When
he had entered into a house away from the multitude, his disciples asked him about the parable. He said to them, “Are you also without understanding?
Mark 7:17-18a
Mark 7 [14.] He called all the multitude to himself, and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. There is nothing from outside of the man, that going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Mark 7 [17.] When he had entered into a house away from the multitude, his disciples asked him about the parable. He said to them, “Are you also without understanding? Don’t you perceive that whatever goes into the man from outside can’t defile him, because it doesn’t go into his heart, but into his stomach, then into the latrine, thus purifying all foods?” He said, “That which proceeds out of the man, that defiles the man. For from within, out of the hearts of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, sexual sins, murders, thefts, covetings, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”
Mark 7 [24.] From there he arose, and went away into the borders of Tyre and Sidon. He entered into a house, and didn’t want anyone to know it, but he couldn’t escape notice. For a woman, whose little daughter had an unclean spirit, having heard of him, came and fell down at his feet. Now the woman was a Greek, a Syrophoenician by race. She begged him that he would cast the demon out of her daughter. But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
Meaning:
After speaking to the crowd, Jesus withdraws into a house, and the disciples ask him what his puzzling saying about defilement meant. Before he explains, Jesus asks a question of his own: "Are you also without understanding?" This short scene shows both the patience of Jesus as a teacher and the honest slowness of his first followers, and it encourages every learner who has ever needed things explained twice.
- Away from the Multitude
Mark often describes Jesus teaching the crowds publicly and then explaining things privately to his disciples. After the parable of the sower, "those who were around him with the twelve asked him about the parables," and Jesus told them, "To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom" (Mark 4:11). Mark sums up the pattern: "privately to his own disciples he explained everything" (Mark 4:33-34).
Houses were natural places for such teaching. In a Galilean village a house was usually a simple stone dwelling around a shared courtyard, where a rabbi and his students could eat, rest and talk late into the evening. Away from critics and crowds, the disciples could ask the questions they did not dare ask in public.
- Why Call It a Parable?
The disciples ask about "the parable," even though Jesus' saying in verse 15 was not a story. The Greek word for parable, like the Hebrew word behind it, could describe any figurative or riddling saying: a proverb, a comparison or a short, puzzling statement that needs unpacking. Jesus' words about what goes in and what comes out sounded like a riddle, because they cut across everything the disciples had been taught about clean and unclean food.
- “Are You Also Without Understanding?”
The word "also" is pointed. The crowds had misunderstood, and the Pharisees had resisted; now even the inner circle was struggling. Jesus had asked a similar question after the parable of the sower (Mark 4:13). His tone is a mixture of disappointment and gentle rebuke, but he does not leave them in confusion. He goes on immediately to explain (Mark 7:18-23).
Mark is remarkably honest about the disciples' slowness. Early church tradition links this Gospel with the preaching of Peter, which means some of these unflattering stories were probably told by Peter himself. Years later Peter still had to learn the lesson of this chapter through a vision, and only then could he say that God "doesn’t show favoritism" (Acts 10:34-35). Full understanding came only after the resurrection, when the risen Jesus "opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures" (Luke 24:45).
The Significance of Mark 7:17
- Bring Your Questions to Jesus
The disciples did the right thing: they took their confusion to Jesus. Believers today can do the same in prayer and in the study of Scripture. "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach" (James 1:5), for "Yahweh gives wisdom" (Proverbs 2:6).
- Patience with Slow Learners
Jesus' question exposes dullness, but his answer shows patience. He keeps teaching the same people who keep misunderstanding him. That should encourage us when we feel slow to grasp spiritual truth, and it should shape how we treat others who are still learning. Spiritual understanding is a gift of God's Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:14), not a mark of superiority.
Cross-References:
Mark 4:33-34: "With many such parables he spoke the word to them, as they were able to hear it. Without a parable he didn’t speak to them; but privately to his own disciples he explained everything." The private explanation in Mark 7:17 follows Jesus' usual pattern.
Mark 4:11: "To you is given the mystery of God’s Kingdom, but to those who are outside, all things are done in parables." The disciples are given understanding as a gift, not as an achievement.
Luke 24:45: "Then he opened their minds, that they might understand the Scriptures." The risen Lord finally opens the minds of the slow disciples.
James 1:5: "But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach; and it will be given to him." God welcomes those who come asking for understanding.
Conclusion: Mark 7:17 shows the disciples bringing their confusion to Jesus and receiving both a gentle rebuke and a patient explanation. Their slowness is a comfort to every learner, and their example of asking is a model. When God's word puzzles or challenges us, we can bring our questions to the Lord, who still opens minds to understand.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible