Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

“And he said to them, “So are you also without understanding? Do you not understand that everything that is outside that goes into a person is not able to defile him? For it does not enter into his heart but into his stomach, and goes out into the latrine”—thus declaring all foods clean.” (Mark 7:18-19)

Chapter seven is a discussion about the rituals that the Pharisees and scribes had built up around the Law of Moses. Almost nothing they laid on their followers came from the scriptures. They were rules and ways of doing things that they believed kept them from breaking the actual Law. They were hedging their bets, creating a lifestyle of restraint and bondage so that they never had to fear overstepping the literal rule – no matter how it was interpreted. But they had lost the desire to seek the HEART of the Law. To learn the lessons it taught in regards to standing with God, whether our intents were godly or ungodly. They were no longer interested in WHY God instituted sacrifices. They no longer cared if God was pointing to something, that covenant He prophesied centuries before that would be better and a replacement for what existed because it would FULFILL what was existed and be the next step (Jeremiah 31:31-34).

The Pharisees accosted Jesus about the fact His disciples didn’t wash their hands before eating. The traditions of the elders said it was a requirement. Jesus pointed out that the human digestive system was a closed system from entrance to exit. Nothing escaped to defile the rest of the body. But what was in the heart DID escape and defiled the body. God didn’t care about the washing of the hands as much as He cared about the pureness of the heart (although good hygiene IS a biblical principle). Even the disciples didn’t get it and asked for a further clarification. Everyone was worried about the physical things and the physical acts. But every ungodly act is a decision made in the heart. “For from within, from the heart of people, come evil plans, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, acts of greed, malicious deeds, deceit, licentiousness, envy, abusive speech, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a person.” (Mark 7:21-23).

Jesus needed a break. He went to the region of Tyre and Sidon and tried to hide out in a house. But word got out. A woman of the region, a Gentile, came to Him seeking help for her demon-possessed daughter who was at home. Jesus gave her the opportunity to prove that she had true trust in Him. She proved it. She wasn’t just looking for help. She believed that HE was the One, the ONLY One who could help. And He did as He always did when presented with real trust in God. He delivered her daughter.

Then He left there and went to the Decapolis (a region of ten cities bordering Galilee). People brought to Him a man who had trouble speaking and who was also deaf. Jesus healed the man, but asked them not to broadcast the miracle. They didn’t listen. The more He asked them not to, the more they did.

Chapter eight tells us that the crowds that were coming to Jesus were getting quite big and in areas where there was not enough to feed them. Jesus again had compassion on the crowd. He knew they wouldn’t have the strength to make it home. The disciples had seven loaves, but had no trust in God to provide with them. Jesus did. He again was grateful, blessed the loaves, thanked God for them, and then had the disciples serve the crowd. Someone came up with a couple of small fish and Jesus was grateful, blessed those as well, thanked God for them, and they also were distributed. After everyone was full (four thousand men with no wives, women, or children counted), seven full baskets of leftovers were collected. After this VERY CLEAR MIRACLE, the Pharisees came up to Jesus demanding a sign. Jesus sighed deeply in His spirit and told them no. No sign would be given of the kind they were looking for. Then He got into a boat and left the area for the other side of the lake.

In the boat Jesus was still troubled about it. And He warned the disciples about the yeast of the Pharisees. The disciples thought He was concerned because they hadn’t brought the leftovers with them. But Jesus was told by Holy Spirit what they were whispering and He rebuked them for their lack of understanding by reminding them that physical loaves were not an issue (the feeding of the five thousand and four thousand, with all their leftovers proved that). But that there was a deeper principle to be looked at. A deeper understanding that they could grasp.

When they came to Bethsaida, a blind man was brought to Him so that He could heal him. But Jesus would not perform for the crowd. What He did was to take the man away from them and out of the town. Then He healed the man and restored his sight. Jesus told him not to return to that town, but to go to his own home and stay away from them. He also asked the man not to tell anyone from the town what had happened.

They left there and went into the towns of Caesarea Philippi. As they went, Jesus asked the disciples who people said that He was. There were various answers, some ridiculous from a logical viewpoint, but Peter received a revelation from Holy Spirit. Jesus was the Son of God. Jesus told them not to reveal it to anyone else, but keep it to themselves.

Because they had the revelation, though, He began to teach them about what His mission was as the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53). That the Son of Man would suffer many things. That He would be rejected by the elite religious leaders, would be killed, but would rise again on the third day. Peter refused this, rebuking Jesus for speaking this way. But Jesus taught them that this thinking was satanic. It was NOT from God. This death and resurrection was a godly plan.

Jesus gathered the people together and taught them that we must deny ourselves in order to follow Jesus. There could only be one driver. Either we were going to humbly submit to God, or we were going to be in rebellion. The world’s way could bring worldly success and riches, but it would not save the eternal parts of us. If we are ashamed of Jesus and keep Him hidden from those around us who also need to meet Him, Jesus would be ashamed of us when we were presented to His Father (Mark 8:34-38).

Summary

Key Players: God, Jesus, Disciples, Pharisees, Jews

Key Verse(s): Mark 7:9-16; 8:14-21