Clean and Unclean - Mark 7:1-23
Understand It
- Who was gathered around Jesus? (7:1)
- What did the Pharisees and teachers of the law notice? (7:1-2)
- How were the practices of Jesus’ disciples different from those of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law? (7:2-4)
- What were the Pharisees and teachers of the law concerned about? Why? (7:2-5)
- Why were the Pharisees and teachers of the law concerned about what Jesus’ disciples were doing? (7:3-4)
- What did the Pharisees ask Jesus? (7:5)
- How did Jesus avoid answering the Pharisees’ question directly? (7:6)
- What were the Pharisees doing wrong? (7:6-8)
- Of what did Jesus accuse the Pharisees? (7:6-13)
- How were the Pharisees being hypocritical in this instance? (7:9)
- What example did Jesus give to prove His accusations against the Pharisees? (7:10-12)
- How did Jesus use the Law of Moses? (7:10-19)
- How did Jesus place tradition in proper perspective? (7:10-19)
- How did the Pharisees’ use of "unclean" differ from Jesus’? (7:14-23)
- How did Jesus explain the parable to His disciples? (7:18-23)
- What actually makes a person "unclean"? (7:20-23)
Apply It
- What can you do to honor the commands of God above your traditions?
- What is one practice that you can eliminate or modify to help you focus on the teaching of Jesus?
- What is one step you can take to guard against hypocrisy?
The Faith of a Syrophoenician Woman - Mark 7:24-30
Understand It
- What did Jesus try to keep secret? How? (7:24)
- Why did a certain woman want to see Jesus? (7:25)
- What did the woman do when she saw Jesus? Why? (7:25)
- Who came to see Jesus? Why? (7:25-26)
- What was this woman’s background? (7:26)
- What did the woman in the story want from Jesus? (7:26)
- How did Jesus respond to this woman? (7:27)
- To whom was Jesus referring when He spoke of children? (7:27)
- What did this woman call Jesus? (7:28)
- How did the woman appeal Jesus’ decision not to help her? (7:28)
- What made the woman so persistent? (7:28)
- Why was Jesus impressed with the woman? (7:28-29)
- What happened to the woman and her daughter? (7:30)
Apply It
- What is one area of your life that you will commit to the Lord in faith today?
- What concrete step can you take to show your faith in the Lord and your dependence on His power?
The Healing of a Deaf and Mute Man - Mark 7:31-37
Understand It
- Where did the events of this story take place? (7:31)
- Who was brought to Jesus? Why? (7:32)
- What attitude did the people have toward Jesus? (7:32)
- What did Jesus do for the man who was deaf and could hardly speak? (7:33-36)
- What method did Jesus use to heal the man who came to Him? (7:33-36)
- What did Jesus do so that the man would know it was Jesus who helped him? (7:33-36)
- What happened to the deaf man? (7:35)
- How was the deaf man’s life changed because of Jesus? (7:35-37)
- What command of Jesus got the opposite effect He intended? (7:36)
- How did the people react to Jesus and His miraculous power? (7:36-37)
- What difference did this miracle make in the lives of the people who witnessed it? (7:36-37)
- Why couldn’t the people stop talking about Jesus? (7:37)
Apply It
- What is one area of your life that you can commit to the Lord and trust Him to work through?
- What can you do this next week to show your thanks to God for His work in your life?
- How can you trust God with your needs?
- What can you do to reach out to someone in need this week?
