[uplifting music]
00:00:00.46\00:00:03.30
[uplifting music]
00:00:11.77\00:00:13.68
>>Eric Flickinger:
Welcome to "Sabbath School,"
00:00:13.71\00:00:15.01
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:00:15.04\00:00:17.28
We're glad that you have chosen
to join us once again today
00:00:17.31\00:00:19.95
as we continue this
incredible journey through
00:00:19.98\00:00:22.78
the book of Mark, a fascinating
book, and we're learning
00:00:22.82\00:00:26.45
more and more about Jesus
day by day as we study it.
00:00:26.49\00:00:29.99
This week, lesson
number 6, "Inside Out."
00:00:30.03\00:00:33.73
Well, what's this lesson about?
00:00:33.76\00:00:35.70
We're about to find out,
but let's start with prayer.
00:00:35.73\00:00:38.43
Father, we thank You for giving
us this incredible opportunity
00:00:38.47\00:00:41.50
to take this journey
through the book of Mark
00:00:41.54\00:00:43.61
and to learn more about You,
00:00:43.64\00:00:45.61
to learn more about Your
plan for our lives as we do so.
00:00:45.64\00:00:49.44
We ask that You will
bless us, and we thank You
00:00:49.48\00:00:51.85
in Jesus' name, amen.
00:00:51.88\00:00:54.55
Well, we're happy to
have with us once again, also,
00:00:54.58\00:00:56.65
the author of this quarter's
"Sabbath School" lesson;
00:00:56.69\00:00:59.55
that is Tom Shepherd.
00:00:59.59\00:01:00.96
He is the senior research
professor of New Testament
00:01:00.99\00:01:04.26
at the theological
seminary at Andrews University.
00:01:04.29\00:01:07.73
Tom, welcome back once again.
00:01:07.76\00:01:09.26
>>Thomas Shepherd:
Good to be with you.
00:01:09.30\00:01:10.60
>>Eric: So, "Inside
Out," lesson number 6,
00:01:10.63\00:01:12.77
we've worked our way through
the first several chapters
00:01:12.80\00:01:15.10
of the book of Mark,
we're now on, I think,
00:01:15.14\00:01:16.67
chapter 7, give or take,
00:01:16.71\00:01:19.11
and "Inside Out"--
let me ask this question
00:01:19.14\00:01:21.18
as we dive into it.
00:01:21.21\00:01:22.68
The Pharisees were a little
bit upset with the disciples
00:01:22.71\00:01:26.15
as we get into chapter 7 here.
They didn't wash their hands.
00:01:26.18\00:01:30.75
Now, I've heard of parents
who are upset with their kids
00:01:30.79\00:01:32.95
when they don't wash
their hands, but this seems
00:01:32.99\00:01:34.99
like it's a little
deeper issue than a mere
00:01:35.02\00:01:38.96
not washing away of the germs.
What's going on in this story?
00:01:38.99\00:01:41.93
>>Tom: Well, I can just
imagine somebody studying this
00:01:41.96\00:01:45.60
with young people at the church,
and the children coming home
00:01:45.63\00:01:49.97
and saying, "We don't have to
wash our hands; Jesus said so,"
00:01:50.01\00:01:53.64
and pretty soon the
pastor or somebody would be
00:01:53.68\00:01:55.28
getting a phone
call: "What are you doing
00:01:55.31\00:01:56.61
telling our children
not to wash their hands?"
00:01:56.64\00:01:58.91
[laughs] You're right, Eric,
that it's not about hygiene
00:01:58.95\00:02:02.78
that we're discussing here.
00:02:02.82\00:02:04.12
It's, again,
about ritual purity.
00:02:04.15\00:02:06.29
And the disciples didn't
do the ritual kind of washing
00:02:06.32\00:02:10.83
that the Pharisees followed.
00:02:10.86\00:02:14.76
And so, it's interesting to
notice here as well, whenever
00:02:14.83\00:02:19.17
it's the disciples that are
doing something they don't like,
00:02:19.20\00:02:23.91
they complain to Jesus.
00:02:23.94\00:02:25.77
And whenever it's Jesus who's
doing something they don't like,
00:02:25.81\00:02:28.28
they complain to
the disciples. [laughs]
00:02:28.31\00:02:30.61
They don't go straight
to the individual involved.
00:02:30.65\00:02:33.31
So, here they're talking
about this ritual purity,
00:02:33.35\00:02:37.32
and so the way that
this progresses, then,
00:02:37.35\00:02:42.09
is that the
Pharisees and the scribes
00:02:42.12\00:02:44.73
ask in verse 5,
"Why do Your disciples
00:02:44.76\00:02:47.13
not walk according to
the tradition of the elders?"
00:02:47.13\00:02:49.93
Notice this is
actually not something
00:02:49.96\00:02:51.90
from the Old Testament.
00:02:51.93\00:02:53.47
This is a tradition
that was established
00:02:53.50\00:02:55.57
between the Testaments.
00:02:55.60\00:02:57.34
It says, "But they
eat with defiled hands"--
00:02:57.37\00:02:59.27
with unwashed hands.
00:02:59.31\00:03:01.11
So, how is Jesus
gonna respond to this?
00:03:01.14\00:03:03.45
Well, the interesting thing
is you--in these conflicts,
00:03:03.48\00:03:07.72
it's kind of tit-for-tat, and
it's not like they're asking,
00:03:07.75\00:03:11.22
"You know, could You really
explain to us what it means?
00:03:11.25\00:03:14.46
Do we really need
to wash our hands?"
00:03:14.49\00:03:16.22
When they attack Him,
00:03:16.26\00:03:18.43
He responds with a
complaint against them.
00:03:18.46\00:03:23.60
He says in verse 6,
"Well did Isaiah prophesy
00:03:23.63\00:03:26.94
"of you
hypocrites, as it is written
00:03:26.97\00:03:29.34
"'This people
honors me with their lips,
00:03:29.37\00:03:32.27
"'but their heart is far from
me; in vain do they worship me,
00:03:32.31\00:03:35.61
"'teaching as doctrines
the commandments of men.'
00:03:35.64\00:03:38.41
"You leave the
commandment of God
00:03:38.45\00:03:40.52
and hold to the
tradition of men."
00:03:40.55\00:03:43.45
Right, so there, right away,
00:03:43.49\00:03:44.85
you see there's the
commandments of God--
00:03:44.89\00:03:46.96
that's the Old Testament,
you know, regulations--
00:03:46.99\00:03:49.79
and the traditions of men.
00:03:49.82\00:03:52.76
And He puts the two of them
00:03:52.79\00:03:54.60
on the opposite
side of the fence, yeah.
00:03:54.63\00:03:57.13
>>Eric: So they're upset that
00:03:57.17\00:03:58.77
He's not
following these traditions.
00:03:58.80\00:04:01.44
As we work our way down
through this story, we get to
00:04:01.47\00:04:05.61
verse number 11 and this
concept of--or idea of "Corban."
00:04:05.64\00:04:10.38
How does that fit into this
story and what's going on here?
00:04:10.41\00:04:14.92
>>Tom: Yeah, so you've got
to get the whole context here.
00:04:14.95\00:04:17.12
If you start in
verse 9, "He said to them,
00:04:17.15\00:04:19.45
"'You have a fine way
00:04:19.49\00:04:20.96
of rejecting the
commandment of God'"--
00:04:20.99\00:04:22.96
now, so notice, "the
commandment of God"--
00:04:22.99\00:04:25.13
in order to
establish your tradition!'"
00:04:25.16\00:04:26.96
So that's the traditions of men.
00:04:27.00\00:04:28.70
"For"--here comes
the commandment of God,
00:04:28.73\00:04:31.13
verse 10--"Moses said, 'Honor
your father and your mother.'"
00:04:31.17\00:04:34.40
Of course, that's the fifth
commandment of the Decalogue.
00:04:34.44\00:04:37.81
"And, 'Whoever reviles father
or mother must surely die.'"
00:04:37.84\00:04:41.31
There was a
death penalty involved.
00:04:41.34\00:04:43.61
"But you say, 'If a man
tells his father or his mother,
00:04:43.65\00:04:47.62
"'"Whatever you would
have gained from me is Corban"'
00:04:47.65\00:04:50.62
"(that is, given to God)--then
you no longer permit him
00:04:50.65\00:04:53.99
"to do anything for
his father or mother,
00:04:54.02\00:04:55.79
"thus making
void the word of God
00:04:55.82\00:04:58.33
"by your tradition
that you have handed down.
00:04:58.36\00:05:00.56
And many such things you do.'"
00:05:00.60\00:05:02.93
So, how did this work?
00:05:02.96\00:05:04.27
Okay, so, if a Jew said over
some, any kind of property thing
00:05:04.30\00:05:11.61
that "this is Corban," that
means it was dedicated to God;
00:05:11.64\00:05:14.54
it was dedicated to the temple.
00:05:14.58\00:05:16.64
Now, they had this
interesting way--you know,
00:05:16.68\00:05:21.45
the fifth commandment says,
00:05:21.48\00:05:23.55
"Honor your
father and your mother,
00:05:23.59\00:05:25.15
"that your days may
be long upon the land
00:05:25.19\00:05:27.19
which the Lord
your God [gives] you."
00:05:27.22\00:05:29.16
That's not just about saying
nice things about mom and dad.
00:05:29.19\00:05:31.93
That's about actually taking
care of them when they're old.
00:05:31.96\00:05:35.60
There was no social security
program, and so your children
00:05:35.63\00:05:39.60
were actually your
social security and they would
00:05:39.63\00:05:43.37
take care of you
when you got old.
00:05:43.41\00:05:45.61
So, some people maybe
didn't want to do that,
00:05:45.64\00:05:48.61
from selfish reasons, and
so you could have a situation
00:05:48.64\00:05:52.81
where a man would
say to his father,
00:05:52.85\00:05:56.15
"Anything that you would
profit from me is Corban."
00:05:56.18\00:06:02.06
So, he doesn't really
give it to the temple.
00:06:02.09\00:06:07.50
It's if he were to give it to
his parent, it would be Corban,
00:06:07.56\00:06:12.33
so he couldn't
give it to his parent
00:06:12.37\00:06:14.00
because it was dedicated to God.
00:06:14.04\00:06:16.37
So you can see
the hypocrisy in this.
00:06:16.40\00:06:18.87
It's just painful in that
you would say, "You know, Dad,
00:06:18.91\00:06:24.65
"I wish I could help
you, but anything that
00:06:24.68\00:06:27.02
I would give to you, I've
already dedicated it to God."
00:06:27.05\00:06:30.49
It's not going to the temple.
00:06:30.52\00:06:32.82
It's--he's keeping it, and he
just doesn't want to help them.
00:06:32.85\00:06:36.49
And Jesus rightly said
that is just rank hypocrisy,
00:06:36.52\00:06:41.16
that you would actually
try to hide your selfishness
00:06:41.20\00:06:46.00
under a cloak, a supposed
cloak of dedication to God.
00:06:46.03\00:06:50.51
It's not dedication to God;
it's dedication to yourself.
00:06:50.54\00:06:53.44
So Jesus is pretty strong
here, you know, when He's--
00:06:53.48\00:06:56.44
you know, you call somebody
a hypocrite, that's not--
00:06:56.48\00:07:00.32
that's tough language;
that's strong language.
00:07:00.35\00:07:02.65
>>Eric: It is. So He's being
pretty straight and calling out
00:07:02.68\00:07:05.49
some of the stuff
that they've been doing.
00:07:05.52\00:07:08.02
We get down to verse 15,
and there's a riddle--I guess
00:07:08.06\00:07:12.86
you could call it a riddle--that
Jesus gives us in verse 15.
00:07:12.89\00:07:17.37
I'll read verse 15, and then
maybe you can comment on it.
00:07:17.40\00:07:20.30
>>Tom: Sure. >>Eric: Jesus says,
00:07:20.34\00:07:21.84
"There is nothing that
enters a man from outside
00:07:21.87\00:07:24.21
"which can defile him; but the
things which come out of him,
00:07:24.24\00:07:27.61
those are the
things that defile a man."
00:07:27.64\00:07:30.68
Now, there are some who would,
perhaps, take this in a slightly
00:07:30.71\00:07:34.88
different way than I think
you and I are probably going
00:07:34.92\00:07:36.82
to take it, but unpack this a
little bit for us and help us to
00:07:36.85\00:07:40.19
understand it from a
biblical perspective.
00:07:40.22\00:07:41.86
>>Tom: Well, you know what?
00:07:41.89\00:07:43.19
The disciples had
trouble understanding this.
00:07:43.22\00:07:45.06
And when they go into
the house, in verse 17,
00:07:45.09\00:07:47.73
"When He had entered the
house and left the people,
00:07:47.76\00:07:49.70
His disciples asked
Him about the parable--"
00:07:49.73\00:07:52.90
that's that word "parabole,"
and this really illustrates it.
00:07:52.93\00:07:56.54
Obviously, verse 15 is a riddle.
00:07:56.57\00:07:59.34
You know, how is
it there's nothing
00:07:59.37\00:08:00.94
that goes in and
comes out and so forth?
00:08:00.98\00:08:02.91
So, then Jesus kind of
knocks them around a bit.
00:08:02.94\00:08:06.28
"Are you also
without understanding?
00:08:06.31\00:08:07.78
"Do you not see that whatever
goes into a person from outside
00:08:07.82\00:08:12.12
"cannot defile him, since
it enters [into] not his heart
00:08:12.15\00:08:15.29
but his stomach,
and is expelled?"
00:08:15.32\00:08:17.26
Actually, it's a little
more-- >>Eric: Agricultural.
00:08:17.29\00:08:21.26
>>Tom:
Agricultural language, yeah.
00:08:21.30\00:08:22.60
When it expelled, it
means it goes into the latrine.
00:08:22.63\00:08:25.50
>>Eric: Mm-hmm.
>>Tom: You know, okay?
00:08:25.53\00:08:26.84
So, that's actually
what it says in Greek.
00:08:26.87\00:08:28.94
And then there's this
little parenthetical statement,
00:08:28.97\00:08:32.44
"(Thus He
declared all food clean.)"
00:08:32.47\00:08:34.41
Now, a lot of
people take that to mean
00:08:34.44\00:08:36.88
that Jesus did away
with the difference between
00:08:36.91\00:08:40.08
clean and unclean foods that
the Old Testament describes.
00:08:40.12\00:08:42.78
That's actually not the case.
First of all, when it says,
00:08:42.82\00:08:46.62
"Thus He
declared all foods clean,"
00:08:46.65\00:08:48.76
actually in Greek it
doesn't say quite that much.
00:08:48.79\00:08:51.63
It's more like this:
Since it enters--verse 19--
00:08:51.66\00:08:54.10
since it enters the
heart-- does not enter his heart
00:08:54.13\00:08:56.30
but his stomach, and is
expelled, cleansing all foods.
00:08:56.33\00:08:59.90
Now, cleansing all foods
is probably a parenthetical
00:08:59.93\00:09:02.97
statement that the Gospel
writer is explaining what Jesus
00:09:03.00\00:09:07.21
is talking about, right?
00:09:07.24\00:09:09.08
So, translating it "Thus
He declared all foods clean"
00:09:09.11\00:09:11.98
is appropriate
way to translate it,
00:09:12.01\00:09:14.48
but people have
misunderstood what that means.
00:09:14.52\00:09:17.62
The things that Jesus
has been railing against
00:09:17.65\00:09:20.99
are the traditions of men.
00:09:21.02\00:09:23.39
It would be really strange here
for Him now to attack Moses,
00:09:23.43\00:09:27.83
attack Moses's
statements, by saying,
00:09:27.86\00:09:31.27
"You know, it doesn't matter.
You can eat pork, it's okay.
00:09:31.30\00:09:33.90
"You can, you know,
eat all those things
00:09:33.94\00:09:35.74
that you used to think"--so,
instead, what He's still doing
00:09:35.77\00:09:38.84
is He's still
attacking the traditions of men.
00:09:38.87\00:09:42.18
They have this
thing of touch defilement.
00:09:42.21\00:09:44.95
So if you touch something that's
unclean, that makes you unclean.
00:09:44.98\00:09:48.78
Now, if you touch something
else, that makes that unclean.
00:09:48.82\00:09:51.95
It's like different levels
of unclean as you pass on.
00:09:51.99\00:09:54.92
Jesus is like--remember,
they started off with,
00:09:54.96\00:09:56.96
"You didn't wash
your hands the right way."
00:09:56.99\00:09:58.96
Jesus is doing away
with touch defilement,
00:09:58.99\00:10:01.13
which wasn't an
Old Testament law,
00:10:01.16\00:10:03.40
but was rather
something that they had
00:10:03.43\00:10:05.83
in their, you know, traditions
that they had built up.
00:10:05.87\00:10:08.64
So He does away with that. Now,
00:10:08.67\00:10:10.64
to us today that might
seem like a small matter,
00:10:10.67\00:10:13.61
but actually, this
created an incredible change
00:10:13.64\00:10:18.78
because it meant that Gentiles
and Jews could eat together,
00:10:18.81\00:10:23.45
because they
couldn't eat together
00:10:23.49\00:10:25.42
because of the defilement
issues and different things.
00:10:25.45\00:10:28.16
And when He did away with
touch defilement, it said that,
00:10:28.19\00:10:31.19
"Okay, Jews and
Gentiles can work together.
00:10:31.23\00:10:33.96
"They can eat together.
00:10:34.00\00:10:35.60
"They can be in
the church together.
00:10:35.63\00:10:37.37
They can be
brothers and sisters."
00:10:37.40\00:10:39.20
And while it may seem
small and sort of, you know--
00:10:39.23\00:10:42.84
to us, sort of
like, washing your hands?
00:10:42.87\00:10:45.41
What, you know, a small issue.
00:10:45.44\00:10:47.84
This really
created the possibility
00:10:47.88\00:10:50.38
for union within the church.
00:10:50.41\00:10:52.25
Now, some people, like I said,
have taken it the wrong way
00:10:52.28\00:10:55.02
to suggest that He's,
you know, doing away with
00:10:55.05\00:10:59.85
this kind of thing,
the commandments of God.
00:10:59.89\00:11:03.43
When you read the rest of it,
00:11:03.46\00:11:05.29
where Jesus describes what it
is that makes a person unclean,
00:11:05.33\00:11:10.63
that's important
to talk about because
00:11:10.67\00:11:12.00
often people miss that because
all they want to talk about
00:11:12.03\00:11:14.17
is unclean foods.
You go down to verse 20:
00:11:14.20\00:11:16.50
"And He said, 'What comes out
of a person is what defiles him.
00:11:16.54\00:11:20.51
"'For from within,
out of the heart of man,
00:11:20.54\00:11:22.78
"'come evil thoughts,
sexual immorality, theft,
00:11:22.81\00:11:26.18
"'murder, adultery,
coveting, wickedness, deceit,
00:11:26.21\00:11:29.02
"'sensuality, envy,
slander, pride, foolishness.
00:11:29.05\00:11:32.15
"'All these evil
things come from within,
00:11:32.19\00:11:34.49
and they defile a person.'"
00:11:34.52\00:11:36.32
Actually, if you
take a look at it,
00:11:36.36\00:11:39.39
He has all of the last half
of the Decalogue in that list.
00:11:39.43\00:11:44.63
Honoring your parents,
well, it was back in verse 10.
00:11:44.67\00:11:47.77
Murder is described in verse
21, so is adultery, so is theft,
00:11:47.80\00:11:52.11
deceit is the ninth
commandment, it's in verse 22,
00:11:52.14\00:11:55.41
and so is covetousness, the
10th commandment, in verse 22.
00:11:55.44\00:11:58.41
And since He describes--He just
started with the worship of God.
00:11:58.45\00:12:02.62
"In vain you worship"--you
know, He's actually affirming
00:12:02.65\00:12:06.29
the Ten Commandments
throughout this passage
00:12:06.32\00:12:08.96
and doing away with
the human tradition.
00:12:08.99\00:12:11.03
When you see it in that light,
00:12:11.06\00:12:12.59
the whole thing
fits together perfectly.
00:12:12.63\00:12:15.06
One of my students, this
was his doctoral dissertation.
00:12:15.10\00:12:18.83
The external examiner,
00:12:18.87\00:12:20.17
not an Adventist, but
a famous gospel scholar,
00:12:20.20\00:12:23.54
came, and she said at
the beginning of his defense,
00:12:23.57\00:12:26.21
"I'm going to have to change
the way I teach this passage."
00:12:26.24\00:12:29.51
He convinced her with
his good dissertation.
00:12:29.54\00:12:32.45
So it was really
quite impressive.
00:12:32.48\00:12:35.02
>>Eric: So it clearly means
something else when you take it
00:12:35.05\00:12:38.12
in context and look at
everything that's in there.
00:12:38.15\00:12:40.96
Now, if we're
wanting to dig more deeply,
00:12:40.99\00:12:43.12
we do have a companion book.
00:12:43.16\00:12:45.13
Tell us a little bit
about the companion book
00:12:45.16\00:12:46.63
and what's in this chapter that
people might be interested in.
00:12:46.66\00:12:49.26
>>Tom: Yeah, the companion
book is, goes right along
00:12:49.30\00:12:52.80
with the
"Sabbath School" lesson.
00:12:52.83\00:12:54.40
All of the chapters are numbered
just like the--and they have
00:12:54.44\00:12:57.54
the same titles,
so it's easy to find
00:12:57.57\00:12:59.54
the chapter that
you're dealing with.
00:12:59.57\00:13:01.31
Well, this one really lays
out all of those commandments
00:13:01.34\00:13:04.31
that are listed there.
00:13:04.35\00:13:05.65
It goes on to talk about
the challenge of verse 19
00:13:05.68\00:13:08.62
and what it means.
00:13:08.65\00:13:10.62
It talks about the woman with
the--the Syrophoenician woman.
00:13:10.65\00:13:14.39
We're going to study a
little bit more about her.
00:13:14.42\00:13:16.56
So it gives you
additional information
00:13:16.59\00:13:18.56
that goes beyond the
lessons. Well worth getting.
00:13:18.59\00:13:20.96
>>Eric: And you can
pick that up for yourself
00:13:20.96\00:13:22.66
at itiswritten.shop.
00:13:22.70\00:13:24.83
Again, itiswritten.shop.
00:13:24.87\00:13:27.17
Just look for the
book on the Gospel of Mark.
00:13:27.20\00:13:28.94
It's the companion book to this
quarter's "Sabbath School" study
00:13:28.97\00:13:31.61
by Thomas Shepherd.
00:13:31.64\00:13:33.38
And we are looking
forward to having you back again
00:13:33.41\00:13:35.18
in just a moment
as we continue looking
00:13:35.21\00:13:37.18
at this concept of "Inside Out,"
00:13:37.21\00:13:39.68
here on lesson number 6, as we
study through the book of Mark.
00:13:39.71\00:13:43.59
We'll be back in just a moment.
00:13:43.62\00:13:45.25
[uplifting music]
00:13:45.29\00:13:47.22
>>Dr. David DeRose:
Hello, I'm Dr. David DeRose,
00:13:49.29\00:13:51.29
a specialist in
internal medicine
00:13:51.33\00:13:52.89
and preventive medicine,
00:13:52.93\00:13:54.60
and I've been
surprised over the years
00:13:54.63\00:13:56.60
in working with
patients and studying
00:13:56.63\00:13:58.43
the medical research
literature just how powerful
00:13:58.47\00:14:02.57
hemorheology is
when it comes to health.
00:14:02.60\00:14:06.07
You may be
wondering, what is hemorheology?
00:14:06.11\00:14:08.51
Well, I call it
the Methuselah Factor,
00:14:08.54\00:14:10.81
and that's the title of my book.
00:14:10.85\00:14:13.21
"The Methuselah Factor"
really helps you connect
00:14:13.25\00:14:16.62
with things that can
help your blood be more fluid.
00:14:16.65\00:14:19.62
You say, "Why
is that important?"
00:14:19.65\00:14:21.69
It's important because it
can help you decrease your risk
00:14:21.72\00:14:23.99
of a stroke or a heart attack,
even lower your risk of cancer.
00:14:24.03\00:14:27.66
But it's a whole lot more than
just preventing killer diseases.
00:14:27.73\00:14:31.43
If you improve
your blood fluidity,
00:14:31.47\00:14:33.57
your mind will work better,
00:14:33.60\00:14:35.57
you'll perform
physically better,
00:14:35.60\00:14:37.51
and you'll decrease
your risk of dementia.
00:14:37.54\00:14:40.91
So don't hesitate.
00:14:40.94\00:14:42.64
Dive into "The
Methuselah Factor."
00:14:42.68\00:14:44.61
Make a difference in your life
00:14:44.65\00:14:46.45
and the life of
those that you love.
00:14:46.48\00:14:48.32
[uplifting music]
00:14:49.98\00:14:54.29
>>Eric: Welcome
back to "Sabbath School,"
00:14:54.32\00:14:55.79
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:14:55.82\00:14:57.69
We are looking at lesson
number 6 in our 13-lesson study
00:14:57.73\00:15:01.83
on the book of Mark.
00:15:01.86\00:15:03.06
"Inside Out" is what
we're looking at this week.
00:15:03.10\00:15:06.84
Tom, we've been talking about
what contaminates a person,
00:15:06.87\00:15:10.67
or at least from the
Jewish leader's viewpoint
00:15:10.71\00:15:13.94
versus what Jesus was teaching.
00:15:13.98\00:15:15.88
What is it that really
does contaminate a person?
00:15:15.91\00:15:18.71
>>Tom: Yeah, so we were talking
about the story of these--
00:15:18.75\00:15:24.19
how they were
talking about His defilement
00:15:24.22\00:15:27.12
for not washing their
hands; that was on the outside.
00:15:27.16\00:15:31.06
When Jesus said,
with this little riddle,
00:15:31.09\00:15:33.23
that it's what comes from
inside that defiles the person,
00:15:33.26\00:15:36.20
and we finished
up by talking about
00:15:36.23\00:15:37.93
all the commandments
that show up here and that
00:15:37.97\00:15:41.34
really affirm the teaching
that Jesus is supporting Moses.
00:15:41.37\00:15:47.74
Actually, all through the Gospel
of Mark, whenever Jesus talks
00:15:47.78\00:15:50.41
about Moses, He's
positive about Moses.
00:15:50.45\00:15:53.05
He gives these
positive statements.
00:15:53.08\00:15:54.78
And here He's
supporting the Ten Commandments.
00:15:54.82\00:15:56.45
So, you can't hardly be
more positive about that, so.
00:15:56.48\00:15:59.55
>>Eric: Very good.
00:15:59.59\00:16:01.42
Now, we go from that story
to another story, and this story
00:16:01.46\00:16:05.76
has--it's kind of confused
some people along the way
00:16:05.79\00:16:11.73
about why Jesus would talk
to this woman in such a manner.
00:16:11.77\00:16:14.64
It's the story of
the Syrophoenician woman.
00:16:14.67\00:16:16.77
Walk us through this
story and what's going on here.
00:16:16.81\00:16:21.11
Why does Jesus
appear to address this woman
00:16:21.14\00:16:23.95
in the way that He does?
00:16:23.98\00:16:25.28
There's something
under the surface here,
00:16:25.31\00:16:28.05
but let's walk through it.
00:16:28.08\00:16:29.45
>>Tom: Yeah, so this
is one of those rare times
00:16:29.48\00:16:32.05
when Jesus goes outside of
the land of Judea or Galilee.
00:16:32.09\00:16:36.06
He goes up to the region
of Tyre and Sidon, and it says
00:16:36.09\00:16:40.30
in verse 24, "He [enters]
a house and did not want
00:16:40.33\00:16:43.10
anyone to know, yet
He could not be hidden."
00:16:43.13\00:16:45.27
This is, again, that
secrecy revelation thing.
00:16:45.30\00:16:47.60
And so, there's this
woman: "Immediately a woman
00:16:47.64\00:16:51.27
"whose little
daughter had an unclean spirit
00:16:51.31\00:16:53.41
heard of Him and came
and fell down at His feet."
00:16:53.44\00:16:56.95
Now, He's inside a house,
it's important, and she comes
00:16:56.98\00:17:00.62
and she falls down at His
feet, and that's important, too,
00:17:00.65\00:17:03.62
which we'll see as
this story progresses, okay?
00:17:03.65\00:17:06.02
So, she comes in, and
"She [begs] Him to cast
00:17:06.05\00:17:10.49
the demon out of her daughter."
00:17:10.53\00:17:12.89
Now, in most of the
stories, when somebody comes
00:17:12.93\00:17:15.66
and asks Jesus for help,
immediately He helps them.
00:17:15.70\00:17:20.14
Now, we find a few experiences
where He asks people questions
00:17:20.17\00:17:22.87
and everything, but
the truth of the matter is,
00:17:22.90\00:17:26.88
throughout the Gospels,
00:17:26.91\00:17:28.88
and I'd like our listeners
to really recognize this:
00:17:28.91\00:17:31.71
Anybody who
comes to Jesus for help
00:17:31.75\00:17:34.78
always gets it.
00:17:34.82\00:17:36.28
Anybody who comes to
Jesus for help always gets it.
00:17:36.32\00:17:39.32
Now, people who come to
argue with Him typically lose.
00:17:39.35\00:17:43.96
[chuckles] So, it's not
good to argue with Jesus,
00:17:43.99\00:17:46.36
but anybody who
comes for help gets help.
00:17:46.39\00:17:49.76
Now, this story is a
little odd in that regard.
00:17:49.80\00:17:53.50
She asks Him for
help, "And He said to her"--
00:17:53.54\00:17:58.31
in verse 27--
00:17:58.34\00:17:59.91
"'Let the children be fed
first, for it is not right
00:17:59.94\00:18:03.41
to take the children's bread
and throw it to the dogs.'"
00:18:03.45\00:18:07.58
I used to teach a
class on world religions,
00:18:08.92\00:18:11.52
and I would have visitors come.
Students loved the visitors.
00:18:11.55\00:18:16.56
And I used to have a
Jewish rabbi come and talk
00:18:16.59\00:18:20.13
to the students, talk
about Judaism, what was special
00:18:20.16\00:18:22.63
to him about
Judaism and so forth.
00:18:22.66\00:18:24.97
And I would have the--allow
the students to ask questions.
00:18:25.00\00:18:28.30
Now, eventually I learned that
I needed to teach the students
00:18:28.34\00:18:31.64
how to ask questions
00:18:31.67\00:18:33.38
because I had a student
one time ask this rabbi,
00:18:33.41\00:18:36.01
"Why don't you believe
in Jesus?" [laughs ruefully]
00:18:36.04\00:18:39.11
A pretty confrontational
kind of question to ask a rabbi.
00:18:39.15\00:18:43.52
The rabbi
referred to this passage.
00:18:43.55\00:18:46.86
He said, "Jesus
called a woman a dog."
00:18:46.89\00:18:51.03
Now, you know, even in
that day and even today,
00:18:51.06\00:18:54.93
to call somebody a dog is, you
know, that's a real put-down.
00:18:54.96\00:18:59.50
All right, so how
would we answer this rabbi
00:18:59.53\00:19:01.94
who said he
didn't believe in Jesus
00:19:01.97\00:19:04.27
because He
called this woman a dog?
00:19:04.31\00:19:06.94
And that's a pretty
serious kind of accusation.
00:19:06.98\00:19:10.78
You have to look at this passage
a little bit more carefully
00:19:10.81\00:19:14.12
to see the answer to that.
00:19:14.15\00:19:16.79
First of all, He says,
"Let the children be fed first."
00:19:16.82\00:19:21.02
That "first" implies a
second that's going to come.
00:19:21.06\00:19:24.63
"For it is not right to
take the children's bread
00:19:24.66\00:19:27.20
and throw it to the dogs."
00:19:27.23\00:19:29.03
Now, in this setting, Jesus
is in a house, the woman is
00:19:29.06\00:19:34.27
bowed before Him, He's
describing the children's bread,
00:19:34.30\00:19:38.11
they're going to
give it to the dogs
00:19:38.14\00:19:39.61
who are inside the
house, maybe under the table.
00:19:39.64\00:19:42.28
So, there's a clear kind
of representation here that
00:19:42.31\00:19:45.88
what He's talking about is
what the woman sees is going on.
00:19:45.91\00:19:49.48
So these dogs were dogs
that were inside the house.
00:19:49.52\00:19:53.32
They were not outside dogs.
00:19:53.36\00:19:55.19
So, there's already a sense
of they're part of the family,
00:19:55.22\00:19:58.43
and this idea of "feed
the children first" implies,
00:19:58.46\00:20:01.90
all right, that's not the
only people who will be fed.
00:20:01.93\00:20:04.90
In fact, in the Gospels--well,
in--actually, if we go
00:20:04.93\00:20:09.17
to the book of Romans, people
don't often recognize this,
00:20:09.20\00:20:12.27
but Paul says
that the gospel news,
00:20:12.31\00:20:15.58
if you go over to
Romans, chapter 1,
00:20:15.61\00:20:18.61
you find that Paul says that
the gospel message--he says,
00:20:18.65\00:20:26.32
"For I am not
ashamed of the gospel,
00:20:26.35\00:20:27.72
for it is the power of
God"-- this is Romans 1:16--
00:20:27.76\00:20:30.66
"it is the power of God
for salvation to everyone
00:20:30.69\00:20:33.50
who believes, to the Jew
first and also to the Greek."
00:20:33.53\00:20:38.53
Okay? So Jesus--Paul
is following Jesus here.
00:20:38.57\00:20:42.97
"Let the children be
fed first," all right?
00:20:43.00\00:20:45.47
So there was a gospel order.
00:20:45.51\00:20:47.01
We kind of think,
well, that can't be right.
00:20:47.04\00:20:49.01
Everybody's equal.
00:20:49.04\00:20:50.65
Well, [chuckles] they are
the chosen people, all right?
00:20:50.68\00:20:53.58
So, Jesus is saying that
the children would be fed first,
00:20:53.62\00:20:57.75
but that means that the
Gentiles would be fed, too.
00:20:57.79\00:20:59.69
Calling her a dog isn't
the same as saying, you know,
00:20:59.72\00:21:03.19
"She's just worthless."
She's inside the house.
00:21:03.22\00:21:05.53
She's part of the
family that's there together.
00:21:05.56\00:21:08.33
And she recognizes it, she
calls on Him to let her have
00:21:08.36\00:21:12.30
that kind of
relationship, and He agrees.
00:21:12.33\00:21:16.10
So that's really a response
to that kind of argument.
00:21:16.14\00:21:19.64
It's a little in your
face, if we might say,
00:21:19.67\00:21:22.88
that Jesus would say
such a thing, but it actually
00:21:22.91\00:21:25.45
taught that the Gentiles were to
be included, just like the Jews.
00:21:25.48\00:21:30.12
Now, our earliest
manuscript of the Gospel of Mark
00:21:30.15\00:21:34.99
is Papyrus 45, comes
from the 3rd century AD,
00:21:35.02\00:21:39.66
and it doesn't have the
"yes." It just say, "Lord."
00:21:39.69\00:21:45.37
Now, if you think
about that for a moment,
00:21:45.40\00:21:49.70
which is more respectful?
00:21:49.74\00:21:51.57
"Yes, Lord"?
00:21:51.61\00:21:54.78
"Yes, Lord; yet even the dogs"--
00:21:54.81\00:21:58.78
let's see where I'm at.
00:21:58.81\00:21:59.65
Yeah, "Yet even the
dogs under the table
00:21:59.68\00:22:01.58
eat the children's breadcrumbs."
00:22:01.62\00:22:03.55
Or would it be, "Lord,
even the dogs under the table
00:22:03.59\00:22:09.12
eat the children's crumbs"?
00:22:09.16\00:22:10.29
Which one is more respectful?
00:22:10.33\00:22:13.23
Probably the, "Yes, Lord."
>>Eric: Seems that "Yes, Lord,"
00:22:13.26\00:22:15.53
because there's
an agreement there.
00:22:15.56\00:22:16.87
>>Tom: Yeah, yeah,
He's agreeing with her.
00:22:16.90\00:22:18.20
But when she doesn't say "yes,"
when she just says "Lord,"
00:22:18.23\00:22:21.00
she's kind of--she's
confronting Him, you know.
00:22:21.04\00:22:24.37
She's confronting Him a
bit. She's arguing with Him.
00:22:24.41\00:22:27.28
That's probably
what the original was.
00:22:27.31\00:22:29.28
"Lord, even the
dogs under the table
00:22:29.31\00:22:32.11
eat the children's crumbs."
00:22:32.15\00:22:34.12
So, she's arguing with Jesus.
00:22:34.15\00:22:37.95
Now, this is the
only person in the Gospels
00:22:37.99\00:22:41.46
who argues with
Jesus and wins. [laughs]
00:22:41.49\00:22:45.03
But He wanted her to win.
00:22:45.06\00:22:47.96
He gave her clues that
she should keep on pressing
00:22:47.96\00:22:51.20
by saying "the children first"
and then making the metaphor
00:22:51.23\00:22:55.20
clear that the dogs who were
let into the house are allowed.
00:22:55.24\00:22:58.47
Now, her statement is really
interesting because she says,
00:22:58.51\00:23:02.28
"Lord,... even the
dogs under the table
00:23:02.31\00:23:04.25
eat the children's crumbs."
00:23:04.28\00:23:06.08
She's asking Him to heal her
daughter of a demon possession,
00:23:06.11\00:23:09.92
which is a big miracle, but
she's calling it just a crumb.
00:23:09.95\00:23:13.96
So she's actually
elevating Him, and she's saying
00:23:13.99\00:23:17.63
all she's asking for is
just a little bit of His mercy.
00:23:17.66\00:23:21.43
And of course,
He shows His mercy.
00:23:21.46\00:23:23.50
He says, you know, "For
this statement you may go...;
00:23:23.53\00:23:25.60
the demon has
left your daughter."
00:23:25.63\00:23:26.94
It's a beautiful
story in that sense.
00:23:26.97\00:23:28.34
Now, this is an illustration
of that inside out of the person
00:23:28.37\00:23:33.34
now the--He's breaking
down the walls of prejudice.
00:23:33.38\00:23:35.84
So the previous story talked
about how Gentiles and Jews
00:23:35.88\00:23:39.45
could come together,
and here He is illustrating
00:23:39.48\00:23:42.22
that that's
possible for that to happen.
00:23:42.25\00:23:43.99
>>Eric: So it just carries--the
thought carries down through.
00:23:44.02\00:23:47.12
>>Tom: Carries it through.
>>Eric: Not random stories,
00:23:47.16\00:23:49.36
but a connection
between them. >>Tom: Mm-hmm.
00:23:49.39\00:23:52.03
>>Eric: As we're walking
down through the book of Mark,
00:23:52.06\00:23:54.23
we're getting now to chapter 8,
00:23:54.30\00:23:56.46
and I noticed in the
study, in the quarterly,
00:23:56.50\00:24:00.30
there's a significant story
at the beginning of chapter 8
00:24:00.34\00:24:03.34
that really doesn't get--well,
it doesn't get mentioned
00:24:03.37\00:24:07.11
in the study guide.
>>Tom: it doesn't get mentioned.
00:24:07.14\00:24:08.88
Right.
00:24:08.91\00:24:09.94
>>Eric: Any
particular reason why?
00:24:09.98\00:24:11.65
>>Tom: Okay, so when I wrote
the "Sabbath School" quarterly,
00:24:11.68\00:24:14.82
they gave me very
strict, kind of, word limits
00:24:14.85\00:24:18.79
of what you could talk about,
and there's only 13 lessons
00:24:18.82\00:24:21.82
for--covering 16
chapters of the Gospel of Mark.
00:24:21.86\00:24:25.16
So, there really wasn't enough
space to cover everything.
00:24:25.19\00:24:30.27
I had to make choices.
00:24:30.30\00:24:31.57
And so, I left out the
important story of the feeding
00:24:31.60\00:24:35.74
of the 4,000 that's at
the beginning of chapter 8.
00:24:35.77\00:24:38.87
Now, if you want to get that
story, then what you need to do
00:24:38.91\00:24:44.11
is buy the commentary
that's going to be coming out.
00:24:44.15\00:24:47.28
There's a new
series of commentaries,
00:24:47.32\00:24:48.85
"The Seventh-day Adventist
International Bible Commentary."
00:24:48.88\00:24:51.55
Three of the volumes
have already been published,
00:24:51.59\00:24:54.26
and they're--Pacific
Press is planning to publish,
00:24:54.29\00:24:57.59
probably, several volumes
each year now until we're done.
00:24:57.63\00:25:01.06
We've been working on
this project since 2011.
00:25:01.10\00:25:03.90
It's a series of
Adventist scholars
00:25:03.93\00:25:05.73
from around the
world-- that's why it's called
00:25:05.77\00:25:07.07
"International
Bible Commentary"--
00:25:07.10\00:25:09.00
and they're doing very careful
work to make a good presentation
00:25:09.04\00:25:13.94
to be very
helpful to the church.
00:25:13.98\00:25:16.28
If you enjoy the old commentary
series, you're going to enjoy
00:25:16.31\00:25:19.11
this one even more because
it's got a lot more depth,
00:25:19.15\00:25:22.28
a lot more information,
a lot more commentary
00:25:22.32\00:25:25.19
in all portions
of the Scripture.
00:25:25.22\00:25:27.99
So, well worth getting.
00:25:28.02\00:25:29.49
Now, most people when
they read a commentary,
00:25:29.52\00:25:30.83
they don't read it all the
way through. They're looking
00:25:30.86\00:25:32.26
for a particular text
when they got a question, so.
00:25:32.29\00:25:34.46
You'll find that
in this new series.
00:25:34.46\00:25:36.60
>>Eric: So three volumes
already out and more coming.
00:25:36.63\00:25:40.04
>>Tom: Yup, and
they're available from the ABC.
00:25:40.07\00:25:42.44
>>Eric: Very, very good.
00:25:42.47\00:25:43.77
All right, so we kind of skip
through that because of time
00:25:43.81\00:25:46.94
or space purposes or reasons.
00:25:46.98\00:25:49.61
We get down a little bit later
in chapter 8, and the Pharisees
00:25:49.64\00:25:53.52
ask Jesus for a sign.
00:25:53.55\00:25:56.28
Maybe you have once or
twice asked Jesus for a sign
00:25:56.32\00:25:59.89
or know somebody who
asked Jesus for a sign.
00:25:59.92\00:26:02.72
The Pharisees
ask Jesus for a sign,
00:26:02.76\00:26:04.63
and He doesn't give them one.
00:26:04.66\00:26:07.23
Why not? >>Tom: Right.
00:26:07.30\00:26:09.90
"The Pharisees came...began
to argue with Him"--verse 11--
00:26:09.93\00:26:12.27
"seeking from Him a
sign from heaven to test Him.
00:26:12.30\00:26:15.77
"And He sighed deeply
in His spirit and said,
00:26:15.80\00:26:19.77
"'Why does this generation seek
a sign? Truly, I say to you,
00:26:19.81\00:26:23.21
"no sign will be
given to this generation.'
00:26:23.24\00:26:26.11
"And He left them,
got in the boat again,
00:26:26.15\00:26:27.95
and went to the other side."
00:26:27.98\00:26:29.28
So they'd already had the signs.
00:26:29.32\00:26:31.59
They had already had plenty
of, you know, demonstrations
00:26:31.62\00:26:35.09
of His power, of His miracles,
00:26:35.12\00:26:37.29
and they just want,
you know, want more.
00:26:37.33\00:26:39.63
It's really reminiscent of
the parable of the rich man
00:26:39.66\00:26:44.60
and Lazarus, where the rich man
in hell says, "Oh, send my"--
00:26:44.63\00:26:48.94
you know, "raise
Lazarus from the dead."
00:26:48.97\00:26:50.21
And Jesus says--Abraham answers
him, "Look, if they won't listen
00:26:50.24\00:26:56.11
"to Moses and the prophets,
they wouldn't listen to somebody
00:26:56.14\00:26:58.45
even if he was
raised from the dead."
00:26:58.48\00:27:00.22
And you know what, somebody
named Lazarus was raised
00:27:00.25\00:27:02.78
from the dead, and they
planned to kill him, too.
00:27:02.82\00:27:05.29
You know, that's
described in the Gospel of John.
00:27:05.32\00:27:08.46
So, He doesn't give
them a sign because a sign
00:27:08.49\00:27:10.79
wouldn't make any
difference to them, you know.
00:27:10.83\00:27:13.13
Now, do we ask signs of God?
00:27:13.16\00:27:15.10
You know, sometimes we may
ask God for a sign, to show us,
00:27:15.13\00:27:19.10
and He does promise to lead
us, and He, you know, sometimes
00:27:19.13\00:27:22.04
He'll give us a providential
sign that shows us the way.
00:27:22.07\00:27:24.94
So it's not wrong
to ask for a sign,
00:27:24.97\00:27:27.61
but not in the
way that they were.
00:27:27.64\00:27:29.44
It was hypocrites
asking for more proof
00:27:29.48\00:27:32.58
that they didn't
want to believe anyways.
00:27:32.61\00:27:34.05
>>Eric: And they
didn't need any more evidence.
00:27:34.08\00:27:36.25
>>No. Yep.
>>Eric: Plenty was given.
00:27:36.28\00:27:38.52
Well, we hope that this week's
study has been a blessing to you
00:27:38.55\00:27:41.12
as we have gone through
it, and hopefully it's helped
00:27:41.16\00:27:43.69
to clarify a few things in
your mind, and now you can share
00:27:43.73\00:27:46.70
those clarifications with others
to encourage them in their walk.
00:27:46.73\00:27:50.43
We look forward to
seeing you again next time
00:27:50.47\00:27:52.93
when you join us
here on "Sabbath School,"
00:27:52.97\00:27:55.64
brought to you by It Is Written.
00:27:55.67\00:27:57.94
[uplifting music]
00:27:57.97\00:28:00.48
[uplifting music]
00:28:24.47\00:28:26.94
[Captions provided by Aberdeen
Captioning www.abercap.com]
00:28:26.97\00:28:41.98