MARK 7:9-23

MARK 7:9-23

MARK 7:9-16 - Jesus then cites a very definite instance of conflict between tradition and the Scriptures. God had spoken through Moses, commanding that His people give honor to father and mother. The penalty of death was attached to the violation of this commandment. “Whoso curseth (that is, in any way harms or wrongs) father or mother, let him die the death.” This would surely involve caring for aged parents who were unable to provide for themselves. The least that sons and daughters could do would be to share with their parents that which God had given to them, but the rabbis had declared that a man might dedicate all his possessions to God, declaring it to be Corban—that is, a gift for the maintenance of the work of the temple. If his parents were in need he would insist that he had nothing with which he could help them, because all he possessed had already been devoted to God. This was the very essence of selfishness under pretended piety; and thereby the Word of God was made of none effect through tradition. This was only one instance of the violation of God’s truth by the substitution of human regulations. Jesus again added, “Many such like things do ye.” 

  We are told that He then took occasion to instruct all the people in regard to the true nature of defilement. By these words our Lord laid down a great principle and emphasized a tremendous fact. But Jesus declared that moral and spiritual defilement comes not from outward things such as food or drink but from within the man himself, from his own heart, that heart which the prophet Jeremiah declared to be deceitful above all things and desperately wicked (17:9). 

MARK 7:17-23 - “That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man”—that is, from his very heart, that defiles him, for the heart itself is like a nest of unclean birds. “Out of it proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.” What a list! Who can say that these things have never had any place whatever in his heart! Of course, there are some to whom several of these things are thoroughly repugnant, and yet every man is capable of falling into every sin here mentioned if he but allows his mind to dwell upon them.

   He is out of touch with God; his heart is at enmity with God, and from within that heart come forth sins of many different characters. Thank God, there is a remedy for this condition! David prayed, “Create in me a clean heart, O God” (Ps. 51:10), and this is what God delights to do through the new birth.

All the evil things enumerated by Jesus come from within. These defile the man. How important it is that we recognize the fact that these things naturally find lodgement in the human heart, and that we judge all in the light of the cross of Christ.