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Summary

Mark 7:1–13 – Conflict Over Traditions

What happens:
Religious leaders from Jerusalem question Jesus about his disciples eating with unwashed hands. Jesus replies by citing Isaiah, calling them hypocrites for honoring human rules while neglecting God’s commands. He tells them they nullify God’s word by insisting on their own traditions, such as corban—declaring possessions off-limits to help parents but disobeying the command to honor them.

What it means:
Jesus exposes that religious rituals are meaningless if they mask disobedience to God’s heart. True faith values God’s commands above human traditions and demonstrates genuine love for others, especially family.


Mark 7:14–23 – Defilement from the Heart

What happens:
Jesus calls the crowd and explains that nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. He teaches that it is what comes out of a person—evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly—that defiles.

What it means:
Jesus shifts the focus from external purity to internal morality. True cleansing involves the heart. God cares about the motives and attitudes that produce sinful actions, not merely outward compliance.


Mark 7:24–30 – Faith of the Syrophoenician Woman

What happens:
Jesus travels to the region of Tyre and Sidon. A Gentile woman begs him to cast a demon out of her daughter. At first he seems to refuse, saying it is not right to take children’s bread and throw it to dogs. She replies that even dogs eat crumbs from their masters’ table. Jesus praises her faith and heals her daughter instantly.

What it means:
The woman’s persistence and humility demonstrate that faith is not limited by ethnicity. Jesus shows that his mercy extends beyond Israel and honors genuine trust by granting healing.


Mark 7:31–37 – Healing a Deaf and Mute Man

What happens:
Jesus brings a deaf man who has a speech impediment aside. He puts his fingers into the man’s ears, spits, and touches his tongue. Looking up to heaven, he says “Ephphatha,” which means “Be opened.” The man’s ears are unblocked and his tongue is released. Jesus orders them to tell no one, but they spread the news widely.

What it means:
Jesus uses physical actions to illustrate spiritual restoration. His authority restores broken bodies and points to the greater healing he offers for the human heart. Uncontainable joy in God’s work overflows despite attempts at secrecy.


Application

  • Prioritize obedience to God’s commands over human traditions
  • Examine and cleanse your heart, not just your outward actions
  • Approach Jesus with humility and persistence, trusting his mercy for all people
  • Recognize that Jesus brings both physical healing and spiritual restoration
  • Share the good news of his work rather than keeping it to yourself

Bible

1Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.

2And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.

3For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.

4And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.

5Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

6He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

7Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

8For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

9And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

10For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:

11But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.

12And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;

13Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

14And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:

15There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

16If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

17And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.

18And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;

19Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

20And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

21For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

22Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

23All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

24And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.

25For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:

26The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.

27But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.

28And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.

29And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.

30And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.

31And again, departing from the coasts of Tyre and Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.

32And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.

33And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;

34And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saith unto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.

35And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spake plain.

36And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;

37And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.

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