Mark 7:14-19

Passage

Jesus calls out to the gathered crowds to draw them back into the conversation.  Again He gives them another parable.  He tells them that there is absolutely nothing outside of a person that can defile them.  Rather, it is the things that come out from within us that defile us.  He left the crowd after teaching this and went into a house with the disciples.  Again, once they are in private, the disciples ask Jesus to explain the parable.  Jesus asks His disciples if they still are without understanding.  Jesus speaks specifically about food.  Nothing we eat can defile us because when we eat it goes in to the stomach and passes through our body completely.  Since it does not go to our heart, it does not defile us.  Rather, it is what is in our heart that can defile us as it comes out in our thoughts and deeds.

Thoughts for Today

First Thought:

Here we have Jesus continuing the teaching, but now he is teaching the crowd.  Notice what Jesus does here.  He takes a conversation that is with the Pharisees and largely above the people and intentionally brings it to the people.  Now Jesus is not just teaching contrary to the Pharisees but He is also teaching in opposition to the Pharisees publically.  The conflict between the Pharisees and Jesus is now one of a public matter.  Jesus knows the Pharisees will not turn, so it has come time to speak out against their system of legal oppression.

Is there a time to speak out publically against leadership that is not following God’s ways?  Should that be the first step?  How do we know when it is the right time to speak out against bad and ungodly leadership?

Second Thought:

However, also notice that when Jesus does speak to the crowd He continues to speak in parables.  His disciples have to ask Him privately what exactly Jesus is talking about.  Again we see the reality that surrounds Jesus.  Jesus teaches publically, but He knows those who are His disciples because they are the ones who are coming to Him for deeper understanding (or even just understanding to begin with).  There are those who hear Jesus and then go on with life.  There are others who hear Jesus and who pursue Him for greater understanding.  Jesus doesn’t have to chase them, His disciples chase Him.

What does it mean to you to realize that most of the growth of the disciples happened in the small group or individual conversations with Jesus?  Do you think this dynamic of learning is present in your experience of the modern church?  If you were to define discipleship in Jesus day based on this story and stories like it, how would you define discipleship?

Third Thought:

Of course, this doesn’t mean that the disciples actually get what Jesus is saying at this moment.  In fact, we know that they don’t.  Jesus is teaching the disciples that they can eat anything they want and it will not make them unclean.  Peter is there, learning this lesson.  However, we know that in Acts 10 God has to give Peter a vision to convince him that he can eat anything.  Of course, there is an additional lesson in the Acts 10 story regarding the inclusion of the Gentiles.  But the reality is that Peter (and the rest of the disciples, too) don’t really get this lesson here.  The lesson is that it takes time to learn.  It takes time to apply lessons learned.  It takes time to step out in faith.  This should bring comfort to us.  There could easily be a decade and maybe even two between this moment and the story in Acts 10.  Sometimes even great disciples take a long time to learn and apply.  That’s okay.

How can this story help you understand that the discipleship process takes time?  How can this story help to bring you comfort as a disciple?

Passage for Tomorrow: Mark 7:20-23