Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
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Mark
Book: Mark
Chapter: 7
Overview:
The traditions of the elders.
(1-13) What defiles the
Man.
(14-23) The
Woman of
Canaan's
Daughter cured.
(24-30) Christ
restores a
Man to hearing and speech.
(31-37)
1-13 One great design of
Christ's coming was, to set aside the
ceremonial
Law; and to make way for this, he rejects the
ceremonies men added to the
Law of
God's making. Those
Clean
hands and that pure
Heart which
Christ bestows
On his disciples,
and requires of them, are very different from the outward and
superstitious forms of
Pharisees of every
Age.
Jesus reproves
them for rejecting the commandment of
God. It is clear that it
is the duty of children, if their parents are
Poor, to relieve
them as far as they are able; and if children deserve to die
that
Curse their parents, much more those that starve them. But
if a
Man conformed to the traditions of the
Pharisees, they
found a device to free him from the claim of this duty.
14-23 Our wicked thoughts and affections, words and actions,
defile us, and these only. As a corrupt
Fountain sends forth
corrupt streams,
So does a corrupt
Heart send forth corrupt
reasonings, corrupt appetites and passions, and all the wicked
words and actions that come from them. A spiritual understanding
of the
Law of
God, and a sense of the evil of
Sin, will cause a
Man to seek for the
Grace of the Holy
Spirit, to keep down the
evil thoughts and affections that work within.
24-30 Christ never
Put any from him that fell at his feet,
which a
Poor trembling soul may do. As she was a good
Woman,
So
a good mother. This sent her to
Christ. His saying, Let the
children first be filled, shows that there was
Mercy for the
Gentiles, and not far off. She spoke, not as making
Light of the
Mercy, but magnifying the abundance of miraculous cures among
the Jews, in comparison with which a single cure was but as a
crumb. Thus, while proud
Pharisees are left
By the blessed
Saviour, he manifests his compassion to
Poor humbled sinners,
who look to him for children's
Bread. He still goes about to
seek and save the lost.
31-37 Here is a cure of one that was deaf and
Dumb. Those who
brought this
Poor Man to
Christ, besought him to observe the
case, and
Put forth his power. Our
Lord used more outward
actions in the doing of this cure than usual. These were only
signs of
Christ's power to cure the
Man, to encourage his
Faith,
and theirs that brought him. Though we find great variety in the
cases and manner of relief of those who applied to
Christ, yet
all obtained the relief they sought. Thus it still is in the
great concerns of our souls.