Jesus, The Bible, & Southern California
Mark 7:1-13
This passage is quite difficult for modern readers to understand. However, it is a text that shows us 1) how Jesus viewed Scripture and 2) how people tend to be confused about the relationship between the Bible and religious traditions.
- The first tradition Jesus dealt with was washing. The Old Testament had required priests to wash their hands before handling Scripture and leading worship. But, the Pharisees had developed hundreds of laws requiring all people to wash everything before going to worship.
• What does the problem seem to be in vv. 1–5?
• Is there anything that might compare to this in the 21st century?
- The second tradition Jesus addressed is in vv. 9–13 and was the tradition of "Corban," i.e., dedicating something to God so that it could not be used for any other purpose (cf. Leviticus 1:2 & 2:1).
• How was this principle being abused in Jesus' day?
• Does anything compare to this in the 21st century?
- Between these two discussions, Jesus clearly identified the heart of the matter in vv. 6–8.
• Put his teaching into your own words.
• How does this apply to Christians and churches in our day?
- What do you learn about how Jesus viewed the Old Testament from his teaching in these verses?
- What important lessons for the church and for your life do we learn from this passage?
2012 Study Series • Copyright © 2013, Lake Avenue Church