Mark 7:1-23
“There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.” (Mark 7:15, NKJV)
The Pharisees were experts in religion. They had ritual washings to ensure that they didn’t consume anything unclean. But with these came a judgmental spirit, and they found fault with Jesus’ disciples for not following their rules.
Jesus exposed their hypocrisy, for they had set aside the commandments of God for the sake of their traditions. While they appeared to be pious before the people, their hearts were far from God. Jesus would later accuse them of straining a gnat but swallowing a camel!
Therefore, Jesus called the people to Himself and said that it isn’t what you consume from the outside that defiles you, but what comes out of you that defiles you. The disciples did not understand, so they asked Jesus what He meant by this.
Jesus explained that what you consume goes into the stomach and is eliminated. Then He said:
“What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:20–23, ESV)
Read that list again slowly. Do you struggle with any of these sins of the heart? I think that if you say ‘no’, then you are likely guilty of self-deceit or spiritual pride. The truth is that we all have a traitor within in the form of our flesh. And from the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. Many of us have become defiled by what we have said about others or by the evil thoughts that we share. How we need the Lord to truly cleanse our temple and sanctify it so that no unworthy thought can survive!
“Heavenly Father, thank you for your great mercy and lovingkindness. Forgive us when we have allowed evil thoughts to overflow into our speech. Forgive us when we have defiled ourselves by what comes out of our hearts. Cleanse and sanctify us by your Spirit and your Word. May the words of our mouth and the meditations of our heart be acceptable in your sight. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.”