Mark 7:1-23
That Which Defiles
1 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus 2 and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.)
5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?”
6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:
“‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
7 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’
8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”
9 And he continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ 11 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)— 12 then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother.13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”
14 Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” [16]
17 After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18 “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? 19 For it doesn't go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)
20 He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them.21 For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, 22 adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”
The habits we have and do, the routines we do each day, and the traditions we follow, often lead us around every day...They make up our days, our weeks, our months, and our years...I once heard someone say that if I break up my husband's routine for one day, God forbid...I think many of us are like this...The power of daily habits, daily routines, and traditions over our lives need to be looked at regularly...
Jesus really talks about our habits, our routines, and our traditions to the Pharisees, and our relationship to God...They grow to become such a part of us that they very much impact our relationship to God...The Pharisees were constantly looking around at Jesus' moves, as well as His Disciples, and were watching what He was teaching them and the Way He was teaching...And they found on this day that His Disciples were eating their food with unwashed hands...The Law of Moses had the priests wash their hands and their feet to be clean when they approached the Tent of the Tabernacle and the Presence of God...Now the Pharisees must have thought if clean hands were good for the priests that law and idea could be presented to the common believer and used each time before they ate something...So why not clean the hands every time we eat, to be closer to God...
Jesus was not the most orthodox of Jews...There truly is no one like Him...He tells us different things can become a problem for the believer...The more and more we are entrenched in our routines, the larger the problem can become...The way to God is not through the hands or through the stomach...If we are constantly doing the same routines day in and day out, do we have time for God, and His Word?...Jesus called the crowd to Him and wanted everyone to listen...He said, “Listen to Me, everyone, and understand this...Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them...Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.”...After He had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples asked Him about this parable...“Are you so dull?” He asked...“Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them?...For it doesn't go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.”...(In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)...He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them...For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly...All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”...
The Pharisees were so caught up in their habits and routines that they were forgetting about loving God...Our habits and our routines can become our obsessions...Following a large number of routines and habits can cause obstacles to loving God...Jesus never forgets the utmost importance of the Word of God and what is in our hearts...And He teaches us that it is our habits and routines and man-made traditions that can nullify the Word of God...And because we do many of these routines day in and day out they can separate us from God and often like the Pharisees...And we do many things like that, so we must watch it...
It is the heart of the believer that counts, and specifically what is in the heart...Jesus came to touch our hearts...Jesus' Kingdom is based on the heart and what we have in them...Love comes from the heart...