Mark 7

The Characteristics of Tradition
Traditions are man made
Traditions usually begin for a good reason
Traditions usually lose meaning over time
Traditions are not inherently bad
Traditions can become false gods

The Characteristics of a Pharisee (1-13)
A Pharisee will go out of his way to find something he doesn’t like (1)
A Pharisee will focus on a spec of dust more than the light of Christ (2)
A Pharisee will live a very outwardly clean life (3-4)
A Pharisee will hold firmly to man-made traditions (5)
A Pharisee will want an answer (5)
A Pharisee will have his heart in the wrong place (6)
A Pharisee will place men’s words above God’s words (7-9, 13)
A Pharisee will place tradition over love and care (10-12)
A Pharisee will be shocked if he is scolded (Matthew 15:12)

Jesus speaks on inner purity (14-23)
True purity is a very important concept (14, 16)
True purity is a radical idea to men (17)
True purity is not destroyed by the secular (15, 18-19)
True purity is destroyed by the sin nature (20-23)

The Shocking Ministry of Jesus (things we don’t like to talk about)

Jesus answers the request of a mother (7:24-30)
1. He sometimes hid from people (24)
2. There were things He could not do (24)
3. He sometimes ignored people’s requests (Matt. 15:23)
4. He compared gentiles to dogs (27)
5. He healed people without meeting them (29)

Jesus heals a deaf/mute man (7:31-37)
1. Did Decapolis have any prior exposure to Christ? (5:20)
2. Why did Jesus put His fingers in the man’s ears? (33)
3. Why did Jesus spit? (33)
4. Why did Jesus touch the man’s tongue? (33)
5. Why did Jesus look up to heaven? (34)
6. Why did Jesus sigh? (34)
7. Was this man a Gentile? (34)
8. Why did Jesus only address the deafness with His words? (34)
9. Why did Jesus command them not to tell? (36)