New Testament Studies: Mark (8): Chapter 7 v1 to 8 v26 -- David Pawson

Summary

The video script is a detailed narrative of Jesus' teachings and miracles as recorded in the Gospel of Mark, specifically chapters 7 and 8. It begins with the Pharisees criticizing Jesus' disciples for not adhering to traditional hand-washing rituals before eating. Jesus counters by accusing the Pharisees of hypocrisy, focusing on external rituals while neglecting the importance of internal purity and the heart's condition. He emphasizes that it is the evil that comes from within that defiles a person, not external influences. The narrative then recounts several miracles, including the healing of a woman's daughter possessed by an unclean spirit, the healing of a deaf man with a speech impediment, and the feeding of four thousand people with seven loaves of bread. These events highlight Jesus' compassion, power, and the spiritual lessons He imparts, such as the importance of faith and the danger of materialism and skepticism. The script concludes with a reflection on the significance of the Lord's Supper, encouraging participants to approach it with humility and recognizing the transformative power of Jesus' sacrifice.

Takeaways

• 🤔 The Pharisees and scribes criticized Jesus' disciples for not following the traditional hand-washing ritual before eating, highlighting a conflict between religious rituals and the essence of Christianity.
• 📜 Jesus quoted Isaiah to condemn the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, emphasizing that true worship involves the heart, not just external actions.
• 🚫 Jesus pointed out the Pharisees' misinterpretation of the commandment to honor one's parents, using the tradition of 'Corban' to avoid caring for their families, thus nullifying God's word with human tradition.
• 🍽 Jesus taught that it is not what enters a person from the outside that defiles them, but what comes out from within, indicating that moral and spiritual purity comes from the heart.
• 🌐 Jesus' ministry included interactions with people from both Jewish and Gentile backgrounds, challenging conventional expectations about who would be receptive to his message.
• 🙏 The story of the Syrophoenician woman demonstrates humility and faith, as she accepts Jesus' challenge and receives healing for her daughter, illustrating the power of persistence and belief.
• 🦌 Jesus' healing of the deaf man in the Decapolis shows his ability to adapt his methods to the individual needs of those he heals, emphasizing his compassion and understanding.
• 🍞 The feeding of the four thousand, like the feeding of the five thousand, demonstrates Jesus' compassion and miraculous provision, challenging the disciples' and the crowd's faith and expectations.
• ✋ Jesus' frustration with the Pharisees' demand for a sign from heaven reflects his disappointment with their skepticism and lack of faith, despite witnessing his miracles.
• 👀 The healing of the blind man in Bethsaida, which occurred in stages, serves as an analogy for the spiritual journey of believers, some of whom may come to faith gradually rather than through a sudden conversion.
• 🕊 The Lord's Supper is a ritual that requires both humility and an understanding of its spiritual significance, representing the body and blood of Jesus Christ, and calling for believers to examine their hearts and approach with faith and sincerity.

Q & A

What is the main conflict between the Pharisees and Jesus in the beginning of the script?

The main conflict is about the Pharisees observing that Jesus' disciples eat with unwashed hands, which goes against the Jewish tradition of washing hands before eating. Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for focusing on external rituals while neglecting the internal state of the heart.

How does Jesus respond to the Pharisees' concern about his disciples not following the tradition of the elders?

Jesus responds by quoting Isaiah, calling the Pharisees hypocrites for honoring God with their lips but having their hearts far from God. He accuses them of teaching doctrines that are the precepts of men rather than the commandments of God.

What is the significance of the statement 'there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him'?

This statement signifies Jesus' teaching that it is not what enters a person from the outside that defiles them, but rather what comes out of a person that is indicative of their true character and spiritual state.

What does Jesus mean when he says 'what comes out of a man is what defiles the man'?

Jesus is referring to the idea that it is the evil thoughts, intentions, and actions that originate from within a person that defile them, not the physical substances or rituals that come into contact with them from the outside.

How does the story of the Syrophoenician woman demonstrate her faith?

The Syrophoenician woman demonstrates her faith by persistently asking Jesus to heal her daughter, despite Jesus' initial reluctance. She shows humility and understanding by accepting Jesus' comparison of her to a dog and responding with the acknowledgment that even dogs eat the children's crumbs under the table.

What is the miracle of the feeding of the four thousand, and how does it differ from the feeding of the five thousand?

The miracle of the feeding of the four thousand is when Jesus feeds a large crowd of people with only seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. It differs from the feeding of the five thousand in that there are fewer loaves but more people fed, and seven baskets of leftovers are collected instead of twelve.

Why does Jesus sigh deeply when the Pharisees ask him for a sign from heaven?

Jesus sighs deeply out of frustration and disappointment with the Pharisees' skepticism and their demand for a sign. He knows that even if he performs a miracle, their hearts are not open to belief.

What is the 'leaven of the Pharisees' that Jesus warns his disciples to beware of?

The 'leaven of the Pharisees' refers to their teaching and influence, which is characterized by a focus on external rituals and traditions rather than genuine spiritual transformation and relationship with God.

How does the healing of the deaf man demonstrate Jesus' ability to communicate and heal in a way that the individual can understand?

Jesus heals the deaf man by using physical actions that the man can feel or see, such as putting his fingers in the man's ears, spitting, and touching his tongue. He also looks up to heaven to indicate divine intervention and sighs to convey the relief that will come with healing. These actions allowed the deaf man to understand that Jesus was trying to help him.

What is the spiritual lesson that can be drawn from the gradual healing of the blind man?

The gradual healing of the blind man can be seen as a spiritual lesson about the process of coming to faith or understanding spiritual truths. It suggests that spiritual sight and understanding can develop over time, and that Jesus is patient, working with individuals until they reach a place of clear vision and understanding.

What is the importance of examining oneself before participating in the Lord's Supper, as mentioned in the script?

Examining oneself before participating in the Lord's Supper is important because it ensures that the individual is engaging in the ritual with a sincere heart and a clear understanding of its significance. It is a time for self-reflection, recognizing one's need for forgiveness, and appreciating the sacrifice that Jesus made.

Outlines

00:00

😔 The Clash Between Tradition and True Worship

This paragraph describes the confrontation between the Pharisees and Jesus over the traditions of the elders, which included rituals like hand washing before eating. Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for prioritizing these traditions over God's commandments, accusing them of hypocrisy. He emphasizes that it is not what enters a person from the outside that defiles them, but what comes from within, such as evil thoughts and negative actions. The paragraph also includes a story of Jesus healing a woman's daughter, despite initial reluctance, and healing a deaf man, demonstrating his divine power and compassion.

05:01

🍞 The Miraculous Feeding and the Demand for a Sign

The second paragraph narrates the story of Jesus feeding four thousand people with seven loaves of bread and a few small fish, leaving seven baskets of leftovers. It also discusses the Pharisees' demand for a sign from Jesus as proof of his divine authority. Jesus expresses disappointment and refuses to provide a sign for a generation seeking material evidence rather than understanding spiritual truth. The paragraph ends with the disciples forgetting to bring bread and Jesus warning them about the leaven of the Pharisees, symbolizing the influence of their wrong priorities and teachings.

10:01

🙌 The Transformation from External Ritual to Internal Change

The third paragraph focuses on the difference between external religious rituals and internal spiritual transformation. It discusses how Jesus criticized the Pharisees for their excessive focus on rituals like hand washing, which led to neglecting the inner state of their hearts. Jesus teaches that true religion is about the condition of one's heart, not just the adherence to religious customs. The paragraph also touches on the importance of recognizing and addressing the internal issues of hypocrisy and heart cleanliness.

15:02

🤔 The Misunderstanding of Divine Priorities

In this paragraph, Jesus addresses the Pharisees' misplacement of priorities, particularly their teaching that giving to God excuses one from caring for their own family. He stresses the importance of family responsibilities and criticizes the Pharisees for replacing the commandments of God with human ideas. The paragraph also delves into the spiritual perspective that what defiles a person is not external influences but internal thoughts and actions, highlighting the need for internal spiritual growth rather than external religious compliance.

20:04

👀 The Paradox of Spiritual Sight and Physical Blindness

The fourth paragraph discusses the encounter between Jesus and a blind man, emphasizing the spiritual insight that can come even to those without physical sight. It contrasts those who are physically blind yet spiritually perceptive with those who, despite having physical sight, are spiritually blind. The miracle of healing the blind man is described as not immediate but gradual, possibly symbolizing the stages of spiritual awakening and growth in believers.

25:04

🍇 The Importance of Internal Sincerity in Communion

The fifth paragraph ties together the themes of the previous sections and applies them to the act of communion. It stresses the importance of approaching the Lord's Supper with humility and recognizing one's inherent sinfulness and need for forgiveness. The paragraph also highlights the necessity of internal sincerity and faith in the ritual, rather than mere external participation. It calls for self-examination and a genuine encounter with Christ, seeking a transformation of the heart.

30:06

🕊 The Spiritual Blindness and Physical Healing

The sixth paragraph continues the narrative of Jesus' miracles, focusing on the healing of a deaf man who could not speak. Jesus uses multiple methods to communicate the process of healing to the man, demonstrating his compassion and ability to connect with individuals at their level of understanding. The crowd's reaction to the miracle affirms Jesus' competence, comparing him to a creator. The paragraph also touches on the theme of doubt and the disciples' lack of faith despite witnessing previous miracles.

35:07

📖 The Challenge of Faith and the Pharisees' Skepticism

The seventh paragraph describes the Pharisees' request for a sign as proof of Jesus' divine authority. Jesus expresses frustration and refuses to provide a sign for a skeptical generation. The paragraph also addresses the disciples' lack of understanding and faith, particularly when they worry about having forgotten the bread despite having witnessed Jesus' ability to provide for their needs through miracles. Jesus warns them against the leaven of the Pharisees, symbolizing the influence of their wrong priorities.

40:09

🌟 The Gradual Revelation of Spiritual Truth

The eighth paragraph discusses the gradual nature of spiritual enlightenment using the example of the blind man's healing, which occurred in stages. It emphasizes that the journey to spiritual sight can be different for each person, with some experiencing a sudden conversion and others a gradual awakening. The paragraph encourages believers to focus on the importance of their spiritual transformation rather than the specifics of when it occurred.

45:12

🕊 The Essence of Communion and Genuine Faith

The final paragraph concludes with the message for those participating in the Lord's Supper. It stresses the importance of approaching the communion with humility, recognizing one's sinful nature and the need for forgiveness. The paragraph also emphasizes the necessity of internal sincerity and genuine faith in the ritual, rather than mere external participation. It calls for self-examination and a genuine encounter with Christ, seeking a transformation of the heart.

Keywords

💡Pharisees

The Pharisees were a Jewish sect in the Second Temple period, known for their strict adherence to the Mosaic Law and the oral traditions. In the script, they are portrayed as hypocritical, focusing on external rituals rather than internal purity of heart, which is a central theme of the discourse. For example, they criticize the disciples for eating with unwashed hands, adhering to the tradition of the elders rather than the commandment of God.

💡Defilement

Defilement, in the context of the script, refers to the state of being ceremonially unclean according to Jewish law, often related to dietary laws and purity rituals. The concept is pivotal as it contrasts with Jesus' teaching that it is the internal state of a person that defiles, not external actions. For instance, the Pharisees consider certain actions, like eating without washing hands, as defiling.

💡Tradition of the Elders

This phrase refers to the additional laws, customs, and interpretations that the Jewish elders had added to the written Torah. In the script, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for holding these traditions in higher regard than the commandments of God, illustrating the conflict between human tradition and divine law. For example, the Pharisees' hand-washing ritual is a tradition of the elders, not a biblical commandment.

💡Hypocrisy

Hypocrisy is a key concept in the script, highlighting the disparity between outward appearance and inner reality. Jesus accuses the Pharisees of being hypocrites for honoring God with their lips while their hearts are far from Him. This term is central to understanding the critique of external religiosity without internal transformation, as seen when Jesus says, 'you leave the commandment of God and hold fast to the tradition of men.'

💡Internal Purity

Internal purity is a fundamental theme in the script, emphasizing the importance of moral and spiritual cleanliness over external rituals. Jesus teaches that what defiles a person is not what enters from the outside but what comes from within, such as evil thoughts and wickedness. This concept is illustrated when Jesus says, 'there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him, but the things which come out of a man are what defile him.'

💡Evil Thoughts

Evil thoughts are depicted as the internal source of a person's defilement, according to Jesus' teaching. They represent the sinful inclinations of the human heart, which are listed as causing defilement alongside actions like fornication, theft, and murder. In the script, Jesus states, 'out of the heart of men come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man.'

💡Syrophenician Woman

The Syrophoenician woman represents faith and humility in the face of adversity. She is a Gentile who approaches Jesus on behalf of her demon-possessed daughter. Despite Jesus' initial dismissive response, comparing her to a dog, she demonstrates remarkable faith and humility, which leads to her daughter's healing. Her story illustrates the importance of persistence and belief, as shown by her response, 'even the dogs under the table eat the children's crumbs.'

💡Deaf and Dumb

The term 'deaf and dumb' in the script refers to a man who was both hearing-impaired and unable to speak. Jesus heals him through a multi-step process, which is unique as it is one of the few miracles in the Bible that occurs in stages. This healing emphasizes Jesus' compassion and his ability to communicate and heal in a manner that is accessible to the individual's condition. It also serves as an analogy for spiritual awakening and the progression of faith.

💡Feeding of the Four Thousand

The feeding of the four thousand is a miracle similar to the feeding of the five thousand, where Jesus feeds a large crowd with a small amount of food. This event underscores Jesus' compassion and divine provision. It also challenges the disciples' faith, as they initially doubt his ability to perform a similar miracle again. The feeding serves as a testament to Jesus' power and as a symbol of spiritual nourishment for the people.

💡Bread and Wine

Bread and wine are central to the script as they are the elements used in the Lord's Supper, a Christian ritual that symbolizes the body and blood of Jesus Christ. The script emphasizes the importance of approaching this ritual with proper humility and understanding, not as a mere physical act but as a spiritual communion. The transformation from physical to spiritual understanding is highlighted when Jesus says, 'he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.'

💡Spiritual Blindness

Spiritual blindness is a recurring motif in the script, referring to the inability to perceive spiritual truths. Jesus heals a physically blind man, which is used as a metaphor for spiritual enlightenment. Those who are spiritually blind may have physical sight but fail to see the divine, whereas those with spiritual sight can perceive the kingdom of God. The healing of the blind man in the script illustrates the progression from physical to spiritual sight, reflecting the journey of faith.

Highlights

The Pharisees and scribes criticized Jesus' disciples for not following the tradition of hand washing before eating.

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees for their hypocrisy, emphasizing that true worship involves the heart, not just external rituals.

Jesus taught that it's not what enters a person from the outside that defiles them, but what comes out from within.

Jesus healed a woman's daughter who was possessed by an unclean spirit, highlighting His power and authority.

The woman's faith, despite being referred to as a 'dog' by Jesus, demonstrated her humility and desire for healing.

Jesus healed a deaf man with an impediment in his speech, showcasing His compassion and healing abilities.

The feeding of the four thousand is a miracle that demonstrates Jesus' care for the people's physical needs as well as their spiritual needs.

Jesus warned against the 'leaven of the Pharisees', which symbolizes the danger of focusing on outward appearances and neglecting the heart.

The Pharisees sought a sign from Jesus as proof of His divine authority, but He refused to provide one to their satisfaction.

Jesus healed a blind man in stages, which is unique as it was the only miracle that did not happen immediately.

The gradual healing of the blind man can be seen as a metaphor for the spiritual journey of coming to understand and see God more clearly.

The importance of approaching the Lord's Supper with humility and recognizing our need for forgiveness and cleansing through Jesus' sacrifice.

The necessity of not just performing the external rituals but truly understanding and internalizing the spiritual significance behind them.

The transformative power of Jesus' message and the need for a new heart and a clean heart, rather than mere external reform.

The contrast between the views of the Pharisees, who saw themselves as inherently clean, and Jesus, who emphasized the inherent sinfulness of human nature.

Jesus' challenge to the disciples and to believers to not just remember past miracles but to have faith that God can repeat them.

The spiritual blindness of those who, despite having physical sight, fail to see the deeper spiritual truths and the reality of God's presence and work.

Transcripts

tonight Mark chapter 7 verse 1 through

to part of chapter 8. Mark's gospel

chapter 7 verse 1.

now when the Pharisees gathered together

to him with some of the scribes who had

come from Jerusalem they saw that some

of his disciples ate with hens defiled

that is unwashed

for the Pharisees and all the Jews do

not eat unless they wash their hands

observing the tradition of the elders

and when they come from the marketplace

they do not eat unless they purify

themselves

and there are many other Traditions

which they observe the washing of Cups

and pots and vessels of bronze

and the Pharisees and the scribes asked

him why do your disciples not live

according to the tradition of the elders

but eat with hands defiled

and he said to them

welded Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites

as it is written this people honors me

with their lips but their heart is far

from me

in vain do they worship me teaching us

doctrines the precepts of men you leave

the Commandment of God and hold fast the

tradition of men

and he said to them you have a fine way

of rejecting the Commandment of God in

order to keep your tradition

for Moses said honor your father and

your mother

and he who speaks evil a father or

mother let him surely die

but you say if a man tells his father or

his mother what you would have gained

from me is Corban that is given to God

then you no longer permit him to do

anything for his father or mother

thus making void the word of God through

your tradition which you hand on

and many such things you do

and he called the people to him again

and said to them hear me all of you and

understand there is nothing outside a

man which by going into him can defile

him but the things which come out of a

man are what defile him

and when he had entered the house and

left the people his disciples asked him

about the parable and he said to them

then are you also without understanding

do not see that whatever goes into a man

from outside cannot defile him since it

enters not into his heart but his

stomach and so passes on

thus he declared all foods clean

and he said what comes out of a man is

what defiles a man

Fall From Within out of the heart of men

come evil thoughts fornication theft

murder adultery coveting wickedness

deceit licentiousness envislander Pride

foolishness

all these evil things come from within

and a father man

and from there he arose and went away to

the region of power and Simon and he

entered a house and would not have

anyone know it yet he could not be hid

but immediately a woman whose little

daughter was possessed by an unclean

spirit head of him and came and fell

down at his feet now the woman was a

Greek a Cyra Phoenician by birth

and she begged him to cast The Demon out

of her daughter

and he said to her

Let The Children First be fed

for it is not right to take the

children's bread and throw it to the

dogs

but she answered him yes Lord yet even

the dogs under the table eat the

children's crumbs

and he said to her for this saying you

may go your way your the demon has left

your daughter

and she went home and found the child

lying in bed and the demon gone

then he returned from the region of tire

and went through sidon to the Sea of

Galilee through the region of the

decapolis

and they brought to him a man who was

deaf and had an impediment in his speech

they besought him to lay his hand upon

him

and taking him aside from the multitude

privately he put his fingers into his

ears and he spat and touched his tongue

and looking up to heaven he sighed and

said

a feather that is be opened

and his ears were opened his tongue was

released and he spoke plainly and he

charged them to tell no one but the more

he charged them the more zealously they

proclaimed it and they were astonished

Beyond measures saying he has done all

things well he even makes the deaf here

and the dumb speak

in those days when again a great crowd

had gathered and they had nothing to eat

he called his disciples to him and said

to them I have compassion on the crowd

because they have been with me now three

days and have nothing to eat and if I

send them away hungry to their homes

they will faint on the way and some of

them have come a long way

and his disciples answered him how can

one feed these men with bread here in

the desert and he asked them how many

loaves have you they said seven

and he commanded the crowd to sit down

on the ground and he took the seven

loams and having given thanks he broke

them and gave them to his disciples to

set before the people and they set them

before the crowd and they had a few

small fish and having blessed them he

commanded that these also should be set

before them and they ate and were

satisfied and they took up the broken

pieces left over seven baskets full and

there were about four thousand people

and he sent them away and immediately he

got into the boat with his disciples and

went to the district of delmanusa

the Pharisees came and began to argue

with him seeking from him a sign from

Heaven to test him and he sighed deeply

in his spirit and said why does this

generation seek a sign

truly I say to you no sign shall be

given to this generation and he left

them and getting into the boat again he

departed to the other side

now they had forgotten to bring bread

and they had only one loaf with them in

the boat

and he cautioned them saying take heed

Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees

and the leaven of Herod

they discussed it with one another

saying we have no bread and being aware

of it Jesus said to them

why do you discuss the fact that you

have no bread do not yet perceive or

understand are your hearts hardened

having eyes do you not see and having

ears do you not hear and do you not

remember when I broke the Five Loaves

for the five thousand how many baskets

full of broken pieces did you take up

they said to him twelve

and the seven for the four thousand how

many baskets full of broken pieces did

you take up and they said to him seven

and he said to them do you not yet

understand

they came to bethsaida and some people

brought him a blind man and begged him

to touch him

and he took the blind man by the hand

and led him out of the village and when

he had spit on his eyes and laid his

hands upon him he asked him do you see

anything

and he looked up and he said I see men

but they look like trees walking then

again he laid his hands upon his eyes

and he looked intently and was restored

and saw everything clearly

and he sent him away to his home saying

do not even enter the village

one of the most surprising things about

our Lord's Ministry is that the people

you would have expected to support and

welcome him were those who were

antagonistic and the most unlikely

people became his most Ardent followers

you would have expected the Jews to

accept him and the Gentiles to turn him

down but it's just the opposite

you would have expected that the

religious leaders of the Jews would have

welcomed their Messiah but they did just

the opposite

now I have read tonight five incidents

three of them are in Gentile country and

too in Jewish

and in the Gentile territory he got

unfamously in the Jewish territory he

was in trouble

the first incident took place in a

little area on the shores of Galilee

called ganesaret

and apparently the trouble was a

question of Jewish ritual

but in this one incident which is

concerned with whether you should wash

your hands before a meal

we see the whole clash between religion

and Christianity now I was asked

recently to go and speak to a grammar

school

as part of a series on the world

religions I was following Buddhism and I

was asked to speak on Christianity and

it was a series on religion so I gladly

went and I said the first thing I want

to say is that Christianity is not a

religion

and until we see that we've

misunderstood it all the others are

religions but Christianity is not and

here in this wonderful incident you have

the contrast between religion and

Christianity what the Pharisees had was

religion

and they had it bad if I could put it

that way

but what Jesus had was Christianity or

Christianity reality

they had ritual they had all the outside

of it he had the inside of it and this

is the difference

and one of our difficulties in this

country is that we suffer from religion

most countries do

now let's look at the incident that

happened

a fact-finding theological commission

was sent down from Jerusalem to report

back on this man Jesus and they came and

they watched him

and they couldn't find anything in him

to criticize but they managed to find

something in his followers

psychologically this is a very true

account and there more than probably you

can see how minds work they couldn't

find a thing wrong with him but they

noticed that at one meal the disciples

forgot to wash their hands first

now to you to me this would not be such

a great matter as it was to them

they would have died rather than eat

food without washing their hands

quite literally the Jews would rather

die than break their food laws and there

is a most terrible account under

Antiochus epiphanies the Greek conqueror

who came to Israel and who tried to

force Seven Brothers to eat pork

which was against their religion

and their aged mother was made to stand

and watch and as they refused one by one

they were tortured to death in front of

their aged mother who urged them to go

on being firm and to die rather than eat

pork

this is what the eating laws of the Jews

had come to mean

and to the basic laws which were to be

found in the Old Testament and which

were part of God's word they had added a

whole lot more of things that were not

in God's word but which they had come to

regard as just as important

and one of the disturbing features of

all human religion is that you add

Traditions which gradually become more

and more fixed more and more important

more and more a test of whether a person

is truly religious until you get to the

point where the bit you've added is more

important than what God Said at the

beginning

and the tradition becomes a substitute

for and even a contradiction of God's

word

Baptists suffer from it Roman Catholics

suffer from it most religions suffer

from it

our Traditions the way we've always done

things and if we don't do them this way

you're out

well now this is what Jesus came up

against and the particular tradition he

came up against was this matter of

washing hands they were not washing them

to get clean physically

they were washing them just in case they

might have touched in the marketplace

the Overcoat of a gentile

that's why they were washing

it was a purely ritual thing it was to

cover them from defilement

and so they would come in and they would

wash their hands this way first and then

that way and then they would wash

between each cause just in case they

were unclean according to their

religious tradition

and these they said to Jesus your

disciples didn't wash their hands and

Jesus turns round on them and says some

pretty severe things

but he was right in what he said that

that kind of religion and his idea

wouldn't mix

the first thing he said is this you've

turned religion into an external instead

of an internal matter

and therefore you've become terribly

concerned with the outward appearance

and outward actions and this he says is

hypocrisy

and he said Isaiah saw this in you 600

years ago 500 years ago

Isaiah said you honor God with the

outside you sing your hymns you say your

prayers but your heart is a million

miles away that's hypocrisy

and to go through the ritual to go

through the acts to go through all the

outside of religion and yet to have a

heart that's far away from God is sheer

hypocrisy and Jesus said you've become

so concerned about getting your hands

cleaned that you've forgotten your heart

needs cleaning

let us accept this criticism of our Lord

and apply it to ourselves

if we are more concerned

about putting on our Sunday best clothes

and getting our hair right

and getting our face washed before we go

to church if we are more concerned about

that

than about getting our hearts clean and

right before we come to worship then we

deserve exactly the same criticism

and I applied like that to my own heart

because it's easy to blame those old

Pharisees and and say they were terrible

people but we've all got a dose of this

the second thing he said is this you

have substituted for the Divine command

a human idea

and he said you're always doing this and

he mentioned a particularly bad example

now the Pharisees gave very generously

to god let's hand it to them they gave a

tenth of their income and more to God

the trouble was that they began to teach

this idea

that it was more important to give to

God than anyone else and that in fact if

you were giving something to God that

released you from other obligations so

that you could say to your own aged

parents I'm sorry I can't keep you

because I'm giving this money to God

and that is replacing a command of God

with an idea of men

I've been asked about this

more than once and my answer is that

supporting our family whether it's our

children or our parents is a Divine Duty

and we should not be giving to God's

work to the extent that those who are

directly dependent on us are

impoverished

quote again that text from the New

Testament that I quoted this morning he

that provideth not for his own household

is worse than an unbeliever this is our

first responsibility and Jesus said

Moses said in the law which is God's

word honor your father and mother

and you say I can't I'm giving all my

money to God's work and that is putting

an idea of men

in place of the word of God

the third thing he said was even more

devastating he said you think religion

is a matter of physical action I tell

you it is a matter of spiritual attitude

and in place of this kind of external

tradition the outside of religion he put

the internal truth and said something

that has been described as the most

revolutionary statement in the New

Testament he said this

nothing going into a man from outside

can make him dirty

it is what starts inside and comes out

that makes a man dirty in the sight of

God

is not so much concerned about what we

wear on Sunday or about whether we've

brushed our hair and washed our face

before we come

though cleanliness is Next to Godliness

but godliness is concerned with the

heart how clean we were when we came in

tonight and how free from the things

that he now lists being very direct our

Lord says you see that if something

dirty comes in at the mouth the body has

its own way of getting rid of dirt and

it goes straight through the stomach and

out

it's the things that start inside and

come out

that are really dirty

now let's look at the things he said

were inside he lists them it's a pretty

horrid list

in fact I don't want to spend much time

on it for that reason but just run

through them evil thoughts that means a

man who's planning what to do next

that's wrong

fornication that means extramarital

relations

I mean before marriage theft means Petty

filth pilfering the word used here does

not refer to the big thefts the kind of

train robberies it refers just to a

little bit of shoplifting here or taking

something home from the office there

that starts inside and it's dirty murder

well that starts with anger adulterous a

Breaking of the marriage bond coveting

is simply Being Greedy for things that

other people have that you don't

wickedness means the desire to head

someone to be a bully to harm them

deceit means to trick someone

licentiousness means a man who doesn't

want to be restrained or disciplined in

any way

Envy means the evil eye that doesn't

like other people having what you

haven't

it's the opposite of covetousness

slender means gossip and insulting

people Pride well you know what that

means it includes content for others

foolishness means playing the fool and

Jesus said these are the dirty things

you need to get rid of

these are the things that make a man a

filthy man it's not something that he's

taken in it's something that he gives

out it starts inside and it works out

doesn't start outside and work in

now fundamentally Jesus has a completely

different View

of men to the view of the Pharisees

we're holding

and I have discovered that this is the

view the Pharisees viewers that

generally held view in England today

here are the two different views the

Pharisees said a man is basically good

and clean therefore he must be careful

of outside influences on him Jesus said

a man is basically bad and dirty

and therefore it's the inside he needs

to be concerned about now here are the

two different viewpoints and it makes a

total difference to your thinking about

yourself and other people in the world

in general as to whether you believe man

is clean and is made Dirty by things

from outside or where the man is dirty

and needs to be made clean

and our Lord was saying these things

that I've listed you don't pick them up

from other people they are there inside

to begin with

that's a very low view of human nature

And yet when I look into my heart this

is an accurate view

and you see if you're concerned about

the traditions of the external things if

you're concerned about your actions the

outside of it all you have missed the

real thing that needs dealing with and

that is the inside of it all it's a

completely different Viewpoint and Jesus

was saying you're so bothered about

washing your hands

and you've forgotten about your hearts

you honor me with your lips but your

heart that's far away that's the trouble

and that's dirty inside

that is why what we need is not religion

but regeneration

that is why it's no use trying to reform

a man and make him behave differently

now on the farm we used to have Danish

pigaries which are specially designed to

keep pigs clean

and in a Danish Piggery the pig is the

cleanest animal on the farm

and you can change its Behavior

and you can make him quite an attractive

animal

but you let him loose out of The Piggery

and anywhere near the midden and within

five minutes

his Nature has reasserted itself now

this is why sticking religion on the

outside will never do the trick you

might manage respectable and Decent

Behavior but inside there's the same old

heart and the stuff is still there

that is the danger of drinking too much

because alcohol will release what is

already inside and it comes out more

easily

that is why when we get tired things

come out that we're surprised at

irritability loose speech these come out

when we're tired when we're under strain

why because they're there already

and that's why we need a new heart and a

clean heart and the Glorious Gospel of

Jesus Christ is that he doesn't come to

reform you he doesn't come to stick a

new outside on you he doesn't come to

get you religious he comes to clean your

heart

and to deal with these things at the

source and to give you a new nature

that's what's meant by being born again

now it's very interesting that having

discussed the matter of clean and

unclean with these Pharisees who

regarded Jews as clean and Gentiles as

unclean the very next scene so shows

Jesus in a gentile country

an unclean land

Tire

now tires should have been part of the

promised land but the tribe of Asher

never managed to conquer the people who

lived there

it was part of the land that God gave to

his people and Jesus was not stepping

outside the promised land but he was

going into Gentile territory unclean

territory according to the Pharisees but

Jesus didn't bother one wit and he went

there he was escaping from the Pharisees

to get a bit of quiet to get away from

this opposition with his disciples and

he went to a house

and a woman heard he was there even

though he told his host not to tell

anyone

and we now get one of the most

extraordinary sayings of Jesus the woman

came in and said look my daughter's got

an unclean Spirit do you notice the word

unclean there incidentally links up with

what we've been saying my daughter has

an unclean spirit will you please come

and do something for her and now comes

come words that

well if we didn't have it in the gospel

we would never credit Jesus with

speaking like this

it's the proof of the truth of the

Gospel record that nobody would have

invented what he said listen

he said it's not right to take the bread

that the children should have and give

it to dogs

and to us that doesn't come home with

such horror because we like dogs

dogs are our pets dogs are things that

live with us in our homes but you go out

to the Middle East and you call anyone a

dog and they think of those manger

beasts that go from dustpin to Dustbin

Scavenging things that you run away from

if you get anywhere near

horrible things the dogs in the Middle

East

that's why dogs are so often used in

contemptuous terms don't give what is

Holy to the dogs said Jesus Beware of

the dogs said Paul in Philippians and

hear Jesus calls her a dog now I don't

want to give you the wrong impression

but if you want to get the flavor of

what this would mean

it is as if he called her a

that gives you the kind of flavor of the

word as used then and it's an

extraordinary saying why did Jesus say

this

well I think the only way that I can

understand it and I can only give you my

own understanding and no more he was

saying to him

I have come to the Jews

my first duty is to God's people

I have left them not because I'm coming

to start a mission to you Gentiles not

yet

I've been sent to the lost sheep of the

House of Israel he says this in another

gospel not to the Gentiles his first

Duty was to God's Own people

and he was saying this to stop this

woman starting a mission for him among

the Gentiles he'd not come to do this

and it was a deliberate discouragement

but he left the door open by including

the word first

he said you Feed the Children First

now he was virtually saying the Jews of

the children you are the dogs

and everything was going to depend on

how she took that

and the most amazing thing is that she

took it in just the right attitude

she could have had an inverted snobbery

which is so common oh well if they think

we're dogs all right and if you're one

of those Jews who thinks we're dogs

right well I think your dogs

she could have resented this she could

have been proud

she could have been terribly upset I

wouldn't dare to speak to a lady like

this

she could never have spoken to him again

do you know what she said

first of all she gave him a very witty

reply

it is it's very witty she said but the

dogs get the scraps

but there was more than wit that made

Jesus say I'll heal your daughter

there was humility

she said I accept whatever you say about

me but I'm still asking

and there was tremendous faith in this

answer

because she was saying even a few scraps

from you would cure my daughter you see

the faith

and Jesus said for saying that your

daughter's well

you have accepted my challenge you've

not resented it you've not been proud

but in humility and Faith you've pressed

for What Little you you need and what

little you may get

it's a tremendous story

and I'll come back to it later because

quite frankly if you come to the Holy

Communion tonight if you come to take

this Bread and Wine you must come in

exactly the same attitude as she came we

are not worthy so much as to gather up

the crumbs under your table

now the next story

he jumps or walks or travels in some way

from Tire up in the north west to the

decapolis those group that group of 10

Greek cities still in the Gentile

territory he's keeping well away from

the Jews now he needs time and every

time he goes into Jewish territory he's

into difficulties and so he's moving

around Gentile territory playing for

time next Sunday night you'll see what

he was waiting for because he gets it in

the next chapter but he's playing for

time and moving around the Gentile

territory and here he comes and here

he simply is able to relieve need

first of all they bring a man who's

death

and therefore done

been that way since he was born

and you know I love this story because

Jesus did everything he could that would

convey to a man who was deaf and dumb

fully deaf and dumb exactly what he was

doing

he mimed in six ways first of all he put

his fingers in the man's ears

the man couldn't hear the man couldn't

speak but he could feel fingers

and then Jesus spat

and that was something he'd understand

and then Jesus touched his tongue with

the spittle

touched his tongue

you see how Jesus adapts himself to a

man and meets him in a way that the man

can understand it's it's a lovely touch

next he looks up to heaven

he's telling the man God is going to

help us to do this

C hasn't said a word

he's been preaching to a man who's deaf

and dumb

and then he sighs

a sigh of relief

a sigh that that man will be able to

give when he's been healed

a sign that says it's over

and then finally

he uses a word that is so much a word

that can be lip read

that it's no wonder we still have the

word in our Lord's own language he says

it's a perfect lip reading word

and the men presumably could lip read a

fact there

be opened it's a lovely little scene

how to preach to someone who's deaf and

down how to get through how to begin

where a man is how to convey to him that

God is wanting to do something for him

right at the point of his need

when the Cure came as it certainly did

the people said something that is rather

remarkable they said he does everything

well

always makes a good job of someone

and you know that's exactly what God

Said when he'd finished creating the

world now that's good he looked at the

world and he said that's very good let

there be light and he saw it and it was

good

and the word good and well are exactly

the same in the Greek and the Hebrew

here and they were saying about Jesus

exactly what said about God what God

said about God in creation do you

realize what they're saying they're

saying Jesus you're the Creator

they may not have realized it but the

saying you make a good job when you do a

job

you can take a person and make a good

job with you you can do it well

it's a lovely text and I'd like to stay

with it but I must move on

now we have the feeding of the four

thousand

a huge crowd comes partly because of the

healing of the deaf and dumb men but I

think primarily because there's been

another man speaking about Jesus for

months

a man out of whom all that Legion of

demons had been cast and Jesus said go

home and tell them what I've done for

you and the next time Jesus comes four

thousand people want to meet him and

they're prepared to listen to a sermon

for three days

I won't underline that but at any rate

they're hungry when they're finished

and when they're finished Jesus said I

have compassion they've run out of the

food they brought now

would you listen for three days if Jesus

were around I'd love to

and he said we'll have to feed them

now there are many similarities with the

other feeding of the five thousand and

some differences there are only there

are seven loaves here there were five

last time there are seven baskets full

instead of twelve gathered up at the end

and it's a different word for baskets

but the most extraordinary thing in this

story to me is this

the disciples said how can we feed them

now that to me is a thing that I just

cannot understand

they had seen five thousand men to say

nothing of the women and children so

presumably maybe 10 000 people fed with

Five Loaves and two fishes and they

dared to say how can we feed this lot

just a week or two later

now some people have said that they were

being selfish again because they still

had their own loaves this time and they

didn't want to give them up

that may well be true but I don't think

it's the reason

the reason is this

you can see a miracle

and still be so hard that you don't

believe it can be repeated

let me challenge you as a Christian as I

challenge myself at this point we have

prayed about a certain matter

A desperate matter and God has answered

the prayer we've usually been so

surprised as I've said before we we let

it out in our surprised way of telling

somebody that the prayer was answered

and then maybe a few months or a year or

two later we come into an identical

situation and we pray and we wonder

whether the prayer will be answered

don't we

I've been like that

it's Hardness of Heart

you can see God's wonderful hand and

then a few months later you can wonder

if he can do anything about this

situation he can bring you through one

trouble and then you get into the next

trouble you think how will he get me

through this one

and this is so human and so realistic

and so typical of us and so the

disciples said how are we going to feed

this lot

it's proof that a miracle doesn't

convince a man of the truth which brings

us to the fourth incident out of the

five

he goes back into Jewish territory and

he meets a bunch of the Pharisees

straight away they're waiting on the

shore

and they said give us proof

do a miracle in front of us that we can

see give us a sign and we'll believe

and Jesus is so frustrated so

exasperated he's he groans and he says

no I will not verily our men I will not

give you a sign not this generation

you're wanting visible proof I'm not

going to give it to you why well because

he knew perfectly well they were

skeptical they were suspicious and it

doesn't matter how many miracles he

showed them they still wouldn't believe

from time to time someone says to me can

you give me proof of the existence of

God

do you know if they got proof they still

wouldn't believe if they don't want to

such as our minds such are the blinds we

put up to the truth that if we get

evidence of God in this way we find some

other explanation for it and we explain

it away and we want some more

then Jesus said no I'm not going to give

you evidence

the trouble is that this kind of hostile

skepticism that came from his enemies

was matched by a stupidity in his own

disciples they got into the boat again

they had to get away from Jewish

territory as soon as they got back to it

and he went across the lake again and on

the way across one of the disciples

suddenly said we've forgotten the bread

he brought any no

they're me he won't have anything to eat

tonight

now it's very typical of a guilty

conscience that when you feel guilty

about something you see references to

yourself when none are intended

this is quite psychologically

frequent and and compatible you you're

feeling guilty about something you think

the preacher knows about it and he's

constantly mentioning it all through the

sermon

tabs quite frequently people say to me

afterwards who's been telling me you're

about me and nobody has

and uh it's happened to me too when I've

been in the pew

if you've got a guilty conscience you

think people are talking about you when

they're not

and Jesus said to the disciples on the

way across

Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees

and it's at 11 11. he's hinting I know

we've forgotten the bread

you see and he meant nothing of the salt

but when you're guilty I'm afraid you

read into other people's words hints

about yourself

what did he mean

what did the Pharisees and the herodians

have in common

there were two groups of people you'd

have thought were miles apart in their

thinking

these were the religious leaders these

were the sensual political leaders

the one thing they had in common was

this they both said they wanted visible

proof when Jesus finally was led before

Herod and chains Herod was glad to see

him because he hoped he'd do a few

tricks for him

he hoped to see a few signs done by him

and the Pharisees were asking the same

thing the one thing that they both had

was that they both wanted visible

material evidence

they both lived at the level of the

senses they couldn't Rise by faith above

their senses they lived at the level of

the senses and therefore they wanted The

Sensational and the sensual

and Jesus said Beware of this attitude

that can only look at material things

that can't get Beyond and see spiritual

meaning and they said we've forgotten

the bread that's what it is he's getting

at us

and he said Don't You Yet understand

you can't see have you got ears and you

can't hear don't you perceive

can you not get your thinking above

loaves of bread can you not see beyond

this to what it all means why are you so

worried about bread anyway how many

baskets did you fill with the bits that

were left over 12 and the other times

seven and you're still worried that we

haven't got any bread with us when

you've got me don't you understand don't

you perceive can't you get through the

Pharisees ask for Visible signs you seem

to think about nothing but bread Can't

You See Beyond it

and it's very interesting that straight

after he said to them have you got eyes

and yet can you not see that he healed a

blind man

it's no accident that these two stories

are together

I know people who are totally blind and

who cannot see a thing but they see more

than you and I do

they see more spiritual things

they see more of God

we have eyes and we don't see they don't

have eyes and they do

and so Jesus had this blind man brought

to him

they were now in bethsaida which was not

Jewish territory up on the north east

coast of the Sea of Galilee and this

blind man came and again Jesus dealt

with him as he was quite differently

from the deaf and dumb he got hold of

his hand and he took him for a walk to

some quiet little place out in the

country and then he spat

and then he touched and laid his hands

on the eyes

and the men began to look and he could

see some Shadows walking

one lovely comment in a commentary that

I read this week was um something like

this

you we mustn't blame the blind man for

not seeing clearly so quickly anybody

who's apologized to a Lamppost in a

London Fog

has experienced just what he was going

through he'd never seen people he'd

never seen trees he'd just felt them and

we still talk about a body as a trunk so

you can understand the confusion

an upright color moving about and he

looked and he said I can just see

upright people moving around

that's all so Jesus said right we'll

take it further and he laid his hands

again now there's something remarkable

about this miracle it's the only miracle

that didn't happen immediately

that happened in stages

and I think there's a purpose in this

sometimes our Lord touched a blind man

and he saw perfectly straight away this

man it came in stages I'm going to apply

this spiritually we found when we fed

those four thousand Christians into that

computer a year ago to see just how

they'd been led to the Lord we found

that approximately two-thirds of the

Christians in England can say I was

converted on such and such a day

a third cannot point to any day

does it matter

does a baby have to know its birthday to

be alive

do I have to remember my wedding

anniversary to know that I'm married

I'll know it if I forget it but

nevertheless

you see the date is not the important

thing

maybe you came to Christ in a blinding

crisis and suddenly you saw the light

and you could see and and life was so

different so suddenly you could take me

back to the spot and the time and the

day

I could that's no virtue it's no

Advantage it can be a disadvantage but I

could take you to a sitting room in Kent

not far from here we're right there at

maybe about eight or eight thirty one

Friday evening

Faith came alive for me

that doesn't matter

maybe you say I don't know when it

happened

I just began to see things like trees

moving I began to see things that I'd

never seen before

the important thing is that you should

be able to say once I was blind now I

see

once I walked in darkness

and I had to depend on others for any

knowledge of God now I walk in the light

and I can see him myself

that's the important thing

does it matter if a Blind Man's soul

with one laying on of hands or two not

the slightest the important thing is

that Jesus didn't finish with him until

he did see clearly that's the wonderful

thing

and sometimes it takes a bit longer with

some folk than others before they see

the light but Jesus doesn't give up

until you see

which brings me to my final point that

prepares us for the communion service

do you see tonight

do you see the message out of these five

incidents for every one of us who comes

to the Lord's Supper

the message is twofold

message number one are we prepared to

come with the humility of the

syrophonician woman

and accept our Lord's verdict upon us

that were Sinners that we've got dirty

Hearts by Nature

that we need forgiveness

we've got to swallow our pride and come

that's the first thing I see tonight

as we come to this table we're going to

use that prayer we are not worthy so

much as to gather up the crumbs under

thy table never mind sit and take the

bread from the top of it

that thou art the same Lord whose

property is always to have mercy

thank you

that's how we can and the second thing

we need to see is this

there is no value in this ritual if it

is purely external

if it's just the outside

if we're just going through the outward

act if we're just popping Bread and Wine

into our mouths

you see we're told in 1 Corinthians 11

that we should examine ourselves before

we come and make sure that when we take

that bread we discern the body we see

something else

by faith there's nothing magic about the

bread but when we take it by faith we

see a body broken on a cross

when we take that wine we're not just

living at the physical level and

thinking that the physical act of

drinking is going to do us some good

magically we're seeing beyond the

physical we're seeing the blood of Jesus

that flowed from his hands and his side

and his feet

having eyes do you see

having ears do you hear

has the Lord opened your eyes

has he given you a clean heart

this is how you come

as those who are in love and charity

with your neighbors

in whom the dirt of Deceit and gossip

and envy and jealousy and coveting has

been cleansed by the blood of Jesus

Christ then come

and take this Bread and Wine to your

Everlasting Comfort let us pray

oh God our heavenly father it's so easy

for us to have the outside the form of

godliness but not the power of it

to go through the routine to go through

the ritual

to go through the actions

and yet our attitudes may be all

together wrong and

even during this service our minds may

have strayed far away from you

we pray now that as we come to the

climax of this service

that all of us who know and love the

Lord Jesus may come with clean hearts

to this table

and see in this Bread and Wine the body

and blood of Jesus

and by faith perceive that which is

beyond the reach of the blind

Lord I was blind I did not see

I was deaf I did not hear

I was dumb I did not speak

but you have made the blind to see

the dumb to speak the deaf to hear and

lo I break the chains of my captivity

amen