Gotcha!

 

Gotcha! Mark 7:1-15

We assume the group of religious leaders were hoping to catch Jesus in the wrong. Waiting for a gotcha moment. Well, they didn't have to watch him or his disciples long. Mark tells us they noticed "some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands" (Mark 7:2). That means they hadn't washed their hands before eating. In this context, washing hands had a spiritual meaning, at least to the religious leaders. It was their custom to wash a certain way, perhaps up to their elbows. As their luck would have it, they just happened to notice a disciple or two not washing properly. This made their hands, and I guess themselves as well, defiled. Mark's reading audience is Gentile. So, they probably didn't have much concern with defilement or uncleanness. That's why Mark offers parenthetical remarks as he tells the story. They wouldn't have seen the problem otherwise. Mark wanted them to know what was of most concern to Jesus. Whereas the religious leaders concerned themselves with outward appearances, Jesus' concern was for the heart. Jesus, too, had noticed some things. He had seen many times tradition become more important than obedience. Ritual conquer compassion. Religion hide unfaithfulness. The Lord brought this against the religious leaders in response to their accusations. Would he have said anything if they hadn't first? That point in this passage becomes a challenge to me, and I hope for you as well. We can't help but fashion an image of what a perfect Christian should be and what they should do. For example, how many times should someone be in worship? How much money should they give to ministry? What version of the Bible should they own? Now, what happens when people don't live up to that picture that we've created? What do we think of that person then? That's where we have to be careful. Be slower to make assumptions about other people's defiling ways. Listen to Jesus' challenge of the heart. That is, pay more attention to what comes out of your heart. What another person does or doesn't do doesn't defile you, but what comes out of your heart does. Stay blessed...john