God At The Market Place

Mark 7: 1-23

God At The Market Place

The closing of chapter 6 is also the introduction to chapter 7 and our Gospel text. In which Jesus and his disciples have crossed Lake Galilee to the land at Gennesaret on the north-western bank of the lake. Gennesaret was a small, but a very fertile plain rich in agriculture. It was also richly populated because of its agriculture and fishing industry. With so many people there it became a great place for Jesus to carry out his ministry.

Gennesaret was also a region for selling and buying. Fishermen would sell their harvest of fish either from their moored boats at the shore or a little further on amongst those who were selling the harvest of the field. People came from everywhere to buy their daily needs. Locals, travellers, and visitors would all meet not only to do business but also to talk, socialise, eat, and to help each other. The setting and atmosphere is very much of a market place. It is into this setting that Jesus comes to do his ministry.

Jesus often teaches in parables and uses the familiar things of the people around him to help demonstrate his point. And so in our text today, Jesus uses food and the eating of it to demonstrate his point. For now, the primary point that I would like you to see from the setting of our Gospel text is that, God is at the market place doing what he does best, teaching and helping people.

As Jesus arrived at the shore of Gennesaret the people looked up and they recognised him as their helper, their saviour. Wherever he went in the neighbourhood people brought out to him the sick that he may heal them. They placed the sick in the market places so that the sick may have an opportunity to reach out and touch Jesus for healing. Once again, the atmosphere in the market place contains in part aspiring dreams, great expectations, good will, love, hope, joy, peace, and salvation. Much of this market place atmosphere is happening because God is at the market place moving about creating and preserving life.

But now, the air has been fouled by the arrival of the Pharisees with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem. They are the ones busy practising the Law. A part of that practise is to ensure that everyone is doing the right thing by them. The scribes study the Law, talk about it, make changes to it, and probably dream about it too. They seem to be preoccupied with it more than anything else. They have come from Jerusalem, the city and capital of the Law. Many people also refer to Jerusalem as the city of God since the house of God is there too. That might be so, and unlike the Pharisees and scribes we know that God is not there contained in his house but busy at the market place.

The Pharisees and scribes look up and see Jesus. They don’t see a helper and saviour like the other people, but they see only the dirt on the hands of his disciples while eating food and the dirt in the market place. As they move to Jesus to challenge him in this matter the people move away. The Pharisees and scribes through holding an arrogant attitude of the Law form a kind of barrier around Jesus making it difficult for others to get to him.

A discussion arises between Jesus and the antagonists from Jerusalem. The Pharisees and scribes are concerned over the ritual of cleanliness before eating. They furthermore accuse the disciples of Jesus for abandoning the Law of God and the tradition of the elders. Likewise, Jesus accuses them for leaving the commandment of God and holding fast to the “tradition of men”. They seem to be accusing each other over the same thing that is, not following the right tradition.

The Gospel writer Mark, at this point gives an explanatory note in our Gospel text, saying that, all the Jews perform the ritual of washing cups, and pots, and bowls. I believe that Mark uses irony through this explanatory note to help polarise the two different perspectives from God. At one end, God is at the market place doing wonderful things and giving life to the people. At the other end some vocal locals are focussed on whether a bowl is clean enough for food. And yet both parties are arguing about the right meaning of tradition. Then what is the difference?

Let us never forget that the Word of God is thousands of years old. It has been handed down and practised through the generations. It is the best tradition that we can adhere to. It is a living tradition that gives life. God gave this tradition first to Moses then to all the people of Israel, and now we have it too. And within those traditions came the washing of cups, pots, and bowls. They are also part of God’s Word to Moses. Then, where is the problem with tradition?