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Mark 7 English Standard Version (ESV)

Traditions and Commandments
1 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, ² they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. ³ (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, ⁴ and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) ⁵ And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?”⁶ And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
⁷ in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

⁸ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

⁹ And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! ¹⁰ For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ ¹¹ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)— ¹² then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, ¹³ thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

What Defiles a Person
¹⁴ And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: ¹⁵ There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” ¹⁷ And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. ¹⁸ And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, ¹⁹ since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) ²⁰ And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. ²¹ For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, ²² coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. ²³ All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

REFLECTION

1. All of us are influenced by traditions of one sort or another—even those who are anti-traditional cannot avoid it! But at what point do traditions lose their value or even become counterproductive? When do religious practices become a substitute for really obeying God? In this study Jesus has some rather harsh words for the Pharisees and the traditions they choose to observe.
2. What religious traditions influence your life? Is that influence good or bad? What sorts of traditions do we observe today that get in the way of really honoring God?
3. In what ways do you, like the Pharisees, sometimes emphasize appearance over internal reality?

PRAYER

Dear Lord Jesus, I go to church every Sunday to worship and listen to Your Word. I also attend small group gatherings and participate in church ministries. I also abide by the traditions, ceremonies, and norms of the church. But You told me that if I don’t have Your life, that I can’t live out Your Word, and that I don’t love people, all I’ve done is in vain. Lord, thank You for reminding me through today’s scriptures that I should not be a lifeless Christian, and not be like the Pharisees who are godly on the outside but full of corruption on the inside, leading to hypocrisy, abandoning Your way. Lord, I would like to follow You closely every day, try to imitate You. May You strengthen me. Amen!

HYMN

Heart of Worship – youtu.be/0XsB0ltXmRs