Mark 7, Matthew 15 (19th October) - Vivien

Mark 7: 1 - 23 & Matthew 15:1 - 20
Clean and Unclean
The Pharisees and some teachers caught Jesus’ disciples not washing their hands ceremonially before eating, and accused them of breaking the tradition of the elders. In the Old Testament, washing was mentioned as a symbol of cleansing and innocence.

GOD spoke to Moses: "Make a bronze Washbasin; make it with a bronze base. Place it between the Tent of Meeting and the Altar. Put water in it. Aaron and his sons will wash their hands and feet in it. When they enter the Tent of Meeting or approach the Altar to serve there or offer gift offerings to GOD, they are to wash so they will not die. They are to wash their hands and their feet so they will not die. This is the rule forever, for Aaron and his sons down through the generations." Exodus 30:19

And all the elders of that city who are next unto the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley. And they shall answer and say, `Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it. Be merciful, O LORD, unto Thy people Israel, whom Thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto Thy people of Israel's charge.' And the blood shall be forgiven them. So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD. Deuteronomy 21:6-9

This is an outward expression of an inward intention. It is not really the literal washing that made the priests pure and holy, but the knowledge that they are imperfect and needed to be clean by God by confessing their sins, and so the washing served as a symbolic act and a reminder.

Also, washing was mentioned for hygiene purpose.

However the Pharisees have made these symbolic act not symbolic anymore. It became a tradition, a ritual. So that’s why Jesus rebuked them, calling them as hypocrites. Their hearts were not right. They had totally missed the point of ceremonial washing.

Jesus then illustrated that it was not the food that was fed by a dirty hand that cause a person to be unclean. And Jesus stated clearly that nothing outside could make a person unclean by going into him. But what comes out of the man that makes him unclean. And then Jesus actually declared that all foods are clean! Hallelujah! This is why the worst sinner that you can think of can be clean overnight. All it takes is a decision to accept Christ as his Saviour and King.

Vivien Hibbert mentioned this: "In every worship, there should be a change in the people, if not they are just merely singing songs."

Ask yourself these questions; have worshiping during service become a tradition for you? Is there any different emotionally and spiritually every time you worship God with songs?

Don’t let any worship time be a sing-along session for you. If not it will be meaningless.

Mark 7:24 – 30 & Matthew 15: 21 - 28
The Faith of a Syrophoenician Woman
It is advisable to read the 2 accounts for better understanding. It took me quite a while to digest them. I was kind of taken aback why was dog used as an analogy of the woman. But I guess it is a cultural and time difference. But that wasn’t the main point.

Let’s focus on Jesus first. You’ll get a better picture reading Matthew’s version. The first lesson to learn from Jesus is prioritising. Jesus was very focused, and He prioritised that the people of Israel should be first is the line. The second lesson to be learnt is be flexible and merciful. Jesus wasn’t rigid; He made room for those who desperately needed Him.

Come near to God and he will come near to you. James 4:8

By the way, we are all God’s favourite and priority, and this is only possible for God to do it, because He is God! Why did Jesus need to prioritise then? I believe He is capable to pay equal attention to everybody. But being in human form, He has chosen to limit Himself to the capability of a man to lead by example how man should behave. So don’t think that there is a line for you to queue up, God is always available for us.

Let’s switch our focus to the woman now. 2 lessons to pick up too. First, be desperate. Reading James 4:8 again… “Come near to God and he will come near to you”
Second, be humble. Look at the way she replied to Jesus! She knew that she wasn’t at the top of the priority list, she also knew that Jesus is compassionate and merciful! It was her faith and humility that had saved her daughter. Know who God is, then you will know that there are many blessings that we can ask of God, because He is a God who love us.

Mark 7:31 – 37
The Healing of a Deaf and Mute Man
As Jesus continued His ministry, a group of men brought Jesus a man who was deaf and mute. Jesus brought him away from the crowd and healed him. Then Jesus told him not to tell people about it. But it spread to many people.

Matthew 15: 29 – 39
Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
Jesus has did it once again! It is not about how much resource we have. It is about the Source. It doesn’t really matter if we have 5 or 7 loaves, 2 fish or a few fish. The point is that we allow God to be glorified through our limited resources, so that layman can see how amazing God is.