Welcome
to my Gospel of Mark Series. During 2012-13, each week, I will write a
post about the Gospel of Mark as I review and explore each of the 16
chapters and how it may be applied in our daily lives. My goal is to
understand and pray the Gospel of Mark. I hope you will join me on this
journey as we travel through the liturgical season of Year B. In today's post, we explore chapter 7: 1-13 which is called danger from false interpretations.
One
of the great obstacles to mobility and flexibility in the mission of
the church during the first decades of Christianity were the
interpretations of the Jewish law which resulted in long lists of
community practices and ritual observances which many of the first
Christians, as Jews, brought with them. It is probably why St Mark
introduces this passage and the next into this fourth part of his Gospel
(6:6-8:30), which describes missionary journeys of Jesus with His
disciples. Both passages describe the attitude of Jesus towards certain
Jewish religious practices.
When
the local Pharisees with learned scribes from Jerusalem some of of His
disciples eating without first ritually purifying themselves, they
confront Jesus. They had many rules for ritual washings of the body
before eating and for the washing of pots, cups and dishes. All these
things were to be done according to the ‘Halakah’ or Jewish oral law,
considered by the Pharisees to bind as the “Torah” or God’s law itself.
In
reply Jesus first quotes the prophet Isaiah, who warns: “your worship is
worthless, your doctrines are only human rules ( Is 29:13). Jesus
tells the Pharisees they have put aside God’s law and clung to human
rules ( 6-8).
The
second reply of Jesus picks out the Jewish practice of Corban, or
consecrating things to God. Human relationships are abused by declaring
things consecrated to God. Jesus shows how this become a way of
putting aside God’s law by denying one’s natural duties and relations to
others. Even the special relation of Children to parents was left
aside in the name of God. Such rules and practices empty the true
meaning of God’s law through Moses (9-13).
Jesus
goes to human needs when He teaches what God’s law means. Religious
practices are not meant to destroy genuine freedom and a true concern
for others.
In our journal and/or our discussion group we may wish to reflect on this passage as follows:
- Name the key points that you have learnt about the person of Jesus in this passage of scripture?
- Reflect on the keywords in this passage for they contain the substance and purpose of all the things Jesus said and did-
- Reflect on the attitude of Jesus that is manifested in His teaching on the practices of the Pharisees and scribes.
- Reflect on my relationship with Jesus and this teaching in the light of this gospel passage.What are my experiences when I crowd out Jesus for my own rules and consecrations?
- What does Jesus teach about the relation of some religious practices to the word of God?
- Ponder on the times that my personal religious practices have destroyed my genuine freedom and a true concern for others.Describe the experience and what was the trigger for change?
- Reflect on my personal religious practices which do give genuine personal freedom and a true concern for others. Reflect on how these practices bring me closer to the true meaning of God’s law.
- Reflect on what hinders me from having a genuine personal freedom and a true concern for others?
- How do I relate to this story of Jesus pointing out danger from false interpretations. Make a list of areas in my life that need a change of heart and develop an action plan on how this change of heart might occur. (eg name an area and name one/two changes that you will implement with God's help.
- What impact does Jesus’ teaching have on you (7:1-13).
- How has this passage spoken to you- what does it say to you personally?
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