Chapter # 7 Paragraph # 1 Study # 8
May 24, 2022
Moss Bluff, Louisiana
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Thesis: The distortion of the words of God by the "replacement theology" of the traditions of the elders was illustrated by Jesus' use of "Corban" in order to make it possible for Mark's readers to more fully "understand" the message of Jesus.
Introduction: In our last study, we considered the words of Jesus through Mark as possessing a
very great significance in regard to what Jesus wanted the crowd to "hear and understand". The point is that Mark considered Jesus' words to be a reflection of the essence of His message.
This evening we are going to consider the reasons for Mark's record of Jesus' words to the crowd.
- I. The Importance Of The Message Of Jesus.
- A. According to the larger context of Mark as a whole, the message of Jesus was consumed with the twin ideas of: one, an imminent Kingdom; and, two, a presentation of the methodology of obtaining an inheritance in that Coming Kingdom.
- 1. The "imminence" of the Coming Kingdom is exactly like the "imminence" of the Coming of Jesus for the Church: it is "imminent" in that, in the timing of God, a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day.
- 2. The methodology of obtaining an inheritance in that Coming Kingdom has always been a "by grace through faith" methodology and never has been a "by obedience to Law" methodology.
- B. Is established by Mark's use of "preliminary words".
- 1. That Jesus was doing something "again" with no firm record of the prior event indicates that what Jesus was doing was to be our focus.
- a. That He had done this before (i.e., "again") highlights the fact that His truth and the "theology" of The Pharisees were at loggerheads (there was no way to reconcile the disparate claims) beginning with the essential nature of the promised Coming Kingdom (having two specific aspects -- a preparation of a people for entrance into that Kingdom and a presentation to the people of that Kingdom) and the specific methodology of obtaining an inheritance in that promised Kingdom.
- b. His summoning of the crowd meant two specific things.
- 1) First, it meant that Jesus wanted His truth widely disseminated (if everyone in the crowd heard this truth and discussed it in later conversations, the truth would gain a very large audience).
- 2) Second, it meant that Jesus wanted The Pharisees and some of the scribes to be put on the defensive.
- a) Jesus' truth destroyed the replacement of the words of God with the traditions of men.
- b) This indisputable "replacement theology" made His adversaries significantly wicked, not merely misguided, so that they were the ones who would be forced to justify how their message could allow hateful corruptions of the words of God and still be "words from God".
- c) The movement from The Pharisees' condemnation of those eating food without first washing one's hands to making the traditions of the elders regarding "Corban" an example of the wicked corruption of God's words means that there is an integrated harmony between eating properly and providing for one's parents [God's words] as well as condemning the righteous and exalting the parent-hating wicked [words of the elders].
- 2. His speech to them was cast in the form of "on-going" (Imperfect Indicative in historical narrative) dogmatic doctrine (lego).
- 3. His words to them begin with two exhortations.
- a. He commanded them to "hear from Me all of you".
- 1) "Hearing" can be the simple matter of having sounds penetrate one's ears so that one's attention is gained.
- 2) But "hearing" can also be the grave matter of making sure that what has captured one's attention is given due consideration (4:12).
- 3) He was calling for a thoughtful attention to His words.
- b. He commanded them to "understand".
- 1) The lack of "understanding" is highlighted by Mark with serious consequences (4:12).
- 2) One of the serious consequences is that later experiences cannot be helpful by reason of the exposure to more spoken words because the prior words were not "understood" (6:52).
- a) Dogmatic doctrine is built line upon line and precept upon precept (Isaiah 28:9-13).
- b) If there is no "understanding" of the earlier "lines" and "precepts", there cannot be any benefit from the later "lines" and "precepts"; there will be only 'going, and falling backward, and being broken, and being snared, and being taken'.
- 3) The main text in Mark that deals with "how" one "understands" is chapter eight where the blind man "looked intently" (8:25) after Jesus' second procedure in giving him sight.
- a) The issue of the larger text is "understanding the significance of the amount of food left over from the two feedings of the multitudes" (8:21).
- b) And the factor that blocks "understanding" is established by 8:17 (as it relates to 6:52) to be "a hardened heart".
- c) And Jesus' "solution" was for the blind man to make a serious effort to "see".
- II. The Content Of The Message.
