Mark 7
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Markings
6-7 Isaiah 29:13; Egerton 2r
10 Exodus 20:12, 21:17; Leviticus 20:9; Deuteronomy 5:16
14-23 1 Samuel 24:13; Proverbs 4:23; Matthew 23:25-26
14-19 Acts 10:9-16; Romans 14:14
14-15 1 Corinthians 8:8; Thomas 7, 14
15 Jeremiah 2:22
1-13 Elton Trueblood, The Humor of Christ, p. 81
1-8 Thomas R. Haney, Today’s Spirituality , p. 18
14-23 Wendell Berry, Jayber Crow, p.
Jayber Crow
Everything bad was laid on the body, and everything good was credited to the soul. It scared me a little when I realized that I saw it the other way around. If the soul and body really were divided, then it seemed to me that all the worst sins—hatred and anger and self-righteousness and even greed and lust—came from the soul.
But these preachers I’m talking about all thought that the soul could do no wrong, but always had its face washed and its pants on and was in agony over having to associate with the flesh and the world. And yet these same people believed in the resurrection of the body. Their own bodies were soft from disuse or dry with self-contempt. And those very bodies that they neglected or ignored or held in contempt, they expected to be resurrected and to live forever. And they thought this would be heaven.
14-23 Elton Trueblood, The Humor of Christ, p. 17
14-15 John Dominic Crossan, The Historical Jesus, p. 262
14-15 Zenkei Shibayama, “The Mop,” Tales of the City of God, p. 228
“The Mop”
Near the monastery was the private house of Roshi Bukai,
who had hired it for some time.
Before going to live in it, my master, Roshi Bukai, asked me to clean it.
The previous tenants had left the house in terrible condition.
I managed to clean the rooms,
but when I reached the bathroom the difficulty increased.
Besides, it was a day in August, the heat was unbearable, and I hesitated.
I felt as though I was being asked to touch something horrid and revolting.
…
Roshi looked at me for a moment and said calmly:
“You have a mop in your hands, and you are unable to be one with it.
being disturbed by the distinction of clean and dirty.”
15-19 Geza Vermes, The Changing Faces of Jesus, p. 210 f.
The Changing Faces of Jesus
The patent meaning of these words is that defilement is caused not by the foodstuff as such but by the heart’s disregard of a devine prohibition, a customary ethical interpretation of a legal precept. …
… Jewish Christianity’s difficulty with prospective Gentile converts in the Acts of the Apostles and Paul’s row with Peter in Antioch demonstrate that in the first Christian generation no one was aware of Jesus having declared all foods clean!
15 John Dominic Crossan and Jonathan L. Reed, Excavating Jesus, p. 170
17-23 John of the Cross, “The Ascent of Mount Carmel,” Selected Writings, p. 64 f.
“The Ascent of Mount Carmel”
Hence, we call this nakedness a night for the soul. For we are not discussing the mere lack of things; this lack will not divest the soul if it craves for all these objects. We are dealing with the denudation of the soul’s appetites and gratifications. This is what leaves it free and empty of all things, even though it possesses them. Since the things of the world cannot enter the soul, they are not in themselves and encumbrance or harm to it; rather, it is the will and appetite dwelling within that cause the damage when set on these things.
18-23 Ivan Steiger, Ivan Steiger Sees the Bible, p. 221
1 Now when the Pharisees gathered together to him, with some of the scribes, who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they wash their hands, observing the tradition of the elders; 4 and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they purify themselves; and there are many other traditions which they observe, the washing of cups and pots and vessels of bronze.) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with hands defiled?” 6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; 7 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’ 8 You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.” 9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God, in order to keep your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die’; 11 but you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is Corban (that is, given to God) – 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God through your tradition which you hand on. And many such things you do.” 14 And he called the people to him again, and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 there is nothing outside a man which by going into him can defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him.” 17 And when he had entered the house, and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a man from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters, not his heart but his stomach, and so passes on?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “What comes out of a man is what defiles a man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, fornication, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a man.”
7:1 και συναγονται προς αυτον οι φαρισαιοι και τινες των γραμματεων ελθοντες απο ιεροσολυμων 7:2 και ιδοντες τινας των μαθητων αυτου κοιναις χερσιν τουτ εστιν ανιπτοις εσθιοντας αρτους εμεμψαντο 7:3 οι γαρ φαρισαιοι και παντες οι ιουδαιοι εαν μη πυγμη νιψωνται τας χειρας ουκ εσθιουσιν κρατουντες την παραδοσιν των πρεσβυτερων 7:4 και απο αγορας εαν μη βαπτισωνται ουκ εσθιουσιν και αλλα πολλα εστιν α παρελαβον κρατειν βαπτισμους ποτηριων και ξεστων και χαλκιων και κλινων 7:5 επειτα επερωτωσιν αυτον οι φαρισαιοι και οι γραμματεις δια τι οι μαθηται σου ου περιπατουσιν κατα την παραδοσιν των πρεσβυτερων αλλα ανιπτοις χερσιν εσθιουσιν τον αρτον 7:6 ο δε αποκριθεις ειπεν αυτοις οτι καλως προεφητευσεν ησαιας περι υμων των υποκριτων ως γεγραπται ουτος ο λαος τοις χειλεσιν με τιμα η δε καρδια αυτων πορρω απεχει απ εμου 7:7 ματην δε σεβονται με διδασκοντες διδασκαλιας ενταλματα ανθρωπων 7:8 αφεντες γαρ την εντολην του θεου κρατειτε την παραδοσιν των ανθρωπων βαπτισμους ξεστων και ποτηριων και αλλα παρομοια τοιαυτα πολλα ποιειτε 7:9 και ελεγεν αυτοις καλως αθετειτε την εντολην του θεου ινα την παραδοσιν υμων τηρησητε 7:10 μωσης γαρ ειπεν τιμα τον πατερα σου και την μητερα σου και ο κακολογων πατερα η μητερα θανατω τελευτατω 7:11 υμεις δε λεγετε εαν ειπη ανθρωπος τω πατρι η τη μητρι κορβαν ο εστιν δωρον ο εαν εξ εμου ωφεληθης 7:12 και ουκετι αφιετε αυτον ουδεν ποιησαι τω πατρι αυτου η τη μητρι αυτου 7:13 ακυρουντες τον λογον του θεου τη παραδοσει υμων η παρεδωκατε και παρομοια τοιαυτα πολλα ποιειτε 7:14 και προσκαλεσαμενος παντα τον οχλον ελεγεν αυτοις ακουετε μου παντες και συνιετε 7:15 ουδεν εστιν εξωθεν του ανθρωπου εισπορευομενον εις αυτον ο δυναται αυτον κοινωσαι αλλα τα εκπορευομενα απ αυτου εκεινα εστιν τα κοινουντα τον ανθρωπον 7:16 ει τις εχει ωτα ακουειν ακουετω 7:17 και οτε εισηλθεν εις οικον απο του οχλου επηρωτων αυτον οι μαθηται αυτου περι της παραβολης 7:18 και λεγει αυτοις ουτως και υμεις ασυνετοι εστε ου νοειτε οτι παν το εξωθεν εισπορευομενον εις τον ανθρωπον ου δυναται αυτον κοινωσαι 7:19 οτι ουκ εισπορευεται αυτου εις την καρδιαν αλλ εις την κοιλιαν και εις τον αφεδρωνα εκπορευεται καθαριζον παντα τα βρωματα 7:20 ελεγεν δε οτι το εκ του ανθρωπου εκπορευομενον εκεινο κοινοι τον ανθρωπον 7:21 εσωθεν γαρ εκ της καρδιας των ανθρωπων οι διαλογισμοι οι κακοι εκπορευονται μοιχειαι πορνειαι φονοι 7:22 κλοπαι πλεονεξιαι πονηριαι δολος ασελγεια οφθαλμος πονηρος βλασφημια υπερηφανια αφροσυνη 7:23 παντα ταυτα τα πονηρα εσωθεν εκπορευεται και κοινοι τον ανθρωπον
Jonathan Bishop, “Parabole and Parrhesia in Mark,” Interpretation (January 1986), p. 42
“Parabole and Parrhesia in Mark”
That this might occur [someone outside the inner circle understanding a parable] we may gather later from the story of the Syrophoenician woman in 7:24-30, who shows that she at least has the “clean heart” denied the Pharisees and so can understand, unlike the disciples before or after. Jesus responds to her initial request with a dismissive warning about children and dogs. She instantly displays perception by continuing the parable in such a way as to renew her wish in a style at once humble and shrewd. For this participative “word,” her desire is granted—and with it, one may assume, membership in the community of salvation. The eschatological implication of her triumph is left implicit; but if she understands as well as this, she must indeed have faith, which we know by this time is all that is required.
John Dominic Crossan, “Distant Girl Cured,” The Historical Jesus, p. 328
“Distant Girl Cured”
119 DISTANT BOY CURED and 237 DISTANT GIRL CURED are the only two miracles that Jesus performed for Gentiles and performed at a distance. And, although this is not unique to those cases, they are performed for a child rather than the child’s parent. It is hard not to consider those twin miracles, requested by a father for his son and a mother for her daughter, as programmatic defenses of the later Gentile mission, as Jesus’ proleptic initiation of that process. It is quite likely, it seems to me, that those cases are not at all a movement from event to process but actually from process to event. Early Christian communities symbolically retrojected their own activities back into the life of Jesus.
John Dominic Crossan, “Do This in Memory of Me,” The Historical Jesus, p. 364
“Do This in Memory of Me”
The fourth common element is the worthiness warning. In the older text it is linked closely with implicit apocalyptic sanctions, but in the later one it is baptism that is mentioned.
(1) If any man be holy let him come! if any man be not, let him repent: Maran atha, Amen.
(2) But let none eat or drink of your Eucharist except those who have been baptised in the Lord’s name. For concerning this also did the Lord say, “Give not that which is holy to the dogs.” (Didache 10:6b; 9:5) The earlier text looks inside the community and, despite its heightened apocalyptic awareness, always holds out repentance to the unholy. The later one looks outside, draws group boundaries based on baptism, and relegates outsiders to canine status. That confirms, therefore, the proposal made that 54 DOGS AND SWINE is not from the historical Jesus himself.
Mary Gordon, “Bread to the Dogs,” Incarnation, p. 16 f.
“Bread to the Dogs”
She seems, however, to be one of the importunate women from whom Jesus learns. He sends her home; her daughter is cured. He has taken His first step in allowing the world outside the Law of Moses into the Kingdom.
We were never allowed to think of Jesus as someone who learned, or grew or developed. Particularly in relation to a woman.
Alison Jolly, Lords and Lemurs, p. 174 f.
Lords and Lemurs
Fenistina had not married. … But now her youngest sister became pregnant. That sister was epileptic and feeble-minded. The whole extended family turned to Fenistina. … Fenistina was the obvious one to care for the baby born of this calamitous pregnancy. The boy, Solofo, was only a little slow of mind. The retarded mother, though, had to be watched day and night. If she had one of her frequent fits, she fell. Once she fell into the cooking fire, holding her baby. For Fenistina it was like having two children, one of them with adult weight and strength.
Fenistina eventually took a taxi-brousse to the mission hospital at Manambaro. She told the doctor, “You must sterilize my sister. I have lived among Europeans, so I know it can be done. You must sterilize my sister, or she will have another child. I am caring for two helpless people; I cannot care for three.”
The mission doctor, just arrived from midwestern America, was a temporary visitor with the arrogant certainty of a person who had never lived outside his own culture. He told Fenistina, “Your sister has sinned. She must learn to sin no more. I will not sterilize her.”
All her life Fenestina had believed whatever the missionaries told her. She started for home. As the taxi-brousse stopped for her, she swung around instead of boarding it. She stumped back to the hospital and confronted the American doctor.
“Doctor, what you say is wrong,” she declared. “My sister has the mind of a child. The Bible says that children cannot sin. Whatever my sister does cannot be sin. The Bible says so. Only you must make her so she does not have another baby.”
When she had the courage to quote the Bible back at him, the doctor agreed. There were no more children. After a few years the epileptic sister died, and Fenistina raised Solofo as her son. He stayed with her and helped her, as she him, for years to come.
Virginia Stem Owens, “A Dog’s Life,” Looking for Jesus, p. 111-115
Elton Trueblood, The Humor of Christ, p. 116-125
The Humor of Christ
The clue to Christ’s spirit in the entire encounter is His immediate affirmative and friendly response to the woman’s wit. … If Christ could respond so readily to the banter of another, there is reason to suppose that there was an element of banter in His own earlier and apparently insulting statements. (p. 122 f.)
Anyone who laughs much is bound to appear, at times, lacking in the obvious tenderness which sentimental sweetness of character necessitates. (p. 124)
27 Matthew 7:6
24 And from there he arose and went away to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And he entered a house, and would not have any one know it; yet he could not be hid. 25 But immediately a woman, whose little daughter was possessed by an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell down at his feet. 26 Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by birth. And she begged him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 And he said to her, “Let the children first be fed, for it is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But she answered him, “Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.” 29 And he said to her, “For this saying you may go your way; the demon has left your daughter.” 30 And she went home, and found the child lying in bed, and the demon gone.
7:24 και εκειθεν αναστας απηλθεν εις τα μεθορια τυρου και σιδωνος και εισελθων εις οικιαν ουδενα ηθελεν γνωναι και ουκ ηδυνηθη λαθειν 7:25 ακουσασα γαρ γυνη περι αυτου ης ειχεν το θυγατριον αυτης πνευμα ακαθαρτον ελθουσα προσεπεσεν προς τους ποδας αυτου 7:26 ην δε η γυνη ελληνις συραφοινικισσα τω γενει και ηρωτα αυτον ινα το δαιμονιον εκβαλη εκ της θυγατρος αυτης 7:27 ο δε ιησους ειπεν αυτη αφες πρωτον χορτασθηναι τα τεκνα ου γαρ καλον εστιν λαβειν τον αρτον των τεκνων και βαλειν τοις κυναριοις 7:28 η δε απεκριθη και λεγει αυτω ναι κυριε και γαρ τα κυναρια υποκατω της τραπεζης εσθιει απο των ψιχιων των παιδιων 7:29 και ειπεν αυτη δια τουτον τον λογον υπαγε εξεληλυθεν το δαιμονιον εκ της θυγατρος σου 7:30 και απελθουσα εις τον οικον αυτης ευρεν το δαιμονιον εξεληλυθος και την θυγατερα βεβλημενην επι της κλινης
Walter J. Burghardt, S.J., “A New Coke in Your Life?,” Lovely in Eyes Not His, p. 157-162
Andrew Greeley, “The Real `Bad’ Language,” When Life Hurts, p. 79-82
Thomas R. Haney, Today’s Spirituality, p. 13
Virginia Stem Owens, “Breaking the Silence,” Looking for Jesus, p. 45-48
Hans-Ruedi Weber, “The Healing of a Deaf-Mute,” Experiments with Bible Study, p. 141
Imaging the Word, Vol. 1, p. 22-25
31 Then he returned from the region of Tyre, and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, through the region of the Decapolis. 32 And they brought to him a man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech; and they besought him to lay his hand upon him. 33 And taking him aside from the multitude privately, he put his fingers into his ears, and he spat and touched his tongue; 34 and looking up to heaven, he sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 And his ears were opened, his tongue was released, and he spoke plainly. 36 And he charged them to tell no one; but the more he charged them, the more zealously they proclaimed it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well; he even makes the deaf hear and the dumb speak.”
7:31 και παλιν εξελθων εκ των οριων τυρου και σιδωνος ηλθεν προς την θαλασσαν της γαλιλαιας ανα μεσον των οριων δεκαπολεως 7:32 και φερουσιν αυτω κωφον μογγιλαλον και παρακαλουσιν αυτον ινα επιθη αυτω την χειρα 7:33 και απολαβομενος αυτον απο του οχλου κατ ιδιαν εβαλεν τους δακτυλους αυτου εις τα ωτα αυτου και πτυσας ηψατο της γλωσσης αυτου 7:34 και αναβλεψας εις τον ουρανον εστεναξεν και λεγει αυτω εφφαθα ο εστιν διανοιχθητι 7:35 και ευθεως διηνοιχθησαν αυτου αι ακοαι και ελυθη ο δεσμος της γλωσσης αυτου και ελαλει ορθως 7:36 και διεστειλατο αυτοις ινα μηδενι ειπωσιν οσον δε αυτος αυτοις διεστελλετο μαλλον περισσοτερον εκηρυσσον 7:37 και υπερπερισσως εξεπλησσοντο λεγοντες καλως παντα πεποιηκεν και τους κωφους ποιει ακουειν και τους αλαλους λαλειν