Bible study · Mark 7:1-37
Mark 7: From within
Read Mark 7:1-37 before you meet.
In a few lines
In Mark 7, Jesus never says "the tradition of the elders"; he says "the tradition of men" (7:8), and sets it against Moses' words, which he calls "the commandment of God" and "the word of God" (7:9-13). And the one who answers him "Yes, Lord" is a Greek woman (7:26-28).
The verse to carry
“There is nothing from outside of the man that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man.”
Mark 7:15
To talk about
1. "This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me" (7:6). Where is it easiest for you to say the right words while your heart is somewhere else?
2. "All these evil things come from within and defile the man" (7:23). Why do you think it can feel easier to keep outward rules than to let Jesus deal with what comes from within?
3. The woman answered Jesus, "Yes, Lord. Yet even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs" (7:28). When have you kept asking Jesus for someone else, and what kept you asking?