Mark 7:1-23
And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” – Mark 7:14-15
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As we compare our passage today from Mark 7:1–23 with Leviticus 11, we see how Jesus radically redefines the Jewish understanding of clean and unclean foods.
For the people of Israel, they had experienced the pain of exile and the loss of their homeland, and this led them to take their identity as God’s holy nation more seriously. They avoided contact with Gentiles, whom they considered unclean, and strictly observed the purity laws found in the Torah. In time, they even added extra regulations to highlight their status as God’s people who are set apart.
But Jesus confronted this legalistic mindset head-on. He exposed a deeper issue, that their focus on external behaviour had allowed them to ignore their need for complete inward surrender to God. In a bold and counter-cultural move, Jesus dismantled the traditional view of clean and unclean foods, challenging the self-righteousness of the Pharisees and scribes. He said to them in Mark 7:18-23, “Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And 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.”
This passage reveals Jesus’ rejection of legalism and His call to genuine inner purity. It shows us that He cares more about a heart that honours God rather than outward ritual cleanliness.
The Pharisees were preoccupied with outward rituals, but Jesus saw this as hypocrisy. He knew that real defilement comes not from what we touch or eat, but from what flows out of our hearts. Sin comes from within, and only God can cleanse us there.
Today, God’s Word challenges us to stop hiding behind spiritual appearances. Instead of focusing on keeping up a religious image, we are invited to come honestly before our Heavenly Father, who sees us in secret (Matthew 6:6), and ask Him to show us the external habits, attitudes, or distractions that may be keeping us from wholehearted worship and inward holiness.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Forgive me for the times I’ve focused more on how others view me than on inward purity and obedience to You. Cleanse me from the sin that hides beneath the surface: pride, envy, selfishness, and every thought that draws me away from You. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me, that I may walk in your ways and be Holy just as You are Holy. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Click to read the passage
As we compare our passage today from Mark 7:1–23 with Leviticus 11, we see how Jesus radically redefines the Jewish understanding of clean and unclean foods.
For the people of Israel, they had experienced the pain of exile and the loss of their homeland, and this led them to take their identity as God’s holy nation more seriously. They avoided contact with Gentiles, whom they considered unclean, and strictly observed the purity laws found in the Torah. In time, they even added extra regulations to highlight their status as God’s people who are set apart.
But Jesus confronted this legalistic mindset head-on. He exposed a deeper issue, that their focus on external behaviour had allowed them to ignore their need for complete inward surrender to God. In a bold and counter-cultural move, Jesus dismantled the traditional view of clean and unclean foods, challenging the self-righteousness of the Pharisees and scribes. He said to them in Mark 7:18-23, “Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And 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.”
This passage reveals Jesus’ rejection of legalism and His call to genuine inner purity. It shows us that He cares more about a heart that honours God rather than outward ritual cleanliness.
The Pharisees were preoccupied with outward rituals, but Jesus saw this as hypocrisy. He knew that real defilement comes not from what we touch or eat, but from what flows out of our hearts. Sin comes from within, and only God can cleanse us there.
Today, God’s Word challenges us to stop hiding behind spiritual appearances. Instead of focusing on keeping up a religious image, we are invited to come honestly before our Heavenly Father, who sees us in secret (Matthew 6:6), and ask Him to show us the external habits, attitudes, or distractions that may be keeping us from wholehearted worship and inward holiness.
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, Forgive me for the times I’ve focused more on how others view me than on inward purity and obedience to You. Cleanse me from the sin that hides beneath the surface: pride, envy, selfishness, and every thought that draws me away from You. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me, that I may walk in your ways and be Holy just as You are Holy. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.