In his An Introduction to the New Testament, the late Raymond Brown describes the evangelist known as Mark’s seventh chapter as “A controversy over ritual purity.”[1] On Tuesday, we heard the beginning of the chapter, where Mark explains to his gentile readers about the Jewish customs associated with food and drink. He notes, “The hard-fought struggles over kosher food attested in Acts and Paul would be difficult to explain if Jesus had settled the issue from the beginning.”[2] Mark is also challenging the piety of Jewish Christians who continue the ritual practices of Jews. The Pharisees and scribes asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders?—but they eat bread with impure hands.”[3] Jesus’ response was, “You forsake the commandment of God and hold fast to the tradition of human beings.”[4]
Read more