Hearken Unto Jesus - Mark 7:14

Mark wrote how Jesus told the “Pharisees and scribes”, “Full well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honor your father and your mother; and, Whosoever curses father or mother, let him die the death. But you say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever you might be profited by me; he shall be free. And you suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother. Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which you have delivered: and many such like things do you”, and in chapter seven and verse fourteen of his book, Mark wrote how Jesus told the people, “hearken unto me every one of you” where we read:

And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them,

Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:

The verse reads, “And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, ...” Mark began with the words, “and when” which means “and at the time and moment” “he had called” or “Jesus bid, beckoned, summoned and invited” “all the people” which means “each, every, the whole and everyone of the crowd and multitude” “unto him” or “to Jesus Himself”, “he said” or “Jesus uttered, declared and proclaimed” “unto them” which refers to “to the crowd and multitude”. Mark shared how Jesus turned away from the “religious leaders” and invited the multitude of people to come to Him as He began to speak.

The verse goes on to say, “... Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:” Mark continued with the words, “hearken unto me” which means “be endowed with the faculty of hearing, perceive, comprehend and understand” “every one of you” or “each, the whole and all of the multitude”, “and understand” which means “and have knowledge, be wise and comprehend”. Mark shared how Jesus instructed the crowd of people to “listen to Him” and to “comprehend” what He is going to declare.

When we think through Mark's words in this verse, we see how Jesus wanted people to understand what He was going to say. God wants people to know His word, and as they read and study the scriptures, He speaks through His Holy Spirit and begins to equip them with righteousness and godliness according to His ways. The “religious leaders” taught their own “man-made rules” and “traditions” which invalidated God's law, and Jesus was to correct their teachings. Jesus is the Christ and Messiah sent from God, and by believing and trusting in Him, not only shall a person receive “everlasting life”, but they also receive “age abiding life” to live in the now according to God's law.

Next time Mark shares how Jesus tells the people, “there is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".