UST MARK Chapter 7

◄ MARK 7 ► ║ ═ ©

7 After that, some Pharisees and some teachers of the Jewish law arrived from the city of Jerusalem. They assembled where Jesus was. 2 Then, they noticed that some of Jesus’ apprentices did not cleanse their hands before eating food. So, their hands were unclean when they ate the food. 3 The Pharisees and the teachers of the Jewish law noticed that because most Jewish people, and especially the Pharisees, always cleanse their hands in a special way before they eat food. That is the teaching that they received from their ancestors.

4 Also, when they come home from the open areas in their towns, they always cleanse themselves before they eat food. They have many other similar teachings. For example, they cleanse many different kinds of dishes and containers. 5 So, the Pharisees and the teachers of the Jewish law told Jesus, “Your apprentices have unclean hands when they eat food. They are disobeying the teachings we received from our ancestors. They should not do that!”

6 Jesus replied, “Isaiah the prophet was right when God spoke through him about you. You say that you obey God, but you really do not! Here is what Isaiah wrote:

‘You people treat me respectfully when you talk,

but you do not really care about me.

When you worship me, it is useless.

That is because you use only what humans have commanded to instruct others.’

8 You carefully obey human teachings, but you ignore the laws that God gave us.”

9 Further, Jesus told them, “You easily stop obeying the laws that God gave us in order to obey the teachings that you received. You should not be good at doing that! 10 For example, Moses gave this law: 'Treat your parents respectfully.’ He also gave this law: ‘Execute anyone who insults his or her parents.’ 11 However, you tell people that they can say to their parents, ‘I designated as Corban everything that I could have used to provide for you.’ (That means that they gave it to God.) 12 Then, you allow them to stop helping their parents. 13 In that way, you use what you learned and teach to ignore what God commanded. There are many things that you do that are like that.”

14 Then Jesus again told the large group of people to come to him. He told them, “You all should listen to what I am about to say and learn from it. 15 Whatever people eat cannot make them unclean. Rather, it is what people do and say that makes them unclean. 16 [You should think carefully about what you just heard me say!]”

17 Later, Jesus went into a house with his apprentices, away from the large group of people. Then, the apprentices asked him to explain the example he had given. 18 Jesus answered, “So, you too have not yet learned what I mean. You should know that whatever people eat cannot make them unclean. 19 In fact, what people eat does not become part of what they think. Rather, it simply goes into their stomachs. Eventually, their bodies expel what they ate into toilets.” So, Jesus was implying that no food is unclean.

20 Then Jesus told them, “It is what people do and say that makes them unclean. 21 In fact, it is because of what people think and care about that they think wrong things. They have improper sex, steal things, and kill others. 22 They are sexually unfaithful to their spouses, want more than they need, and do what is evil. They trick others, fail to restrain themselves, and are jealous. They say bad things about God or others, think too highly of themselves, and are foolish. 23 People do and say those wicked things, and that makes them unclean.”

24 After that, Jesus and his apprentices left the region of Gennesaret. They traveled to the areas near the cities of Tyre and Sidon. Jesus tried to keep people from learning where he was staying. However, people soon found out where he was. 25 In fact, as soon as he arrived, a certain woman learned about him. A demon was controlling this woman’s young daughter. So, she walked to where Jesus was and knelt before him. 26 It is important to know that this woman was not Jewish. Instead, her ancestors were people from the regions of Syria and Phoenicia. While she was kneeling before Jesus, she begged him to force the demon out of her daughter.

27 Jesus told her, “Suppose that someone takes food for children and gives it to dogs instead. That is not appropriate! So, the children should eat before the dogs do. That is why I am not helping you.”

28 The woman replied, “My Lord, what you say is correct. However, dogs lying nearby do eat leftovers from the children’s food. What I am asking you to do is like those leftovers.”

29 Jesus replied, “Because of what you have said, I will do what you asked. You can go home. I have forced the demon to stop controlling your daughter.”

30 So, the woman went home. She saw that her daughter was resting. The demon had stopped controlling her.

31 Then, Jesus and his apprentices left the areas near the city of Tyre. They walked through the areas near the city of Sidon and eventually arrived near the Sea of Galilee in the region of the Ten Towns. 32 Then, people led to Jesus a man who could not hear and who could not speak well. They urged Jesus to heal him by touching him. 33 So, Jesus brought the man to a place where no one from the large group of people was with them. He stuck one of his fingers into each of the man’s ears. Then, he spit and touched the man’s tongue. 34 Next, Jesus groaned as he prayed to God. Then he told the man, “Ephphatha!” That means, “Open up!” 35 After that, the man could hear. Also, Jesus had corrected what was wrong with his mouth, so he could speak properly.

36 After that, Jesus ordered the people who were nearby not to tell anyone about what he had done. However, every time he ordered them not to do so, they told even more people about what he had done. 37 When people learned what Jesus had done, it greatly impressed them. They declared, “Everything that he does is good! He enables people who could not hear to hear. He enables people who could not speak to speak.”

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