========================
Verses 1-23 That Which Defiles
========================
1The Pharisees and some of
the teachers of the law who had come from
2and saw some of his
disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed.
3(The Pharisees and all the
Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to
the tradition of the elders.
4When they come from the
marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other
traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.)
5So the Pharisees and
teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to
the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”
6He replied, “Isaiah was
right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
“‘These people honor me with
their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
7They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’
8You have let go of the commands
of God and are holding on to human traditions.”
9And he continued, “You have
a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own
traditions!
10For Moses said, ‘Honor your
father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put
to death.’
11But you say that if anyone
declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is
Corban (that is, devoted to God)—
12then you no longer let them
do anything for their father or mother.
13Thus you nullify the word
of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like
that.”
14Again Jesus called the
crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this.
15Nothing outside a person
can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person
that defiles them.”
[16]
17After he had left the crowd
and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable.
18“Are you so dull?” he
asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can
defile them?
19For it doesn’t go into
their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this,
Jesus declared all foods clean.)
20He went on: “What comes out
of a person is what defiles them.
21For it is from within, out
of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder,
22adultery, greed, malice,
deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.
23All these evils come from
inside and defile a person.”
----------------------------------------
Concerning the practice of
ceremonial washing that the Pharisees and all the Jews followed,
----------------------------------------
1)
How did the
Pharisees and all the Jews follow the tradition of the elders?
o
They did not eat
unless they gave their hands a ceremonial washing.
o
When they came
from the marketplace, they did not eat unless they washed.
o
They observed
many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.
2)
How prevalent was
the practice of the tradition of the elders?
o
All the Jews followed
it.
3)
How did the
practice get started?
o
It was passed
down as a tradition of the elders.
4)
What is done for
ceremonial washing of hands?
o
It consists of
pouring water
§
Twice on the
right hand.
§
Twice on the left
hand.
5)
Was ceremonial washing
of hands intended for physically cleaning hands and why?
o
No, because it
was just a ritualistic practice.
6)
What are ‘unclean
hands’ in the tradition of the elders?
o
Eating food with
ceremonially unwashed hands is eating with ‘unclean hands’.
7)
Was ceremonial
washing of hands before eating required in the tradition of the elders even
when one’s hands were clean and why?
o
Yes, because it
was a ritual.
8)
Did ceremonial
washing apply to washing hands only and why?
o
No, because it
also applied to the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.
----------------------------------------
Concerning the complaint to
Jesus against his disciples by the Pharisees and some of the teachers of the
law,
----------------------------------------
9)
Who among the
Jewish religious leaders reemerged in the current chapter?
o
The Pharisees and
teachers of the law did.
10)
What was said
about Jesus’ popularity in the previous chapter?
o
Jesus’ name had become well known.
11)
Where were Jesus
and his disciples?
o
They were in
12)
Who gathered around
Jesus?
o
The Pharisees and
some of the teachers of the law who had come from
13)
What did the
description of coming from
o
o
These teachers of
the law who had come from
14)
Why had these Pharisees
and teachers of the law come to Galilee from
o
They were again
there to monitor the activities of Jesus and his disciples.
15)
What was the
fallout from the confrontation between Jesus and the Judaic community in
chapters 2 and 3?
o
The Pharisees
were plotting with the Herodians to kill Jesus.
16)
Why did the
Pharisees want to kill Jesus?
o
They did because
Jesus had become an existential threat to Judaism that could not be mitigated
otherwise.
17)
Did the Pharisees
and teachers of the law monitor Jesus and his disciples very closely in the
current context and why?
o
Yes, because they
noticed some of Jesus’ disciples eating food with hands that were ‘unclean’,
that is, unwashed.
18)
What did they say
to Jesus?
o
They asked Jesus,
“Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead
of eating their food with defiled hands?”
19)
Did the Pharisees
and teachers of the law indirectly criticize Jesus for not living according to
the tradition of the elders and why?
o
Yes, because
disciples followed the practice of their teachers.
20)
Were the
Pharisees and teachers of the law renewing their effort to challenge Jesus and
his disciples for their assault on Judaism?
o
Yes.
21)
How can we tell whether
the challenge was for confrontation or for correction?
o
Challenging Jesus
and his disciples for eating food with defiled
hands was for confrontation and indeed that was what the Pharisees and teachers
of the law were doing.
o
Challenging Jesus
and his disciples to eat food with ceremonially washed hands would be for
correction, but that was not what they were doing.
22)
When did the
Pharisees and teachers of the law try to find fault with Jesus and his
disciples?
o
They did it in
chapter 3.
23)
Why have we not
heard from the Pharisees and teachers of the law since then until now?
o
It was because
Jesus
§
Had been busy
training his disciples to go out to sow the word for the sake of fishing for people
and
§
Therefore did not
engage the Pharisees and teachers of the law.
24)
How important did
the Pharisees and teachers of the law regard living according to the tradition
of the elders to be in the context of practicing Judaism?
o
They
§
Regarded living according
to the tradition of the elders to be an important element of practicing Judaism.
§
Confronted Jesus
and his disciples for that reason.
25)
What role did the
Pharisees and teachers of the law take on when it came to the tradition of the
elders?
o
They took on the
role of the enforcer of traditions.
----------------------------------------
Concerning Jesus’ response to
the complaint,
----------------------------------------
26)
What did Jesus
call the Pharisees and teachers of the law in response to their confrontation?
o
He called them
hypocrites.
27)
Was Jesus on the
offensive or defensive in his response to the current confrontation of the
Pharisees and teachers of the law?
o
Jesus was on the offensive.
28)
How did Jesus’
response to the current confrontation of the Pharisees and teachers of the law
differ from his responses to all previous confrontations?
o
Jesus was
§
On the defensive
in all previous responses.
§
On the offensive
in the current response.
29)
What fault did
the Pharisees and teachers of the law try to find with Jesus and his disciples in
chapter 3?
o
They claimed in
chapter 3 that Jesus was
§
Possessed by
Beelzebub.
§
Driving out
demons by the prince of demons.
30)
What might be a
reason Jesus ramped up his confrontation with the Pharisees and teachers of the
law by going on the offensive?
o
In the previous
confrontation the Pharisees and teachers of the law blasphemed against the Holy
Spirit and were therefore guilty of an eternal sin that would never be forgiven.
o
So in the current
confrontation Jesus went on the offensive by calling them hypocrites.
31)
Who did Jesus say
prophesized about the hypocrites?
o
Isaiah the
prophet did.
32)
Who was Isaiah?
o
Isaiah was a
prophet in the Old Testament of the bible about seven hundred years before
Jesus’ time.
33)
On what basis did
Jesus call the Pharisees and teachers of the law hypocrites?
o
He quoted Isaiah,
saying, “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from
me. They worship me in vain; their
teachings are merely human rules.’“
34)
What kind of
hypocrites were the Pharisees and teachers of the law?
o
They were
religious hypocrites.
35)
What did Jesus
point out that was the symptom of hypocrisy of the Pharisees and teachers of
the law?
o
They put on a
façade of piety but their hearts were far from God.
36)
How does God
regard the worship of religious hypocrites?
o
They worship God in
vain.
37)
How did the
teachings of the Pharisees and teachers of the law reflect God’s commands?
o
They did not
reflect God’s commands but were merely human rules.
38)
What did Jesus
say about the way the Pharisees and teachers of the law handled God’s commands?
o
They had let go
of the commands of God and were holding on to human traditions.
o
They had a fine
way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe their own
traditions.
39)
How did Jesus
emphatically point out the wrong attitude of the Pharisees and teachers of the
law in the way they handled God’s commands?
o
Jesus made the
same point twice.
40)
What did Jesus
cite as an example of their practice of setting aside the commands of God in
order to observe their own traditions?
o
Moses said,
“Honor your father and your mother.”
o
Moses also said,
“Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.”
o
But the Pharisees
and teachers of the law said that if a man declared that what might have been
used to help his father or mother was Corban (that is, devoted to God), then
they no longer let him do anything for his father or mother.
41)
How did the Jews
receive commands from God?
o
The Jews received
commands from God through the law God gave Moses for
42)
What was the
loophole the Pharisees and teachers of the law had created for people not to
support their parents financially?
o
People could in accordance
with the tradition of the elders legitimately refuse to support their parents
financially with a simple declaration of devotion to God.
43)
What happened to
people’s observance of the law of Moses when they refused to support their
parents financially simply with a declaration of devotion to God?
o
They violated the
law of Moses pertaining to how they should treat their parents in favor of
observing the tradition of the elders.
44)
What conclusion
did Jesus draw with the example cited?
o
Thus the
Pharisees and teachers of the law nullified the word of God by the tradition
that they had handed down.
45)
How extensive did
Jesus say this practice of nullifying the word of God by the Pharisees and
teachers of the law was?
o
They followed
this practice for many other things.
46)
How did Jesus
regard the tradition of the elders?
o
Jesus rejected
the legitimacy of the tradition of the elders because it was used to nullify
the word of God.
47)
Had Jesus
answered the complaint of the Pharisees and teachers of the law against his
disciples for eating their food with
defiled hands and why?
o
Yes,
§
Because Jesus rejected
the legitimacy of the tradition of the elders that had forbidding eating with defiled
hands as one of its stipulations.
§
Thus Jesus
invalidated the complaint against his disciples.
----------------------------------------
Concerning the parable about
what defiles a man,
----------------------------------------
48)
What did Jesus
say to the crowd concerning what defiles and what does not defile a man?
o
Nothing outside a
man can defile him by going into him.
o
Rather, it is
what comes out of a man that defiles him.
49)
From Jesus’ perspective
what is the sole source of uncleanness and therefore the indisputable defiling
agent and why?
o
Because
uncleanness comes from within, man is
§
The sole source
of uncleanness.
§
The indisputable
defiling agent.
50)
What was Jesus negating
in the context when he said that nothing outside a man could defile him by
going into him?
o
Jesus was
negating the idea that eating food with unwashed hands would defile a man.
51)
From the
perspective of the Pharisees and teachers of the law how did eating food with unwashed
hands defile a man?
o
Food handled with
unwashed hands became defiled.
o
Eating such defiled
food defiled a man.
52)
Why did Jesus
call the crowd to him?
o
Jesus did because
§
The Pharisees and
teachers of the law had gathered around him.
§
He wanted to tell
the crowd the parable.
----------------------------------------
Concerning the explanation of
the parable about what defiles a man,
----------------------------------------
53)
What did the
disciples do after Jesus had left the crowd and entered the house?
o
They asked Jesus
about the parable.
54)
What did Jesus
say about the disciples for their lack of understanding of the parable?
o
They were so
dull.
55)
What is the
reason Jesus gave to show that nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile
him?
o
For it doesn’t go
into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.
56)
Where did Jesus
suggest that defilement of a man takes place and does not take place?
o
It takes place in
his heart.
o
It does not take
place in his stomach
57)
What did Jesus
point out that is a necessary condition for what can defile a man?
o
What can defile a
man must of necessity come from his heart.
58)
Given that defilement
of a man takes place in his heart, why is it that food cannot defile a man?
o
Food cannot
defile a man because it doesn’t go into his heart.
59)
What conclusion
did the writer of the gospel of Mark draw from what Jesus said about the
impossibility for food to defile a man?
o
He concluded that
Jesus declared all foods clean.
60)
What is the
implication of Jesus’ declaration?
o
The Jewish dietary
law divides food into two categories: clean and unclean.
o
What Jesus said
nullifies the distinction.
61)
What specifically
did Jesus cite that makes a man unclean?
o
For from within,
out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and
folly.
o
All these evils
come from inside and make a man unclean.
62)
How do we
contrast the nature of uncleanness from both the perspective of Jesus and the
perspective of the Pharisees and teachers of the law?
o
Jesus considered uncleanness
from a morality perspective that had nothing to do with rituals.
o
The Pharisees and
teachers of the law considered uncleanness from a ritualistic perspective that
had nothing to do with morality.
63)
What does it mean
for man to be unclean judging from Jesus’ cited list of things that make man
unclean?
o
It means that man
is sinful.
64)
What are all
these things that Jesus cited that make man unclean?
o
They are examples
of sin.
65)
Who from Jesus’
perspective makes man unclean?
o
Man makes himself
unclean.
66)
How from Jesus’
perspective does man make himself unclean?
o
Man makes himself
unclean by sinning.
67)
Is everyone
sinful from Jesus’ perspective and why?
o
Yes, because
everyone is in an ongoing process of doing at least one of the things that
Jesus cited that makes man unclean.
68)
When Jesus called
the Pharisees and teachers of the law hypocrites because they put on a façade
of piety but their hearts were far from God, which sin on Jesus’ cited list had
come out of their hearts?
o
Deceit.
69)
How does man
control his uncleanness from both the perspective of Jesus and the perspective
of the Pharisees and teachers of the law respectively?
o
Jesus did not say
anything in that regard in the current context.
On the other hand in chapter 2, the sins, i.e., the uncleanness, of the
paralytic were forgiven by Jesus for the faith of the paralytic and his four
friends.
o
The Pharisees and
teachers of the law thought that man could avoid uncleanness through personal
effort such as eating food with washed hands.
70)
How do we
contrast the view on uncleanness of Jesus on the one hand and of the Pharisees
and teachers of the law on the other in terms of seriousness?
o
Jesus’ view on uncleanness
is very serious.
o
The view on uncleanness
of the Pharisees and teachers of the law is rather superficial and even silly.
71)
What might be a
reason why the Pharisees and teachers of the law adopted a rather superficial view
of uncleanness?
o
They were not
willing to face up to themselves for the kind of person they really were. In other words they were not willing to be
honest
§
With themselves.
§
With others.
§
With God.
o
They put on a
façade of being zealous for the tradition of the elders in order to avoid the
hard issues of obeying God’s commands.
o
In so doing they
were deceiving
§
Themselves.
§
Others.
§
Blatantly God.
72)
Why did the
Pharisees and teachers of the law seem to dance around the issue of morality
when they dealt with uncleanness?
o
It was because
they were morally bankrupt.
73)
Why did the
Pharisees and teachers of the law promote the practice of self help in avoiding
uncleanness?
o
It was an attempt
to exclude God from their lives who alone could forgive their uncleanness,
i.e., sin.
o
Their hearts were
far from God as Isaiah said.
74)
But wasn’t the ritualistic
practice of ceremonial hand washing an act of worshipping God from the perspective
of the Pharisees and teachers of the law?
o
It was a
diversion from the reality of man’s uncleanness and man’s dependence on God for
cleansing.
o
Their worship of
God was in vain as Isaiah said.
75)
How does Jesus’
explanation of the parable confront us?
o
Jesus’
explanation of the parable
§
Confronts us for
our ongoing sinfulness.
§
Holds us
accountable for our sinfulness.
----------------------------------------
· Ask for a volunteer to summarize.
· Ask for the rest of the participants to supplement the
summary.
========================
Verses 1-23 That Which Defiles
========================
========================
Verses 24-30 Jesus Honors a Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith
========================
24Jesus left that place and
went to the vicinity of
25In fact, as soon as she
heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure
spirit came and fell at his feet.
26The woman was a Greek, born
in Syrian Phoenicia. She begged Jesus to drive the demon out of her daughter.
27“First let the children eat
all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s bread
and toss it to the dogs.”
28“Lord,” she replied, “even
the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
29Then he told her, “For such
a reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”
30She went home and found her
child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
----------------------------------------
Concerning Jesus honoring the
faith of a Syrophoenician woman,
----------------------------------------
76)
Where did Jesus
go next?
o
Jesus went to the
vicinity of
o
The following
page shows a map of
77)
Where is
o
78)
Were the
inhabitants of Tyre Jews or non-Jews?
o
79)
What might be the
reason Jesus went to
o
Jesus went to
80)
What did Jesus do
in
o
Jesus entered a
house and did not want anyone to know it.
81)
Was Jesus
successful in keeping his presence a secret and why?
o
No, because the
moment she heard about him, a woman whose little daughter was possessed by an impure
or unclean spirit came and fell at his feet.
82)
Did the unclean
spirit that went into the little daughter make her unclean and why?
o
No, because
nothing outside the little daughter could defile
her by going into her in accordance with what Jesus said.
83)
What might be the
cause of the possession by an unclean spirit of the woman’s little daughter?
o
It had to do with
the sins of adults.
84)
What might be the
reason that Jesus again had to deal with possession by unclean spirits in his
second excursion into pagan land?
o
It had to do with
rampant idol worship in pagan land in Jesus’ time.
o
Jews in Jesus’
time did not worship idols.
85)
What did the woman
falling at Jesus’ feet indicate?
o
It indicated the woman’s
humility and earnestness.
86)
What was the
woman’s ethnicity?
o
The woman was a
Greek, born in Syrian Phoenicia.
87)
What did the
woman ask of Jesus?
o
She begged Jesus
to drive the demon out of her little daughter.
88)
What was unusual
about the woman begging Jesus for help?
o
This woman was
the only woman who begged Jesus for help in the gospel of Mark.
89)
Didn’t the woman
who was subject to bleeding in chapter 5 beg Jesus for help and why?
o
No, because she
tried to touch Jesus’ clothes for the sake of healing, hoping not to be found
out.
o
She did not want
to come openly in front of a crowd begging a man for help because women had low
social standing in Jesus’ days.
o
Jesus had to look
around for her before she would come forward after the healing.
90)
What can be said
about the readiness of the woman who was subject to bleeding to cross the
social barrier between her and Jesus when it came to asking a man for help in
front of a crowd?
o
She was not
willing to cross the social barrier and therefore tried to circumvent it by
acting stealthily.
91)
What might be a
reason Jesus entered a house in the vicinity of
o
By not being in
the midst of a crowd, Jesus made it less socially restraining for the Greek
woman to beg a man for help, a Jewish man in particular.
92)
Did the Greek woman
nevertheless have to cross the social barrier when she begged Jesus for help
privately?
o
Yes, though over
a lesser barrier.
93)
What was Jesus’
reply to her request?
o
“First let the
children eat all they want,” he told her, “for it is not right to take the children’s
bread and toss it to their dogs.”
94)
Who did Jesus
mean by the children?
o
Jesus meant the Jews.
95)
What did Jews
think of pagans?
o
They
§
Considered pagans
unclean.
§
Called pagans
dogs.
96)
Who did Jesus
mean by the dogs?
o
Jesus meant pagans
like the Greek woman and her little daughter.
97)
What was the Greek
woman subjecting herself to in approaching Jesus for help?
o
She was
subjecting herself to the prejudice of Jews against pagans.
98)
Did Jesus subject
the Greek woman to prejudice that was unusual and why?
o
No, because Jesus’
attitude of prejudice toward the Greek woman was prevalent among Jews toward
pagans in his days.
99)
What was Jesus’
rationale in denying the woman’s request?
o
Jesus
§
Pointed out that
Jews had priority over pagans in receiving help from him.
§
Therefore could
not help her until all the Jews had received help.
100)
Was Jesus
purposely giving the woman a hard time using pretenses and why?
o
Yes, because
§
It would be
legitimate for Jesus to say that he was tossing the children’s bread to the
dogs only when helping the woman would exclude helping a Jew in need of his
help.
§
Jesus was
Ø
In a pagan city.
Ø
Not ministering
to Jews.
Ø
Not be neglecting
ministering to Jews by helping the woman.
101)
Did the woman
point out the obvious fallacy in Jesus’ argument?
o
No.
102)
What was the
woman’s reply instead?
o
“Lord,” she
replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”
103)
Why did the woman
give such a reply instead of pointing out the obvious fallacy in Jesus’
argument?
o
She was being
reverential.
104)
How did the woman
handle Jesus’ racial prejudice against her?
o
She
§
Was undeterred by
the racial prejudice.
§
Chose to maneuver
within the much constrained racial boundaries Jesus laid out for her.
105)
Was the woman prepared
to be on the receiving end of racial prejudice begging Jesus for help?
o
Yes.
106)
What was Jesus trying
to find out before helping the woman?
o
Jesus
§
First found out
how far the woman was willing to go to cross the racial barrier to plead for
help.
§
Then responded by
crossing the racial barrier to help her.
107)
Did the woman
follow Jesus’ line of argument in her reply and why?
o
Yes, because she
§
Accepted the
status Jesus assigned her as a pagan dog.
§
Pointed out that
Ø
Children could do
without crumbs fallen under the table.
Ø
Crumbs under the
table naturally belonged to pagan dogs.
108)
What kind of
argument did the woman make?
o
Within the racial
boundary Jesus set for her she made a common-sense argument that everyone would
readily agree with.
109)
Was Jesus able to
come up with a rebuttal?
o
No.
110)
Who won the argument?
o
The woman did.
111)
Would the woman
have won the argument by pointing out the obvious fallacy in Jesus’ argument?
o
Yes.
112)
Again why did the
woman not point out the obvious fallacy in Jesus’ argument?
o
Good debaters win
hearts, not just arguments.
o
Winning a debate
on the turf of the opponent is truly winning.
113)
What did Jesus
say to the woman?
o
“For such a
reply, you may go; the demon has left your daughter.”
114)
What did the
woman find when she got home?
o
She found her
child lying on the bed, and the demon gone.
115)
How do we compare
from the Jewish religious and cultural perspective the status of the Greek
woman and the status of the Pharisees and teachers of the law?
o
The Greek woman
§
Was female and
therefore lower in status than men.
§
Was a pagan dog.
§
Was unclean as a
pagan.
§
Worshipped idols leading
to demon possession of her little daughter.
o
The Pharisees and
teachers of the law
§
Were male and
therefore higher in status than women.
§
Were Jews and
therefore superior to pagans.
§
Were Jews and
therefore clean.
§
Worshipped God.
116)
Between Jesus and
the Pharisees and teachers of the law who always won in verbal contests?
o
Jesus always did.
117)
Between Jesus and
the Greek woman in the current chapter who won the verbal contest?
o
The Greek woman did.
118)
How do we account
for Jesus’ approval of the woman and Jesus’ disapproval of the Pharisees and
teachers of the law regardless of the relatively disadvantaged position the
woman was in?
o
Jesus’ approval
of the woman had to do with her faith.
o
Jesus’
disapproval of the Pharisees and teachers of the law had to do with their lack of
faith.
119)
How do we know
that Jesus’ approval of the woman had to do with her faith?
o
We know that from
Matthew 15:27-28 that gives another account of the same conversation.
· Ask a volunteer to read out loud Matthew 15:27-28 that
says,
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
27“Yes it is, Lord,” she
said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”
28Then Jesus said to her,
“Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was
healed at that moment.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
120)
How did Jesus
characterize the woman’s faith in the account found in the gospel of Matthew?
o
Jesus commended
the woman as having great faith.
121)
How did this
incident of driving out unclean spirits differ from others?
o
In all other
incidents of driving out unclean spirits Jesus would be in the presence of the
person from whom the unclean spirit was to be driven out and would verbally
command the unclean spirit to come out.
o
But it was not necessary
in this particular incident.
122)
Is this what
Jesus would do for those he commended as having great faith and why?
o
Yes, because
Jesus did something similar for another person he commended as having great
faith as recorded in Matthew 8:5-13.
· Ask a volunteer to read out loud Matthew 8:5-13 that
says,
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
5When Jesus had entered
6“Lord,” he said, “my servant
lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.”
7Jesus said to him, “Shall I
come and heal him?”
8The centurion replied,
“Lord, I do not deserve to have you come under my roof. But just say the word,
and my servant will be healed.
9For I myself am a man under
authority, with soldiers under me. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and that
one, ‘Come,’ and he comes. I say to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
10When Jesus heard this, he
was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found
anyone in
...
13Then Jesus said to the
centurion, “Go! Let it be done just as you believed it would.” And his servant
was healed at that moment.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
123)
How did Jesus
characterize the centurion’s faith in the
account found in the gospel of Matthew?
o
Jesus commended
the centurion as having great faith.
124)
Did Jesus heal the centurion’s servant without coming into
the presence of the servant?
o
Yes.
125)
Were the woman’s
sins forgiven when she had faith in Jesus that he could drive the unclean
spirit out of her little daughter and why?
o
Yes, because
Jesus forgave the sins of the paralytic when the paralytic and his four friends
had faith in Jesus that he could heal the paralysis.
126)
Was the sin of
deceit of the Pharisees and teachers of the law forgiven and why?
o
No, because they
did not have faith in Jesus.
127)
How do we
contrast the woman on the one hand and the Pharisees and teachers of the law on
the other in terms of handling uncleanness?
o
The woman
depended on Jesus to drive the unclean spirit out of her little daughter.
o
The Pharisees and
teachers of the law depended on themselves for keeping themselves clean.
128)
What demonstrated
the woman’s of faith in the current context?
o
Humility.
o
Reverence.
o
Awareness of her
need for help.
o
Trust in Jesus’
ability to drive out unclean spirits.
o
Determination to
overcome social barrier and racial prejudice to plead for help.
129)
What demonstrated
the lack of faith of the Pharisees and teachers of the law in the current chapter?
o
Being prideful of
their presumed cleanness that others should have it too.
o
Being confident
of their presumed cleanness that they challenged others for not having it.
o
Being blind to
their uncleanness within.
o
Trusting in their
own ability to keep themselves clean.
o
Setting aside the
commands of God in order to observe their own traditions.
o
Hypocritical.
o
Unwilling to be
honest with themselves, with others and with God.
o
Deceiving
themselves, others and blatantly God.
130)
Is it true again
that those who fell at the feet of Jesus got to know Jesus better?
o
Yes.
131)
In what way did
the woman get to know Jesus better?
o
When she as a Greek
woman approached him as a Jewish man, the woman did not know whether Jesus would
help her or not though she knew that he was able to.
o
To her great joy Jesus
crossed the social and racial barriers to help her when she had the faith to
cross those barriers to ask him for help.
132)
What dimension of
uncleanness was Jesus addressing when he forgave the sins of the paralytic in
chapter 2?
o
Jesus was addressing
the moral dimension of uncleanness.
133)
Was the woman who
was subject to bleeding in chapter 5 considered unclean according to the law of
Moses?
o
Yes.
· Ask a volunteer to read out loud Leviticus 15:25 that
says,
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
25“‘When a woman has a
discharge of blood for many days at a time other than her monthly period or has
a discharge that continues beyond her period, she will be unclean as long as
she has the discharge, just as in the days of her period.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
134)
What dimension of
uncleanness was Jesus addressing when he healed the woman who was subject to
bleeding?
o
Jesus was addressing
the physical dimension of uncleanness.
135)
What dimension of
uncleanness was Jesus addressing when he drove the unclean spirit from the
Greek woman’s little daughter in the current chapter?
o
Jesus was addressing
the spiritual dimension of uncleanness.
136)
What are the
three dimensions of uncleanness?
o
The three
dimensions are
§
Moral.
§
Physical.
§
Spiritual.
137)
How can people be
delivered from the three dimensions of uncleanness?
o
The sins, i.e.,
the moral uncleanness, of the paralytic were forgiven by Jesus for the faith of
the paralytic and his four friends in Jesus’ ability to heal.
o
The bleeding,
i.e., the physical uncleanness of the woman, was healed for her faith in Jesus’
ability to heal.
o
The unclean
spirit, i.e., the spiritual uncleanness of the Greek woman’s little daughter, was
driven out for her faith in Jesus’ ability to drive out unclean spirits.
138)
What is the universal
deliverance for the three dimensions of uncleanness?
o
Faith in Jesus is
the universal deliverance.
139)
What is the
currency in the
o
Faith in Jesus
is.
140)
What is the
significance of the three dimensions of uncleanness?
o
When he taught
the disciples to fish for people, Jesus was demonstrating how to deliver people
from the three dimensions of uncleanness.
o
Mark 6:12-13
records that when the twelve apostles were sent out to sow the words, they worked
within the three dimensions of uncleanness by
§
Calling people to
repentance (from sins).
§
Healing the sick.
§
Driving out
unclean spirits.
141)
What were the
disciples supposed to do with the misleading solution for man’s uncleanness
that the Pharisees and teachers of the law were pushing?
o
The disciples
§
Must not think
that they could avoid uncleanness by following traditions and performing
rituals.
§
Could only
deliver people from the three dimensions of uncleanness through their faith in
Jesus.
142)
Did Jesus himself
follow the tradition of ceremonial hand washing before eating and why?
o
Jesus and some of
his disciples might actually be observing the tradition.
o
The reason is
that the Pharisees and teachers of the law only saw some of his disciples
eating food with unwashed hands.
143)
Did Jesus and his
disciples fast and observe the Sabbath?
o
Jesus and his
disciples did not fast when he was with them.
o
Jesus observed
the Sabbath even though his disciples sometimes did not.
144)
How do these
inform us?
o
It is fine to
follow traditions but it should not be done for the wrong reason.
o
Ceremonial hand
washing before eating is
§
Fine if it is for
the sake of honoring one’s tradition.
§
Not fine if it is
for the sake of avoiding uncleanness.
o
Following
traditions can be beneficial. For
instance ceremonial hand washing is believed to have reduced the morbidity of
the Bubonic Plague pandemic among Jews in the thirteen hundreds in
----------------------------------------
· Ask for a volunteer to summarize.
· Ask for the rest of the participants to supplement the
summary.
========================
Verses 24-30 Jesus Honors a Syrophoenician Woman’s Faith
========================
========================
Verses 31-37 Jesus Heals a Deaf and Mute Man
========================
31Then Jesus left the
vicinity of
32There some people brought
to him a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged Jesus to place
his hand on him.
33After he took him aside,
away from the crowd, Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears. Then he spit
and touched the man’s tongue.
34He looked up to heaven and
with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!” (which means “Be opened!”). 35At
this, the man’s ears were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak
plainly.
36Jesus commanded them not to
tell anyone. But the more he did so, the more they kept talking about it.
37People were overwhelmed
with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the
deaf hear and the mute speak.”
----------------------------------------
Concerning the healing of a
deaf and mute man,
----------------------------------------
145)
Where did Jesus
go next?
o
Jesus left the
vicinity of
o
The following
page shows a map of
146)
What happened in the
o
There some people
brought to Jesus a man who was deaf and could hardly talk, and they begged him
to place his hand on the man.
147)
What might be the
reason people in the
o
It was because of
the testimony of the former demoniac.
148)
What was the
setting where Jesus healed the man?
o
Jesus took the
man aside, away from the crowd.
149)
Why did Jesus
take the man away from the crowd before healing him?
o
Jesus
§
Avoided giving the
misconception that people were healed using specific methods as he would be
using specific methods for healing the man.
§
Did not want to
cause a sensation.
150)
What was the
entire process of Jesus healing the man?
o
Jesus put his
fingers into the man’s ears.
o
He spit and
touched the man’s tongue.
o
He looked up to
heaven and with a deep sigh said to the man, “Ephphatha!” (which means, “Be
opened!”).
151)
How were the clothing,
spittle and other things that belonged to a great man regarded in ancient time?
o
They were
regarded as having special power.
152)
Why did Jesus
look up to heaven?
o
Jesus looked up
to heaven to pray to God the Father.
153)
Why did Jesus
sigh deeply when he healed the man?
o
Jesus was in
touch with the suffering of the man who was deaf and could hardly talk.
154)
What language is
the word ‘Ephphatha’?
o
It is Aramaic.
155)
What language did
the Jews in Jesus’ days speak?
o
They spoke
Aramaic.
156)
What kind of
readers was the gospel of Mark addressed to?
o
The gospel of
Mark was addressed to non-Jewish readers.
157)
What happened to
the man next?
o
The man’s ears
were opened, his tongue was loosened and he began to speak plainly.
158)
Could Jesus have simply
looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to the man, “Ephphatha!”,and the
man would have been healed?
o
Yes.
159)
How was hearing
restored to the deaf man?
o
It was restored
when Jesus put his fingers into the man’s ears, looked up to heaven and with a
deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!”
160)
How was speech
restored to the man who could hardly talk?
o
It was restored
when Jesus spit and touched the man’s
tongue, looked up to heaven and with a deep sigh said to him, “Ephphatha!”
161)
Would Jesus have
tried to restore hearing to the man by spitting and touching the man’s tongue
and why?
o
No, because the
supposed remedy would be a mismatch for the problem.
162)
Would Jesus have
tried to restore speech to the man by putting his fingers into the man’s ears and
why?
o
No, because the
supposed remedy would be a mismatch for the problem.
163)
What can we say
about the supposed remedy of ceremonial hand washing that the Pharisees and
teachers of the law applied for avoiding uncleanness?
o
The supposed remedy
was a mismatch for the problem.
164)
What did Jesus
command the people to do after the healing?
o
Jesus commanded
them not to tell anyone.
165)
Why did Jesus
command the people not to tell anyone here in the Decapolis while previously he
told the former demoniac to go home, i.e., the
o
Jesus did not
want the publicity to interfere with his ministry plan now that he had become
well known in the
166)
What did the
people do instead?
o
The more Jesus told
them to keep quiet, the more they kept talking about it.
167)
What was people’s
sentiment toward what Jesus did?
o
People were
overwhelmed with amazement.
168)
What did people say
about Jesus?
o
“He has done
everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”
169)
Were the people
aware of Jesus’ other deeds and why?
o
Yes, because the
former demoniac told people in the
170)
Did the people
ask who Jesus was in their amazement of what Jesus had done and why?
o
No, because they
were spectators and not participants in the healing.
171)
How did the
disciples come to understand what responsibility they had in sowing the word
among pagans?
o
Jesus chose to do
a demo for the disciples of how a G0 disciple should go out to sow the word in
the region of the Gerasenes that was pagan land.
o
Jesus went out to
sow the word in
o
Therefore going
out to sow the word among pagans was part of the work that the disciples would inherit
from Jesus.
----------------------------------------
· Ask for a volunteer to summarize.
· Ask for the rest of the participants to supplement the
summary.
========================
Verses 31-37 Jesus Heals a Deaf and Mute Man
========================