The Gospel of Mark 7:14-23
"And after He called the crowd to Him again, He began
saying to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing
outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which
proceed out of the man are what defile the man. [And if anyone has ears to
hear, let him hear.”] And when He had left the crowd and entered the
house, His disciples were asking Him about the parable."
And He said to
them, “Are you lacking understanding in this way as well? Do you not perceive
that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does
not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and goes to the sewer?” (Thus, He
declared all foods clean.) And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the
man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men,
proceed the evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries,
coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and
foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”
After Jesus had rebuked the
Pharisees for their hypocrisy and burdening of the people by their traditions,
“He called the
crowd to Him again” and began to speak to them, He made a point to speak to
them about the false notion the Priests had given them and truth of God’s law
for them. “Notion” is defined as an idea
or conception. Thus, due to the Pharisaic teaching, the people had a false
conception of the tradition concerning unwashed hands.
This is important even today because we hear but do not
listen to the truth. Jesus said, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:” He
strongly urges them to listen to and comprehend what He is about to say, that,
“there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him, but
the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man.”
This challenges the concept of Levitical ceremonial
uncleanness and the teaching of Pharisees for their belief that if any man
should touch something or someone that is “unclean” it would defile them in the
soul, spiritually.” Being blinded by this notion, Jesus corrected them and said
that such external things cannot defile the soul or spirit within a man or
woman. “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” Listen to what is
being said today in God’s word.
For even the disciples were ignorant of what Jesus was
telling them. For Jesus left the crowd and entered the house of Peter and
Andrew in Galilee and His disciples asked Him about the parable. A Parable is
an obscure and difficult saying and they could not understand it for the same
reason as the crowd. Thus, Jesus answers, “Are you lacking understanding in
this way as well?”
Jesus is charging them that, “Ignorance is more
excusable in those who are strangers to God and Christ than in those that have
relation to him.” (Matthew Poole) for they have been walking with Him since
He called them to follow Him. Being that close to Jesus is required not only of
those with Him, in that time, but also of all who follow Jesus to not be
ignorant of the teachings of the Holy Scriptures, who God is, and His Christ.
Jesus questions their knowledge and explains, “Do
you not perceive that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile
him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and goes to
the sewer?” Matthew Poole writes in his commentary, “External things do
not reach or affect the "mind," the soul," and consequently
pollute it." It may affect the body, but not the soul. The soul cannot
need cleansing by a religious ordinance. The traditions of the Pharisees,
therefore, are not founded on reason. but mere "Superstition."
Thus, whatever goes into you travels into your stomach
and is digested and the waste expelled, we know this because we eat every day,
and we expel our waste. What we eat may defile the body, but it cannot defile
the soul, therefore Jesus declared all foods clean. This cancels the ritual
food restrictions of the Old Covenant. Yes, we can eat pork and shellfish,
because the One who wrote the ceremonial law has freed people from it.
But Jesus continued, “That which proceeds out of the
man, that is what defiles the man.” James 1:13-15 states, “Let no one
say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted
by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he
is carried away and enticed by his own desire. Then when desire has conceived,
it gives birth to sin, and when sin is fully matured, it brings forth death.”
“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, sexual
immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, coveting, wickedness, deceit,
sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.” And these are only a
few of which come from the heart.
Evil thoughts manifest and shape our actions and
attitudes through impurity, adulterous, murderous, jealous, and prideful
thoughts.
Sexual Immorality is any sexual activity that occurs
outside of a biblically defined marriage relationship. This includes Adultery,
Fornication, Homosexuality, Bestiality, Prostitution, and the concepts of
Sexual promiscuity, exploitation, and objectification.
Theft is the act of taking or appropriating something
that belongs to someone else without their permission, consent, or
compensation. This includes active stealing, passive stealing, and robbery.
Murder is the unlawful and intentional killing of a
human being with premeditated malice. It is unlawful, intentional,
premeditated, malicious, and involves the taking of a human life, which is
considered sacred and precious in the eyes of God. Please understand that in
the Bible, there is a distinction between killing and murder. Killing can refer
to the act of taking a life, but it does not necessarily imply malice or
premeditation. Murder, on the other hand, is a specific type of killing that is
committed with malice and premeditation.
Adultery is the voluntary sexual relations between a
married person and someone other than their spouse. In Matthew 5:27-28
Jesus extends the definition of adultery to include lustful thoughts: “You
have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already
committed adultery with her in his heart.” Spiritually any who claim a
relationship to Christ as His bride and devotes themselves to other spiritual
teachers, philosophies, or ideologies are also considered adulterous.
Coveting is the act of desiring or longing for
something that belongs to someone else, often in an unhealthy or excessive
manner. It is a form of idolatry, where one’s desires and affections are
directed toward something other than God. It is characterized by the desire for
something that belongs to someone else. Exodus 20:17 states, “You shall not
covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his
male slave or his female slave or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs
to your neighbor.”
Wickedness is a state of being morally very bad, evil,
or sinful. It is a departure from the divine law and a disregard for justice,
righteousness, truth, honor, and virtue. Wickedness is characterized by a
mental disregard for what is right and just and is often accompanied by evil
thoughts, intentions, and actions. Types of Wickedness include Worshipping
pagan gods (Deuteronomy 12:31), Sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 6:9-10) Oppressing
the poor (Proverbs 14:31), Cruelty in warfare (Isaiah 13:6), Pride and vanity
(Proverbs 16:5), Deceit and lying (Proverbs 12:22), Covetousness and greed
(Ephesians 5:3-5)
Deceit is the intentional misleading or beguiling of
another person.
Sensuality is a concept that encompasses the enjoyment,
expression, or pursuit of physical, especially sexual, pleasure. In the
biblical context, sensuality is often associated with the gratification of the
senses, particularly the fleshly or carnal aspects of human nature. Aspects include
the fleshly or carnal aspects of human nature, which are in opposition to the
spiritual and divine aspects of human beings, the pursuit of physical pleasure,
often through the senses, such as sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. sexual
desire and the pursuit of sexual pleasure, which can be both a natural and a
sinful aspect of human nature, and an abuse of God-given gifts, such as the
gift of sight, when it is used to feast on forbidden images or indulge in
ungodly conversation, jokes, or music.
Envy involves desiring something that belongs to
someone else, accompanied by a sense of resentment or bitterness. It’s not just
coveting, for it is accompanied by resentment or bitterness. For example, if
one gets passed over for a position at work that one has coveted, and someone
else gets the position, one may feel bitter and resent their employer.
Slander is an accusation maliciously uttered, with
the purpose or effect of damaging the reputation of another. It is a false
charge, or a truth circulated insidiously and with a hostile purpose. Exodus
20:16 states, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Thus,
damaging their reputation for gain.
Pride is a sinful attitude that stems from an excessive
esteem or admiration for oneself, one’s accomplishments, or one’s possessions.
It is characterized by a haughty or arrogant spirit, which can lead to a lack
of humility, self-centeredness, and a refusal to acknowledge one’s limitations
or weaknesses. It is characterized by excessive self-esteem, haughtiness, a
lack of humility, self-centeredness, and a refusal to acknowledge limitations.
Foolishness is a state of mind characterized by a lack
of wisdom, understanding, and fear of God. It is a condition where one rejects
or denies God’s existence, ignores His wisdom, and makes decisions that are
contrary to His will. The Bible says that the fool says in his heart, “There is
no God” (Psalm 14:1) and contrasts wisdom with foolishness, emphasizing that
wisdom is the beginning of knowledge and the fear of the Lord (Proverbs 1:7),
and is characterized by a lack of understanding and a rejection of God’s
wisdom. It is often marked by self-centeredness, where one prioritizes one’s
own desires and interests over God’s will. Foolishness involves rejecting God’s
truth and ignoring His commands, leading to a life of disobedience and sin.
“All these evil things proceed from
within and defile the man.” Sin is within all mankind “The heart is more
deceitful than all else and is desperately sick; Who can know it?”
(Jeremiah 17:9) Yahweh says He searches the heart, and He tests the innermost
being. For though mankind, including you, cannot perceive the truth without the
Spirit of God, God knows and sees all that you do and will bring recompense to
all for what they have done. For Jesus proclaimed to His witness John in
Revelation 22:12 “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to
render to every man according to his work.”
You will either work righteousness or
iniquity, He will say to you welcome, well done, or depart from me for I never
knew you. Do not be deceived, your heart is wicked, and you need Jesus to
change your heart to one that is right before God. Otherwise, you will perish.
This is why an external religious tradition cannot save you nor defile you.
Your heart is already full of sin and you need Jesus to cleanse you with His
blood and cover you with His righteousness so that you may be forgiven of your
sins.
Jesus came to save sinners. Sinners suppress the truth and hide in their darkness because they love darkness. They are unbelieving, vile, foolish, rebellious, haters of God who have adopted the ideologies of this world and the doctrines of men. They have become slaves to their sexual desires, perverting the flesh and mind, and rebelling against the created order of God. They are doomed to condemnation and will be judged by Jesus and sent to Hell where they will burn for eternity in the lake of fire.
However, God so loved His creation, mankind, that He sent His Son Jesus, who can forgive you of your sins and redeem you because He has the authority and power. Jesus brings eternal life to all who repent and believe. For Jesus bore all our sins; He bore all the sins of all who believe in Him. Jesus was born and lived a perfect life of obedience to God as a man. Jesus was condemned to be executed and die in the sinner's place. He suffered the totality of God's wrath upon Himself on the Cross, which every sinner deserves, so that those who believe in Jesus may have peace with God. Jesus rose from the dead, conquering death, and lives, and ascended to the right hand of God the Father. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, and He is in your midst with us offering you salvation.
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