQueen]

(Dr Ben, no worries about the Sabbath thing. I sent you and email but it bounced! )

Anyhoo....my point about the parentheses is this. If you look at the structure of the passage it goes

1. Eating foods with unclean hands scorned by Pharisees as against their commands.

2. Jesus addresses their hypocrisy by saying adherence to such commands misses the point, using Corban as an example.

3. Jesus declares that it is nothing that goes inside a man that makes him unclean, as it goes into the stomach not the heart.

4. Jesus clarifies this by saying that it is what comes out of the heart that makes one unclean.

Pardon my fuzzy logic, but I dont see how in this text (and I dont want to argue about the manuscripts) in whichever version one reads this in, how that interjected statement of "declaring ALL foods clean" runs with the pattern of thinking. I thought he was addressing the cleanliness of hands and handling of food.

My sticking point is that if all foods were therefore all clean, then what was the hullabaloo about with Noah and the selection of animals for the ark, and then the subsequent instruction to Israel to avoid scavenging animals and the like in Leviticus. Surely we are not saying at this point that God advocated dog, snake, cat, pigs and blowfish!!!!???

[Bravus]

My best understanding is that the dietary laws are health laws. They basically distinguish first order consumers (herbivores, animals that eat plants directly) from second (and higher) order consumers (omnivores and carnivores that eat other animals), and from filter feeders like shellfish. Biomagnification of toxins and a variety of other reasons make this a healthier eating choice.

But as Paul said in a different context: '"Everything is permissible for me"—but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"—but I will not be mastered by anything.'

The point is not that unclean foods will effect our salvation - everything is permissible - but that they're not the healthiest available choice. But we shouldn't either fear for our own salvation or judge others for what they eat: all of us make less than ideal choices in relation to our health sometimes, whether it's in relation to getting enough sleep, water and sunlight or to eating things that aren't the healthiest possible alternative.

[Amelia]

Ooooo good answer Dr Ben. <img src="/ubbtreads/images/graemlins/mittelgr124.gif" alt="" />

[LifeHiscost]

Quote:

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benherndon said:

**Doesn't this mean to listen to Him rather than listening to Moses who representd the Torah laws, the Law of Moses?

## Don't get your diet mixed up with the Gospel!

Ben

---

Re: ** [:"red"] "But he said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.'" [/] Luke 16:31 NASB

Re: ## [:"red"] "Beloved, I pray that in all respects you may prosper and be in good health, just as your soul prospers. " [/] 3 John 1:2 NASB

With people given free will, it was necessary to recognize by those same people, that all things required by the Creator were not meant to restrict that freedom, but in pursueing those requirements their freedom would actually be enhanced. This would include any requirements pertaining to food regulations.

With freedom of will we may choose to find God's commands (instructions) no longer necessary, perhaps rightly so, but the setting aside of those instructions are either replaced by better advice coming from the same source (God) to supply equal or better benefits, or we must also give up the promises that came with those original requirements.

In most of the original instructions given up by the contemporary Christian, it very seldom follows suit that the promises that come with those instructions are yielded as well, even though other more suitable instuction has been revealed as necessary. As an example,

[:"red"] "Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God." [/] 1 Cor 10:31 NASB