From the Inside Out
| Again Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, "Listen to Me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.' " 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 man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.") He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' " (Mark7:14-23) |
And let's be honest, rituals may be tedious, but they're measurable and safe.
Washed hands?
Check!
Avoided pork?
Check!
Donated to the temple (even though my parents suffer)?
Check!
These externals can be managed and appearances can be maintained.
But Jesus turns it all on its head - It's about the fruit.
- What fruit does the tree bear?
- What kind of water comes from the well?
- What comes out of you when you are squeezed?
This is what is significant.
It's a truth so obvious that the disciples miss it.
They think it's more complicated.
They think there has to be a recipe to follow or a rulebook to adhere to.
Mark recognises the huge significance - Jesus has hereby declared all foods "clean."
It's not about the stomach but about the HEART.
(And remember - in Hebrew culture the heart is not the seat of emotion but the control room or wellspring of life)
There's nothing wrong with healthy eating and exercise.
But let's realise that true and meaningful change comes from the INSIDE working OUT.
