Daily Lesson for Sunday 4th of August 2024

One can imagine children studying this passage in Sabbath School and coming home to tell their mothers that they do not have to wash their hands before eating because Jesus said so. However, this story is not about hygiene.

Image © Darrel Tank at Goodsalt.com

In Jesus’ day, many people in that land were very concerned with ritual purity. During the time between the testaments, the idea of washing hands in order to remain ritually pure was extended to common people, even though these rules originally applied only to the priests in the Old Testament (Exodus 30:17-21). It is in keeping with this concept that the religious leaders complain to Jesus about His disciples.

Jesus does not directly answer the question asked of Him. Instead, He defends His disciples in a two-pronged response. First, He quotes Isaiah’s strong words rebuking a nation that honors God in word but whose heart is far from Him (Isaiah 29:13). The quotation from Isaiah continues with the condemnation of putting human traditions in the place of divine commands.

The second part of Jesus’ reply plays off the Isaiah quotation. The Lord cites the command of God to honor one’s parents (Exodus 20:12)— that is, to take care of them in their old age—and contrasts this with a religious tradition where one could give something to God (a gift, corban), use it for oneself, but deny its use to elderly parents in need. One can just imagine the encounter: “I am sorry, father. I would love to help you, but I gave the money to the temple.”

It is this type of hypocrisy that Jesus attacks uncompromisingly. They have placed human tradition above the Word of God and, in so doing, have sinned.

So what was the answer to the Pharisees’ question? The response of Jesus implies that He does not find convincing their insistence on hand purification as necessary to be in accordance with the will of God. Instead, His response clearly supports the commandments of the Law over against human tradition. (See also Mark 1:44; Mark 7:10-13; Mark 10:3-8; and Mark 12:26,29-31.)

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/24c-06-human-traditions-versus-gods-commands/

Join the Hit the Mark panel as they discuss Sabbath School Lesson 5 – Miracles Around the Lake. It’s the fastest hour of the week!

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/miracles-around-the-lake-hit-the-mark-sabbath-school/

Daily Lesson for Sabbath 3rd of August 2024

Image © Pacific Press

Read for This Week’s Study

Mark 7:1-37, Isaiah 29:13, Exodus 20:12, Mark 8:11-21.

Memory Text:

“ ‘There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man’ ” (Mark 7:15, NKJV).

This week’s study is Mark 7:1-37 and the first half of Mark 8:1-38. At the beginning of Mark 7:1-37, Jesus stirs up controversy by His rejection of religious tradition. However, He does it in a way that is strikingly supportive of something deeply relevant to Christian life today.

Jesus then presents a riddle that opens the door to a true understanding of what faith is really about.

After this He goes to Tyre and Sidon and has an encounter with a woman who was the only person in the Gospels to win an argument with Jesus. His encounter with her is unusual, and underneath it there are a few secret communications the woman picked up on. And because of her faith, Jesus granted her request.

Mark 7:1-37, with another healing, reveals the important truth that, however impressive miracles can be, they alone are often not enough to open hearts to truth. After all, what good did the miracles do for the religious leaders who were bent on rejecting Jesus?

In Mark 8:1-38 the study looks at the significance of bread as a symbol of teachings and traditions. These stories contain great lessons about the meaning and practice of religious life.

*Study this week’s lesson to prepare for Sabbath, August 10.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/24c-06-inside-out/

The Mission program of the Seventh-day Adventist Church is an opportunity for us to understand the needs of others and share in supporting them. Please click on the image below to watch the Mission Spotlight presentation for this week:

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/mission-spotlight-for-august-3/

Inside Story for Friday 2nd of August 2024

By Andrew McChesney

As a university student, Anush heard many times, “When you graduate, we will give you a job.” But when she graduated, no one offered her a job.

Father was deeply worried. In Armenia, fathers often help their children get jobs. Some fathers even bribe companies to hire their children. But Father didn’t give a bribe, and Anush was jobless in her town in Armenia.

Then she learned about an interdenominational missionary organization from the United States that was looking for an Armenian translator. The job came with a small salary and required her to relocate temporarily to a nearby city, Vanadzor. She asked Father for permission to work as a translator. Armenia is a largely patriarchal society where fathers are consulted on many decisions. Father thought that working with Americans would be a good opportunity for Anush. “Yes, you can go,” he said.

Anush got the job. She was happy. Four years earlier, Father had forbidden her from going to church and getting baptized. Now she was reading the Bible, sharing Jesus with others—and getting paid for it! As she worked, a desire grew in her heart to become a missionary. When the job ended, she returned home, wondering how she could fulfill her dream. After praying and fasting for three days, she read in Exodus that God told Moses at the burning bush to ask Pharoah to let His people go to serve Him. She felt as though God was saying to her, “Go ask Father to let you serve Me.” She went to Father. “Would you allow me to study to become a missionary in another country?” she asked.

“No,” he said.

The next morning, Anush read in Exodus that Pharaoh rejected Moses’ request, but God sent Moses back, saying, “Go, talk to Pharoah.”

She went to Father. “Would you allow me to study in a missionary program to serve God?” she asked.

“No,” he said.

She continued reading Exodus. Again and again, God sent Moses to talk to Pharoah. Every time Moses talked to Pharoah, Anush spoke to Father. Father became upset. One day, he exploded. “Can you just go to the local church and get baptized and forget about becoming a missionary in another country?” he exclaimed.

Anush was confused. She hadn’t anticipated such a response. She decided to go to church. She went to a nearby city where an Adventist church was holding evangelistic meetings. When the preacher asked who wanted to be baptized, she stood up. “Are you sure?” the preacher asked. “What about your father?”

Everyone knew her story. “Father is fine with my decision,” Anush said.Father didn’t stop the baptism. With joy, Anush plunged under the water.

Part of last quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering went to open a center of influence for families like Anush’s in Yerevan, Armenia. Thank you for helping spread the gospel with your offerings. Next week: Anush sets her heart on praying Father into church.

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Source: https://ssnet.org/blog/24c-05-inside-story-unexpected-change-of-heart/