Defilement From Within

THE DEFILEMENT

Pharisees from Jerusalem accuse Jesus’ disciples of eating with defiled hands (7:1-5). What likely started as a good reminder gradually became an empty ritual where those who participate judged those who didn’t (7:2). [fence around Torah]

Jesus confronted the Pharisees and exposed their hypocrisy (7:6). Although they claimed to be defending God’s word, they departed from it (7:7, 8, 9, 13). [Note the tragic sequence: teaching their doctrines as God’s Word (Mark 7:7); laying aside God’s Word (Mark 7:8); rejecting God’s Word (Mark 7:9); finally, robbing God’s Word of its power (Mark 7:13).]

Jesus turned to the crowd and declared the source of holy living comes from within, not from things on the outside (7:14-15). The disciples later ask Jesus to explain His “truth vs. tradition” parable (7:16).

THE DISCUSSION

According to Jesus, defilement is not an external matter, but an internal one (7:18-19). The accusations made against the disciples ignored more fundamental issues (cp. 7:6-7). [In the Bible, the heart represented the center of human existence. There was no concept of the brain in the Bible. The heart was considered the source of physical life, knowledge, wisdom, emotion, and discernment. Despite reciting the Shema every morning and evening, the Pharisees missed the “heart” of God’s word (Deut. 6:4–5; 10:12; 30:6, 20).]

Jesus wants us to see that the heart of the matter is the heart, for it is the heart that gives rise to impure thoughts and actions (Mt. 12:35).

Jesus said a defiled heart is expressed in what one says (evil attitude) and what one does (evil actions). Jesus recorded 12 terms to illustrate evil comes from our heart (7:21-23; cp. Mt. 5:27-28).

THE DIRECTIONS

Look in: when we want to say or do something contrary to God’s will, we need to check our heart (Gen. 6:5; Ps. 36:4; Prov. 6:18; 24:2; Deut. 8:1-4).

Look out: the things we put into our minds DO affect us; the more evil we see, hear, and think, the harder the battle will be (Prov. 4:23; 1 Cor. 5:5-7; Eph. 5:6-17).

Look up: when we open our hearts to the Scripture and obey it from the heart, God renews our hearts/minds and gives us a new perspective (Rom. 6:17; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 4:19-24).