In the liturgy, we pray to God, who is the giver of every good and perfect gift. We ask God to bring to fruition the word of truth sown in our hearts by Christ, so that we will live in the law of love. It is this liberating law that judges all other laws of human origin. It is the gracious command that is sealed with Christ's blood. In this supper Christ forgives us and strengthens us to be communal witnesses to His love.
That is why Mark in his reading speaks of pure and impurity, depicting Jesus as challenging traditional ways in which religious people determine what is pure or impure for Jesus. Jesus is challenging traditional ways in which religious practices cannot become a substitute for godly words or deeds that spring from a faithful heart. This was another tough saying for Jesus to put across to the Israelites, who being raised in the O.T,knew that they believed in the law as a divine gift that provided a guideline for living out the covenant, according to Moses. The people are to obey the law and are neither to add or subtract from it. (To use an analogy:) Back in the 50's I spent time working in Vanderwaters garage. When someone brought in a dead battery, and to bring it up to snuff, to be reused, we would empty out the old acid refill the reservoir with distilled water, because it was clear of contaminates. Put it on the charger, and when done, the customer was on his way. Written and unwritten purity laws express strong beliefs of what we allow to touch or enter us. We recognize our own laws and we recoil at eating certain creatures such as ; " garden snails"- are they escargots? One groups delicacies are another abominations. Many great daily practices marked the Israelites as God's own and set them part from all other nations. Laws of ritual purity thus kept the corporate body one and whole.
Instead the early church was a mixed bag, bringing Jews and Gentiles "sinners" who broke bread with unwashed hands and vessels.
Jesus had resolve that truth shall triumph over error. Concerned that his church shall stand in truth, and recognizing the source of error, Jesus Christ is resolved that the truth shall triumph. He calls upon the church which has permitted grievous error to be taught unchecked to repent and to gain victory over false-hood.He then indicates both the way of conquest and its reward. The way of conquest is by His word. The only weapon which can slay the forces of error is Christ's word. As long as his creation has taken to the creator, both in body and soul, their has been a faction that has seemed to interpret God's word differently, since the time of the tower of babel. When God scattered the people and confused there language, his creation has never agreed on the meaning of his word. The Gospel message in Mark, explains it quite well.
The Pharisees, whose doctrine included predestination, believed in the spirit life., laid much stress on the immortality of the soul. Being people of the law they believed in the final reward for good works and that the souls of the wicked were detained forever under the earth, while those of the virtuous rose again and even migrated into other bodies, ( Josephus, ANTIQ. 18:1,3;) bitterly opposed Jesus and his teachings. Then the Pharisees and certain scribes, which came from Jerusalem, when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees and all Jews, except they was their hands often, eat not, holding the traditions of the elders. When they come from the market, unless they washed they eat not, and because of tradition they confront Jesus about his disciples eating without first washing their hands. Then the Pharisee's and scribes and the other sect tried to discredit Jesus and his message. They asked him, why his disciples walked in the way of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? It was as a deliberate, unwarranted faultfinding on there part.
Jesus had just returned to Capernaum for a few days after the exciting and wearing experiences of a strenuous week. Upon his return he finds a company of his enemies assembled, because of his popularity during the Last few days and the hostility of the Jewish religious leaders, is brought out very strongly. Since Jesus first display of casting out the devils, and the sharp tonque of the Galilee Rabbi. The reason for the confrontation with Jesus was not to hear the word of life, but to provoke disputes, and their opportunity came vey soon, when they saw Jesus disciples eat with common , unwashed hands. This was their cue for an attack on Jesus. This was not a question of sanitation, but one which they considered affecting the standing of a believing Jew in the sight of God. It was the custom of the Pharisees and all strict Jews to observe the tradition of the elders.
So Christ turns directly to the people; He calls the crowd to him and addresses them all on the topic; He asks them to listen intently that they may understand. There is nothing outside a person which may touch him or enter into him that can make him unclean, that will make him unfit to serve the Lord and taking part in his service. Christian worship and service is in no way dependent upon the outward appearance or habits of a person., whether he wears a fine suit, or overalls, whether he washes his hands before meals or not. They don't concern worship, or the religion of man. The things which come forth from man, they are apt to make him unclean,, they may cause the relation between him and his God to be severed. It is important point that the Lord makes, and He wanted to impress it upon his hearers. Jesus had to explain this hew teaching to his disciples. That whatsoever thing that enters from without the body, it cannot defile him; because it enters not into the heart, but goes into the belly, and then the bowels, purging all meats, then Jesus says that which comes out of the man, that defiles the man, is his inner thoughts which proceeds evil thoughts, adulteries,, fornications,, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, blasphemy, an evil eye, pride foolishness. All these things come out of man. But far worse and of greater importance is spiritual purity. the seed, the germ of all these sins lies in the heart of every man, by nature, only waiting the occasion when it will come forth. and work havoc. A Christian needs to keep watch over his heart unceasingly, lest any of these evil seeds sprout and grow beyond control. We are reminded about staying in the word of Christ for our strength allowing the Holy Spirit to work within us to keep us safe From the evil that the devil plans for us, that would bring destruction, and not eternal life.
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