Jesus was declaring all foods clean

JESUS WAS DECLARING ALL FOODS CLEAN
EDITED BY GLENN PEASE
Mark 7:19 19Forit doesn'tgo into their heart but into
their stomach, and then out of the body." (In saying
this, Jesus declared all foods clean.)
BIBLEHUB RESOURCES
The RealAnd The Imaginary Defilement
Mark 7:14-23
R. Green
The question of "the Pharisees,and certain of the scribes which had come
from Jerusalem," yetremains to be answered, Jesushaving turned aside to
weakenthe force of "the tradition of men." The answeris given in the ears of
"the multitude." It is simple. "There is nothing from without the man that can
defile him:" defilement is of that which proceeds "from within out of the heart
of man." The man's heart is the fountain of evil; it is his heart, not his hands,
that needs washing. No wonder that "the Pharisees were offended, whenthey
heard this saying." Then, having "enteredinto the house from the multitude,"
the disciples "askedof him" what is to them as yet "the parable;" for so are
they "without understanding also." In few words he distinguishes the true
nature and source of defilement from the untrue, leaving for all time these
lessons hidden in his words -

I. ALL POLLUTION IS MORAL POLLUTION. From this all mere
ceremonialdefilement must be distinguished. Such uncleanness is not moral
impurity, nor is ceremonialcorrectness to be regardedas the testimony of
moral purity. The stainless externalistmay harbour "within all evil things."
The perversion of a wise teaching on the necessityforpersonal cleanliness and
of instructive ceremonials had led to the foolish supposition that a touch of the
dead, or the diseased, orthe decaying matter, conveyedmoral impurity. This
is once for all contradicted. Whatsoeveris "without the man" conveys not the
defilement. It is a moral condition. The heart can defile all things. As that
which is from without the man cannot defile, so let it be known"there is
nothing from without the man that going into him can" cleanse "him."
II. THE SOURCE OF ALL IMPURITY IS NOT IN GOD'S WORKS, BUT
IN MAN'S HEART. "All these evil things proceedfrom within." Thus Jesus,
with his just judgment, traces evil to its hidden source. The heart, not the
flesh, is the seatof defilement. This is the fountain which can corrupt God's
goodand pure gifts. How marked a contrastdoes he make betweena possible
ceremonialuncleanness - a very trifle at most (as to moral uncleanness it is
nil) - and the greatness,the multiplicity, and the foulness of the "evil things
which proceedfrom within"! Materialthings cannot in themselves convey
moral impurity. Even the excess in the use of the food, which destroys life,
comes from within. That the goodthings of God may be turned into occasions
of evil all know, but it is only the heart that can so turn them. Whatsoeveris
"without the man cannotdefile him, because it goethmerely into his body, not
into his heart; "and the heart, not the body, is "the man," the true man, the
very man.
III. FROM THE THRALDOM OF A FALSE CEREMONIALISM CHRIST
REDEEMSHIS DISCIPLES, "MAKING ALL MEATS CLEAN." How
needful not only to saywhat is sin, but to say also what is not sin! From many
a yoke which the fathers were not able to bear Christ sets his people free!
From child's play to serious work he calls them. From a mere adjustment of

articles of dress and of furniture; from punctilios of ritual observance having
in themselves no moral significance, andliable to withdraw men from great
works and greattruths, he turns them aside. He exposes the true evilness in
the long catalogue of"evil things" of which the heart, not the flesh, is capable;
and be, without many words of exhortation, directs men to seek the cleansing
of their unholy hearts, that their lives, their whole man, may be cleanalso. -
G.
Biblical Illustrator
Do ye not perceive, that whatsoeverthing from without entereth into the man.
Mark 7:17-23
The true source ofdefilement
Expository Discourses.
Having rebuked the scribes and Pharisees,our Lord addressedthe people,
and laid down a greatgeneral principle (ver. 15), which His disciples asked
Him to explain more fully. We are taught —
I. THAT MERE EXTERNALOBSERVANCESDO NOT AFFECT OR
CHANGE THE MORAL STATE AND CHARACTER OF MAN.
1. The statement that nothing from without defileth a man, must be takenin
connectionwith what goes before, and then it becomes a principle, of which
the Jews hadmuch need to be told. All require to be told.
2. That mere outward observancescannotaffectthe moral nature, seems a
very simple truth. Reasonteachesit. The body may be affectedby them, but
not the soul; to influence the heart, means of a right class must be selected.
Experience teaches it. Observation confirms it.

3. This principle requires in our day to be loudly proclaimed.
4. The more nearly the soul cancome to God, irrespective of outward things,
the better.
II. THAT THE MORAL STATE AND CHARACTER OF A MAN, IS
AFFECTED BYTHAT WHICH COMETHOUT OF HIS HEART.
1. The fountainhead of all that enters into human history and character, is the
heart. Hence, the characterofthe moral law, the order of the Spirit's work,
the importance of the inspired precept, "Keepthine heart," etc.
2. That which naturally proceeds from the heart proves that it is wholly
depraved.
3. By these things, which proceedfrom the heart, is man defiled. Christ's
blood and spirit, alone can cleanse.
(Expository Discourses.)
Spiritual defilement
Expository Outlines.
I. THE CEREMONIALISM OF THE PHARISEES DENOUNCED.
1. The undue importance they attachedto outward observances.

2. The additions they made to the requirements of the law of Moses.
3. The Saviour's discourse on this occasionwas evidently intended to prepare
the minds of the people for the total abolition of all ceremonialrites.
II. THE IGNORANCE OF THE DISCIPLES REPROVED."And He saith
unto them, Are ye so without understanding also?"
1. To us their dulness of apprehensionappears strange and unaccountable.
2. In their ignorance we see the effect, not merely of inattention, but of
prejudice and bigotry.
III. THE DEPRAVITY OF HUMAN NATURE EXHIBITED. We are shown
—
1. The source of evil. It is in the heart.
2. The diversified streams of evil. "Adulteries, fornications, thefts, murders,
covetousness," etc.
3. The contaminating influence of evil. These are the things by which men are
defiled.

(Expository Outlines.)
Things from within
Spencer.
It is well known that rotten woodand glowworms make a glorious show in the
night, and seemto be some excellent things; but when the day appears, they
show what they are indeed — poor, despicable, and base creatures. Such is the
vanity and sinfulness of all haughty, proud, high-minded persons, who,
though now shining in the darkness of this world, through the greatness of
their power, place, and height of their honour, when the Sun of Righteousness
shall appear and manifest the secrets ofall hearts, then they will be seenin
their own proper colours.
(Spencer.)
Out of the heart
The heart determines the life
Swinnock.
The bowl runs as the bias inclines it; the ship moves as the rudder steers it;
and the mind thinks according to the predominancy of vice or virtue in it. The
heart of man is like the spring of the clock, whichcauses the wheels to move
right or wrong, wellor ill. If the heart once set forward for God, all the
members will follow after; all the parts, like dutiful handmaids, in their
places, will wait on their mistress. The heart is the greatworkhouse where all
sin is wrought before it is exposedto open view. It is the mint where evil
thoughts are coined, before they are current in our words or actions. It is the
forge where all our evil works as well as words are hammered out. There is no
sin but is dressedin the withdrawing room of the heart, before it appears on
the stage oflife. It is vain to go about an holy life till the heart be made holy.
The pulse of the hand beats well or ill, according to the state of the heart. If

the chinks of the ship are unstopped, it will be to no purpose to labour at the
pump. When the wateris foul at the bottom, no wonder that scum and filth
appear at the top. There is no wayto stop the issue of sin, but by drying up the
matter that feeds it.
(Swinnock.)
Natural corruption of the heart
Goodwin.
That which AEsop said to his master, when he came into his garden and saw
so many weeds in it, is applicable to the heart, His master askedhim what was
the reasonthat the weeds grew up so fastand the herbs thrived not? He
answered, "The ground is natural mother to the weeds, but a stepmother to
the herbs." So the heart of man is natural mother to sin and cor. ruption, but
a stepmother to grace and goodness;and further than it is wateredfrom
heaven, and followedwith a great deal of care and pains, it grows not.
(Goodwin.)
The heart a storehouse ofevil
C. H. Spurgeon.
Here is a piece of iron laid upon the anvil. The hammers are plied upon it
lustily. A thousand sparks are scatteredonevery side. Suppose it possible to
count eachspark as it falls from the anvil; yet, who could guess the number of
the unborn sparks that still lie latent and hidden in the mass of iron? Now,
your sinful nature may be compared to that heatedbar of iron. Temptations
are the hammers; your sins are the sparks. If you could count them (which
you cannotdo), yet who could tell the multitude of unborn iniquities — eggs of
sin that lie slumbering in your soul? You must know this before you can know
the sinfulness of your nature. Our open sins are like the farmer's little sample
which he brings to market. There are granaries full at home. The iniquities

that we see are like the weeds upon the surface soil, but I have been told, and
indeed have seenthe truth of it, that if you dig six feet into the earth and turn
up fresh soil, there will be found in that soilsix feetdeep the seeds ofthe
weeds indigenous to the land. And so we are not to think merely of the sins
that grow on the surface, but if we could turn our heart up to its core and
centre, we should find it is fully permeated with sin as every piece of putridity
is with worms and rottenness.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
An evil heart
Baptist Messenger.
A certain little boy in Kansas, only eleven years old, strove hard to be a
Christian. Once he stoodwatching Maggie paring the potatoes for dinner.
Soonshe pared an extra large one, which was very white and very nice on the
outside, but when cut into pieces it showeditself to be hollow and black inside
with dry rot. Instantly Willie exclaimed, "Why, Maggie, thatpotato isn't a
Christian." "What do you mean?" askedMaggie."Don'tyou see it has a bad
heart?" was the child's reply. This little Kansas boy had learned enoughof the
religion of Jesus to know that howeverfair the outside may be, the natural
heart is corrupt.
(Baptist Messenger.)
Evil passions whenrestrained only by custom
C. H. Spurgeon.
If men were shut up in cells, so that they could not commit that which their
nature instigatedthem to do, yet, as before the Lord, seeing they would have
been such sinners outwardly if they could have been, their hearts are judged
to be no better than the hearts of those who found opportunity to sin and used
it. A vicious horse is none the better tempered because the kicking straps

prevent his dashing the carriage to atoms; and so a man is none the better
really because the restraints of custom and Providence may prevent his
carrying out that which he would prefer. Poorfallen human nature behind the
bars of laws, and in the cage of fearof punishment, is none the less a fearful
creature;should its master unlock the door we should soonsee what it would
be and do.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
No heart free from sin
Baily.
Well-tempered spades turn up ill savoury soils even in vineyards.
(Baily.)
The heart its own laboratory
George Dana Boardman, D. D.
We hear a greatdeal saidin our day about the doctrine of environment.
"Circumstances," we are told, "make the man;" "Life is a modification of
matter;" "Thinking is matter in motion;" "The brain secretesthoughtas the
liver secretesbile;" "The difference betweena goodman and a bad man is
mainly a difference in molecular organization;" "The affections are of an
eminently glandular nature;" "Notas a man thinketh in his heart, but as he
eateth, so is he;" "Characteris the aggregate ofsurroundings, the sum total of
parents, nurse, place, time, air, light, food, etc." Now this doctrine of
environment is in a certainsense entirely true. The mind does not more
certainly act on the body than the body on the mind. But the doctrine of
environment means, or at leasttends to mean, more than this. It tends to teach
that sin is not so much a crime as a misfortune, not so much guilt as disease.
Not so did the GalileanMasterteach. "Hearkento Me, all of you, and
understand: Nothing that goethinto a man from without can defile him; but

the things that come out of him are what defile a man." Here He is in direct
issue with the materialism of the day. For man is something more than matter,
or an organizedgroup of molecules. Behind the visible of him there is the
invisible. The heart is its own laboratory. Friend, overtakenin a sin, do not
judge yourself too charitably. Don't ascribe too much to outward
circumstances. Recallthe first Adam: he was in a garden, where every
outward circumstance was for him; yet he fell. Recallthe secondAdam: He
was in a desert, where every outward circumstance was againstHim; yet He
remained erect: the Devil failed to conquer Him, not because He was Divine,
but because He was sinless. Don'texcuse yourself then too much by your
"environment." Man is not altogetheranimbecile. True, "circumstancesdo
make the man." But they make him only in the sense and degree that he
permits them to make him. You will find the most stingy of men in the
mansions of the rich, and the most generous of men in the cabins of the poor;
the humblest of Christians in the palace, and the proudest of Phariseesin the
cottage;saints in the dungeon, and villains in the Church. It is not so much the
outward that tinges the inward as the inward that tinges the outward. It is for
the man himself to saywhether his own heart shall be a temple or a kennel.
The greatproblem then is this: How shall a man use his "circumstances"?For
just what he does with them — just what he does with his strength and time,
and skill, and money, and imagination, and reason, and affections, just what
the heart does with its opportunities — just this is the test of him. Do these
opportunities, after passing through the laboratoryof his heart, issue as
blessings on the world? Then his heart is pure, Do they issue in moral blights?
Then his heart is defiled. Not that these bad issues do of themselves defile the
heart; but the heart being itself defiled, and sending forth issues of evil
thoughts and deeds, these issues take on the impurities of the source from
which they spring, marking its defilement, and aggravating its pollution by
the very act of outflowing. These are the unclean things, which, coming out
from within, defile the man. Keep thy heart, then, with all diligence, for out of
it are the issues of life and of death. Friend, are you disheartenedby my
Master's doctrine? Don't seek to remedy your case by merely altering your
circumstances, orreforming your habits. You can't purify a fountain by
purifying its streams. Jesus Christis the most radicalof reformers. He does
not say, "Change your circumstances, andyou will change your character;"

but He does say, "Change your heart, and you will be likely to change your
circumstances."
(George Dana Boardman, D. D.)
Evil Thoughts
Source of evil thoughts
M. F. Sadler, M. A.
Notice how evil thoughts are by the Saviour said to be the first of the evil
things which coming out of the heart defile. We should not, I think, have put
evil thoughts amongstthe things which come out of the heart, because we
suppose them to be in the heart. But is not what the Saviour says true of that
which He alone knows — the very nature and substance of the soul? In its
very centre, or close to its centre, the evil has its root or fountain. The evil
suggestionarises, andthen the will or affectiontakes notice of it. If the will is
right with God, it immediately puts out the evil thing as if it were a loathsome
reptile, but if the will be not right with God, it harbours the first suggestionof
evil, it cogitates it, thinks it over and over, dwells upon it in imagination,
chews the food of the evil fancy, desires to do the evil deed, resolves to do it,
and so has already done it in the heart. So that out of the heart, out of the
unseen and unthinkable depths within, proceedthe evil thoughts which
become evil acts within before they are incarnated, as it were, in some evil
deed without.
(M. F. Sadler, M. A.)
Sinfulness of evil thoughts
Swinnock.
Some please themselves in thoughts of sinful sports, or cheats, orunclean acts,
and sit brooding on such cockatrice eggs withgreatdelight. It is their meat
and drink to roll these sugarplums under their tongues. Thoughthey cannot

sin outwardly, for want of strength of body or a fit opportunity, yet they act
sin inwardly with greatlove and complacency. As players in a comedy, they
act their parts in private, in order to a more exactperformance of them in
public.
(Swinnock.)
Thoughts usually indicate character
J. Owes.
Our thoughts are like the blossoms on a tree in the spring. You may see a tree
in the spring all coveredwith blossoms, so that nothing else ofit appears.
Multitudes of them fall off and come to nothing. Ofttimes where there are
most blossoms there is leastfruit. But yet there is no fruit, be it of what sortit
will, goodor bad, but it comes in and from some of those blossoms. The mind
of man is coveredwith thoughts as a tree with blossoms. Mostof them fall off,
vanish, and come to nothing, end in vanity; and sometimes where the mind
does most abound with them there is the leastfruit, the sap of the mind is
wastedand consumed in them. Howbeit there is no fruit which actually we
bring forth, be it good or bad, but it proceeds from some of these thoughts.
Wherefore, ordinarily, these give the best and surestmeasure of the frame of
men's minds. "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." In case of strong and
violent temptations, the real frame of a man's heart is not to be judged by the
multiplicity of thoughts about any object, for whether they are from Satan's
suggestions, orfrom inward darkness, trouble, and horror, they will impose
such a continual sense of themselves on the mind as shall engage allits
thoughts about them; as when a man is in a storm at sea, the current of his
thoughts runs quite another way than when he is in safetyabout his occasions.
But ordinarily voluntary thoughts are the best measure and indication of the
frame of our minds. As the nature of the soilis judged by the grass which it
brings forth, so may the disposition of the heart by the predominancy of
voluntary thoughts; they are the original acting of the soul, the way whereby
the heart puts forth and empties the treasure that is in it, the waters that first
rise and flow from that fountain.

(J. Owes.)
Petrifying influence of evil thoughts
American National Preacher.
Anyone who has visited limestone eaves has noticed the stalactite pillars,
sometimes large and massive, by which they were adorned and supported.
They are nature's masonry of solid rock, formed by her own slow, silent,
mysterious process. The little drop of water percolates throughthe roof of the
cave, and deposits its sediment, and another follows it, till the icicle of stone is
formed: and finally reaching to the rock beneath, it becomes a solid pillar, a
marble monument, which canonly be rent down by the most powerful forces.
But is there not going forward oftentimes in the caverns of the human heart a
process as silentand effective, yet infinitely more momentous? There in the
darkness that shrouds all from the view of the outward observer, each thought
and feeling, as light and inconsiderate, perhaps, as the little drop of water,
sinks downward into the soul, and deposits — yet in a form almost
imperceptible — what we may call its sediment. And then another and
another follows, till the traces of all combined become more manifest, and at
length, if these thoughts and feelings are chargedwith the sediment of
worldliness and worldly passion, they have reared within the spirit permanent
and perhaps everlasting monuments of their effects. All around the walls of
this spiritual cave stand in massive proportions the pillars of sinful
inclinations and the props of iniquity, and only a convulsion like that which
rends the solid globe can rend them from their place and shake their hold.
Thus stealthily is the work done; mere fancies and desires and lusts
unsuspiciously entertained, contribute silently but surely to the result. The
heart is changedinto an impregnable fortress of sin. The roof of its iniquity is
sustainedby marble pillars, and all the weight of reasonand conscience and
the Divine threatenings are powerless to lay it low in the dust of humility.
Such is the powerof those light fancies and imaginations and desires which
enter the soul unobserved, and are slighted for their insignificance. They
attract no notice. They utter no note of alarm. We might suppose that if left to

themselves they would be absorbed in oblivion, and leave no trace behind. But
they form the pillars of character. Theysustain the soul under the pressure of
all those solemnappeals to which it ought to yield. How impressive, then, the
admonition, "Keepthy heart with all diligence"!Things which seem
powerless andharmless may prove noxious beyond expression. The powerof
inveterate sin is from the silent flow of thought. Your habitual desires or
fancies are shaping your eternal destiny.
(American NationalPreacher.)
Evil thoughts not to be harboured
Swinnock.
The best Christian's heart here is like Solomon's ships, which brought home
not only goldand silver, but also apes and peacocks;it has not only spiritual
and heavenly, but also vain and foolishthoughts. But these latter are there as
a disease orpoison in the body, the objectof his grief and abhorrence, not of
his love and complacency. Thoughwe cannotkeepvain thoughts from
knocking at the door of our hearts, nor from entering in sometimes, yet we
may forbear bidding them welcome, orgiving them entertainment. "How long
shall vain thoughts lodge within thee?" It is bad to let them sit down with us,
though but for an hour, but it is worse to let them lie or lodge with us. It is
better to receive the greatestthieves into our houses than vain thoughts into
our hearts. John Huss, seeking to reclaim a very profane wretch, was told by
him, that his giving way to wicked, wanton thoughts was the original of all
those hideous births of impiety which he was guilty of in his life. Huss
answeredhim, that although he could not keepevil thoughts from courting
him, yet he might keepthem Item marrying him; "as," he added, "though I
cannot keepthe birds from flying over my head, yet I can keepthem from
building their nests in my hair."
(Swinnock.)

Importance of keeping the mind well employed
Scriver.
Man's heart is like a millstone: pour in corn, and round it goes, bruising and
grinding, and converting it into flour; whereas give it no corn, and then
indeed the stone goes round, but only grinds itself away, and becomes ever
thinner and smallerand narrower. Even as the heart of man requires to have
always something to do; and happy is he who continually occupies it with good
and holy thoughts, otherwise it may soonconsume and waste itselfby useless
anxieties or wickedand carnalsuggestions.Whenthe millstones are not nicely
adjusted, grain may indeed be poured in, but comes awayonly half ground or
not ground at all. The same often happens with our heart when our devotion
is not sufficiently earnest. On such occasionswe readthe finest texts without
knowing what we have read, and pray without hearing our own prayers. The
eye flits over the sacredpage, the mouth pours forth the words, and clappers
like a mill, but the heart meanwhile turns from one strange thought to
another; and such reading and such prayer are more a useless form than a
devotion acceptable to God.
(Scriver.)
Goodthoughts strangers
Dr. John Owen.
The thoughts of spiritual things are with many as guests that come into an inn
and not like children that dwell in the house.
(Dr. John Owen.)
Cure for evil thoughts
Dr. John Owen.

As the streams of a mighty river running into the ocean, so are the thoughts of
a natural man, and through self they run into hell. It is a fond thing to set a
dam before such a river to curb its streams. Fora little space there may be a
stop made, but it will quickly break down all obstacles,oroverflow all its
bounds. There is no way to divert its course, but only by providing other
channels for its waters, and turning them there into. The mighty stream of the
evil thoughts of men will admit of no bounds or dams to pug a stop unto them.
There are but two ways of relief from them; the one respecting their moral
evil, the other their natural abundance. The first by throwing salt into the
spring, as Elisha cured the waters of Jericho;that is, to get the heart and mind
seasonedwith grace;for the tree must be made goodbefore the fruit will be
so;the other is, to turn their streams into new channels, putting new aims and
ends upon them, fixing them on new objects;so shall we abound in spiritual
thoughts; for abound in thought we shall, whether we will or no.
(Dr. John Owen.)
Evil thoughts not trifles
C. H. Spurgeon.
Notice this evil catalogue,this horrible list of words. It begins with what is
very lightly regarded among men — evil thoughts. Instead of evil thoughts
being less simple than evil acts, it may sometimes happen that in the thought
the man may be worse than in the act. Thoughts are the heads of words and
actions, and within the thoughts lie condensedall the villany and iniquity that
can be seenin the words or in the acts. If men did more carefully watchtheir
thoughts, they would not so readily fall into evil ways. Insteadof fancying that
evil thoughts are mere trifles, let us imitate the Saviour, and put them first in
the catalogueofthings to be condemned. Let us make a conscienceofour
thoughts. In the words of the text the first point mentioned is evil thoughts,
but the last is foolishness. This is the way of sin, to begin with a proud conceit
of our own thoughts, ending with folly and stupidity. What a range there is
betweenthese two points, what a variety of sin thus enumerated! Sin is a
contradictory thing: it takes men this way and that, but never in the right

way. Virtue is one, as truth is one; holiness is one, but sin is ten thousand
things conglomeratedinto a dread confusion. When we look upon any man
and only regardhim with malignity, we sin in all that — it is the sin of envy.
There stands pride. One would have thought that a man who commits these
sins would not have been proud. When a man is filled with a proud conceitof
himself he is justifying his own iniquity.
(C. H. Spurgeon.)
Human depravity seenin the thoughts of man
H. Bushnell, D. D.
Considerthe wild mixtures of thought displayed both in the waking life and
the dreams of mankind. How grand! how mean! how sudden the leap from
one to the other! how inscrutable the succession!how defiant of orderly
control! It is as if the soul were a thinking ruin, which it very likely is. The
angeland the demon life appearto be contending in it. The imagination revels
in beauty exceeding all the beauty of things, wails in images dire and
monstrous, wallows in murderous and base suggestionsthat shame our
inward dignity.
(H. Bushnell, D. D.)
Covetousness
Covetousness -- its spirit
DeanRamsay.
The spirit of covetousnesswhichleads to an over value and over love of
money, is independent of amount. A poor man may make an idol of his little,
just as much as the rich man makes an idol of his much. We know our Lord
showedhow the poorestperson may exceedin charity and liberality the
richest — by giving more than the wealthy in proportion to the whole amount
of his possessions. So in like manner, a poor man may be more covetous than a

wealthy man, because he may keepback from the treasury of God more in
proper. tion to his all than the rich man keeps back from his all. If the
Christian characteris debased, and heaven is lost by such indulgence of
covetousness as to make a man an idolater of mammon, it is of little
consequence whetherthe heart be set on an idol of gold, or an idol of clay.
(DeanRamsay.)
Covetousnessexchangestrue riches for the false
T. Adams.
As the dog in AEsop's fable lost the real flesh for the shadow of it, so the
covetous man casts awaythe true riches for the love of the shadowy.
(T. Adams.)
Covetousnesspines in plenty
T. Adams.
The covetous man pines in plenty, like Tantalus up to the chin in water, and
yet thirsty.
(T. Adams.)
Degradationofthe covetous
Dr. Jeffers.
A young man once pickedup a sovereignlying in the road. Ever afterwards,
in walking along, he kept his eye fixed steadily upon the ground in the hope of
finding another. And in the course of a long life he did pick up a goodmany
gold and silver coins at different times. But all these years, while he was
looking for them, he saw not that the heavens were bright above him, and
nature beautiful around. He never once allowedhis eyes to look up from the

mud and filth in which he soughthis treasure;and when he died — a rich old
man — he only knew this fair earth as a dirty road to pick up money as you
walk along.
(Dr. Jeffers.)
Delusionof the covetous
Anon.
Some of us may remember a fable of a covetous man, who chancedto find his
way one moonlight night into a fairy's palace. There he saw bars, apparently
of solid gold, strewedon every side; and he was permitted to take awayas
many as he could carry. In the morning, when the sun rose on his imaginary
treasure, borne home with so much toil, behold! there was only a bundle of
sticks, and invisible beings filled the air around him with scornful laughter.
Such will be the confusionof many a man who died in this world with his
thousands, and woke up in the next world not only miserable, and poor, and
naked, but in presence ofa heap of fuel stored up againstthe greatDay of
burning.
(Anon.)
Covetousnessmentalgluttony
Chamfort.
Covetousnessis a sortof mental gluttony, not confined to money, but craving
honour and feeding on selfishness.
(Chamfort.)
Covetousnessmanifestedin insufficient expenditure
George Herbert.

Whosoever, whena just occasioncalls, eitherspends not at all, or not in some
proportion to God's blessing upon him, is covetous. The reasonof the ground
is manifest, because wealthis given to that end to supply our occasions.Now,
if I do not give everything its end, I abuse the creature;I am false to my
reason, which should guide me; I offend the Supreme Judge, in perverting
that order which He hath setboth to those things and to reason. The
application of the ground would be infinite. But, in brief, a poor man is an
occasion;nay friend is an occasion;my country; my table; my apparel. If in
all these, and those more which concernme, I either do nothing, or pinch and
scrape and squeeze blood, indecently to the stationwherein God hath placed
me, I am covetous. More particularly, and to give one instance of all: if God
have given me servants, and I either provide too little for them, or that which
is unwholesome, and so not competent nourishment, I am covetous. Men
usually think that servants for their money are as other things that they buy,
even as a piece of wood, which they may cut, or hack, or throw into the fire;
and so that they pay them their wages, allis well. Nay, to descendyet more
particularly: if a man hath wherewithal to buy a spade, and yet he chooseth
rather to use his neighbour's, and wearout that, he is covetous. Nevertheless,
few bring covetousness thus low or considerit so narrowly, which yet ought to
be done, since there is a justice in the leastthings, and for the leastthere shall
be a judgment.
(George Herbert.)
Pride.
Pride
Diogenes being at Olympia, saw at the celebratedfestival some young men of
Rhodes, arrayedmost magnificently. Smiling scornfully, he exclaimed, "This
is pride." Afterwards, meeting with some Lacedaemonians in a mean and
sordid dress, he said, "This is also pride." Pride is found at the same opposite
extremes of dress at the present day.
The folly of pride

W. Gurnall.
Of all sins, pride is such a one as we may well wonder how it should grow, for
it hath no other root to sustainit, than what is found in man's dreaming fancy.
It grows, as sometimes we see a mushroom, or moss among stones, where
there is little soil or none for its root to take hold of.
(W. Gurnall.)
The testof purity
A gentleman was once extolling loudly the virtue of honesty, saying what a
dignity it imparted to our nature, and how it recommended us to the favour of
God. "Sir," replied his friend, "howeverexcellentthe virtue of honestymay
be, I fear there are very few men in the world who really possessit." "You
surprise me," saida stranger. "Ignorant as I am of your character," wasthe
reply, "I fancy it would be no difficult matter to prove even you to be a
dishonestman." "I defy you." "Will you give me leave, then, to ask you a
question or two, and promise not to be offended?" "Certainly." "Have you
never met with an opportunity of getting gain by unfair means? I don't say,
have you takenadvantage of it; but, have you ever met with such an
opportunity? I, for my part, have; and I believe every. body else has." "Very
probably I may." "How did you feel your mind affectedon such an occasion?
Had you no secretdesire, not the leastinclination, to seize the advantage
which offered? Tell me without any evasion, and consistentlywith the
characteryou admire." "I must acknowledge, Ihave not always been
absolutely free from every irregular inclination; but — ." "Hold! sir, none of
your salvos;you have confessedenough. If you had the desire, though you
never proceededto the act, you were dishonestin heart. This is what the
Scriptures callconcupiscence. It defiles the soul; it is a breach of that law
which requireth truth in the inward parts, and, unless you are pardoned
through the Bloodof Christ, it will be a just ground for your condemnation,
when God shall judge the secrets ofmen.

COMMENTARIES
Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers
(19) It entereth not into his heart.—The words are not in St. Matthew, and
emphasise the contrastwith what follows. The “heart” is, after the common
Hebrew idiom, the symbol of the mind as well as the affections. (Comp.
Proverbs 7:7; Proverbs 9:4; Proverbs 9:16; Proverbs 10:13, in all of which
“understanding” stands for the Hebrew of “heart.”)
Purging all meats.—This also is peculiar to St. Mark, and presents some
difficulties. In the commonly receivedtext, the participle is in the neuter
nominative, agreeing with the nominative to the verb “goethout.” But in this
constructionit is difficult to see in what sense that which goethinto the
mouth—itself an article of food, with no specialcharacter—canbe said to
purge or cleanse allother forms of food. The better MSS., however, give the
participle in the masculine. This has been explained by many as a
grammaticalanomaly, and the participle being treated as if it agreed(though
in a different case) with the word “draught” or “cesspool,”the latter is said to
cleanse allmeats, as removing the excreta, or impure parts, from them, and
leaving only that which nourishes the body. A far better construction, both as
to grammar and meaning, is found by making the word “purging,” or better,
cleansing, agree withthe subjectof the verb “He saith,” in Mark 7:18—“He
saith this . . . and in so saying, cleansethall meats.” So taken, the words
anticipate, in almost the same terms, the truth of Acts 10:15, “What God hath
cleansed, that callnot thou common.” The constructionis tenable
grammatically, has the support of high authority both ancient and modern,
and obviously gives a much better sense. It is a possible conjecture that the
words “cleansing all meats” may have been, at first, a marginal note (like the
addition in Mark 7:16), attached to “He saith,” and have afterwards found
their way into the text.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
7:14-23 Our wickedthoughts and affections, words and actions, defile us, and
these only. As a corrupt fountain sends forth corrupt streams, so does a
corrupt heart send forth corrupt reasonings, corruptappetites and passions,
and all the wickedwords and actions that come from them. A spiritual
understanding of the law of God, and a sense ofthe evil of sin, will cause a
man to seek for the grace of the Holy Spirit, to keepdown the evil thoughts
and affections that work within.
Barnes'Notes on the Bible
Entereth not into his heart - Does not reachor affect the "mind," the "soul,"
and consequentlycannot pollute it. Even if it should affectthe "body," yet it
cannot the "soul," and consequently cannotneed to be cleansedby a religious
ordinance. The notions of the Pharisees, therefore, are not founded in reason,
but are mere "superstition."
The draught - The sink, the vault. "Purging all meats." The word "purging,"
here, means to purify, to cleanse.Whatis thrown out of the body is the
innutritious part of the food takeninto the stomach, and leaving only that
which is proper for the support of life; and it cannot, therefore, defile the soul.
All meals - All food; all that is takeninto the body to support life. The
meaning is, that the economy or process by which life is supported "purifies"
or "renders nutritious" all kinds of food. The unwholesome or innutritious
parts are separated, and the wholesome only are takeninto the system. This
agrees withall that has since been discoveredof the process ofdigestionand
of the support of life. The food takeninto the stomach is by the gastric juice
convertedinto a thick pulp called chyme. The nutritious part of this is
conveyedinto small vessels, andchangedinto a milky substance called
"chyle." This is poured by the thoracic duct into the left subclavian vein and
mingles with the blood, and conveys nutriment and support to all parts of the
system. The useless parts of the food are thrown off.

Jamieson-Fausset-BrownBible Commentary
CHAPTER 7
Mr 7:1-23. Discourse onCeremonialPollution. ( = Mt 15:1-20).
See on [1450]Mt 15:1-20.
Matthew Poole's Commentary
See Poole on"Mark 7:18"
Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible
Becauseit entereth not into his heart,.... Which is the seatand fountain of all
moral pollution; and if that is not defiled, no other part can be; and that that
is not defiled by eating and drinking, unless in case ofintemperance, is clear;
because foodand drink do not go into it:
but into the belly; it is takenin at the mouth, goes downthe throat, and is
receivedinto the stomach, and from thence it passesthrough the bowels:
and goethinto the draught; , "the private house", as the Jews callit, without
going into the heart at all:
purging all meats; that which it leaves behind, is pure and nourishing; and
whateveris gross and impure, is carried with it into the draught, so that
nothing remains in the man that is defiling.
Geneva Study Bible

Becauseit entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the
draught, {h} purging all meats?
(h) For that which goes into the draught purges all meats.
EXEGETICAL(ORIGINAL LANGUAGES)
Expositor's Greek Testament
Mark 7:19. ὅτι οὐκ … εἰς τὴν καρδίαν:this negative statementis not in Mt.
The contrastmakes the point clearer. The idea throughout is that ethical
defilement is alone of importance, all other defilement, whether the subject of
Mosaic ceremoniallegislationorof scribe tradition, a trivial affair. Jesus here
is a critic of Moses as wellas of the scribes, and introduces a religious
revolution.—καθαρίζων(not -ον) is acceptedgenerallyas the true reading, but
how is it to be construed? as the nominative absolute referring to ἀφεδρῶνα,
giving the sense:evacuationpurges the body from all matter it cannot
assimilate? So mostrecent commentators. Or ought we not to terminate the
words of Jesus atἐκπορεύεται with a mark of interrogation, and take what
follows as a comment of the evangelist? = ἐκπορεύεται;—καθαρίζων, etc.:this
He said, purging all meats; making all meats clean, abolishing the ceremonial
distinctions of the Levitical law. This view was adopted by Origen and
Chrysostom, and is vigorouslydefended by Field, Otium Nor., ad loc., and
favoured by the Spk., Commentary. Weizsäckeradopts it in his translation:
“So spracher alle Speisenrein”.
Cambridge Bible for Schools andColleges
19. into the draught] Comp. 2 Kings 10:27, “And they.… brake down the
house of Baal, and made it a draughthouse unto this day.” Draught = latrina,
cloaca,from Icel. draf, dregs, dirt, connectedwith A.S. drabbe, dréfe. Comp.
Shakespeare,Tim. of Ath. v. i. 105, “Hang them, or stab them, drown them in
a draught.” “There was a godde of idlenesse, a goddesse ofthe draught or
jakes.” Burton, Anat. of Mel.
Bengel's Gnomen

Mark 7:19. Καθάριζον)not polluting, but purging, whilst the wholesome
nutriment remains, and the mere refuse so purged awaygoes out.
Vincent's Word Studies
Draught (ἀφεδρῶνα)
Liddell and Scottgive only one definition - a privy, cloaca;and derive from
ἕδρα, seat, breech, fundament. Compare English stool. The word does not
refer to a part of the body.
Purging all meats (καθαρίζωνπάντα τὰ βρώματα)
According to the A. V. these words are in apposition with draught: the
draught which makes pure the whole of the food, since it is the place designed
for receiving the impure excrements.
Christ was enforcing the truth that all defilement comes from within. This was
in the face of the Rabbinic distinctions betweencleanand unclean meats.
Christ assertsthat Levitical uncleanness, suchas eating with unwashedhands,
is of small importance comparedwith moral uncleanness. Peter, still under
the influence of the old ideas, cannot understand the saying and asks an
explanation (Matthew 15:15), which Christ gives in Mark 7:18-23. The words
purging all meats (Rev., making all meats clean)are not Christ's, but the
Evangelist's, explaining the bearing of Christ's words; and therefore the Rev.
properly renders, this he said (italics), making all meats clean. This was the
interpretation of Chrysostom, who says in his homily on Matthew: "But Mark
says that he said these things making all meats pure." Canon Farrarrefers to
a passagecitedfrom GregoryThaumaturgus: "And the Saviour, who purifies
all meats, says." This rendering is significant in the light of Peter's vision of
the greatsheet, and of the words, "What God hath cleansed" (ἐκαθάρισε), in
which Peter probably realized for the first time the import of the Lord's
words on this occasion. CanonFarrarremarks: "It is doubtless due to the fact

that St. Peter, the informant of St. Mark, in writing his Gospel, and as the sole
ultimate authority for this vision in the Acts, is the source of both narratives, -
that we owe the hitherto unnoticed circumstance that the two verbs, cleanse
and profane (or defile), both in a peculiarly pregnant sense, are the two most
prominent words in the narrative of both events" ("Life and Work of Paul,"
i., 276-7).
PRECEPTAUSTIN RESOURCES
The DeadlyLure of Legalism
Mark 7:1-23
Introduction: 1) Let me introduce you to a prospective church member. I am
certain you will
be thrilled to see him join our fellowship. He will attend every service we have
including special
events. He will go on mission trips with a passionto convert the heathen. He
will tithe, sing in
the choir, read his Bible daily and memorize Scripture. He will be happy to
pray when we gather
for corporate worship. He is thoroughly orthodox in his theology. He is an
inerrantist,
monotheist and believes in heavenand hell. He never gets drunk, is not
addicted to porn, never

uses profanity, is a family man, loves his country feverently, weeps on July 4th
and also votes the
right way. His reputation in the community is stellar, and people who know
him admire him for
all that he does. If any man ever earned the right to go to heaven it is this
man. His religion is
certainly something to admire.
2) I have just introduced you, sadly, to a man headed for hell. I have just
introduced you to a 21st
century Pharisee!That word, that person, in the 1st century, was not scorned
as a legalist. No, he
was lookedup to as a model citizen and a person of piety and religion.
Unfortunately like so
many then, and now, they had, as Paul says, “a zeal for God, but not
according to knowledge.”
(Rom 10:2). Amazingly we can have a passionfor God and yet not know God.
We canbe
deceived, captured and enslavedby the deadly lure of legalism. Tragically,
those who have been
raisedin the church all their lives are the most susceptible to this deception.
Our pride in our
religious rituals, church practices and cultural traditions blind us to 1) our
greatsinfulness and 2)
the greatSaviorwho alone can rescue us from our sin.
3) In Mere Christianity C. S. Lewis writes,
There is one vice of which no man in the world is free; which everyone in the
world loathes when he sees itin someone else;and of which hardly any

2
people, except Christians, ever imagine that they are guilty themselves. I
have heard people admit that they are bad-tempered, or that they cannot keep
their heads about girls or drink, or even that they are cowards. Ido not think
I
have ever heard anyone who was not a Christian accuse himselfof this vice.
And at the same time I have very seldommet anyone, who was not a
Christian, who showedthe slightestmercy to it in others. There is no fault
which makes a man more unpopular, and no fault which we are more
unconscious ofin ourselves. And the more we have it ourselves, the more we
dislike it in others…. The vice I am talking of is Pride or Self-Conceit….
Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind.
(108-109).
And, the Scriptures contain harsh language to convey the Lord’s disdain for
pride. For instance:
The LORD preserves the faithful but abundantly repays the one who acts
in pride (Ps. 31:23).
When pride comes, then comes disgrace(Prov. 11:2).
The LORD tears down the house of the proud (Prov. 15:25).
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall (Prov.
16:18).
Before destructiona man’s heart is haughty, but humility comes before
honor (Prov. 18:12).

One’s pride will bring him low, but he who is lowly in spirit will obtain
honor (Prov. 29:23).
I will put an end to the pomp of the arrogant (Isa. 13:11).
The horror you inspire has deceived you, and the pride of your heart, you
who live in the clefts of the rock, who hold the height of the hill. Though
you make your nest as high as the eagle’s, Iwill bring you down from
there, declares the LORD (Jer. 49:16).
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles
himself will be exalted (Luke 14:11).
God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6).
3
These verses are just a sampling of the numerous passagesin the Scriptures
that condemn pride.
But why is God so opposedto pride? It is because human pride is in
opposition to God. It thinks
more of itself than it should. It thinks more of itself than God does!
And amazingly, such pride may be lurking in unsuspecting locations like
religion and legalistic
bondage to the traditions of men.
Transition: What, then, does the deadly lure of legalismlook like?
I. Legalisthonor God with their lips resulting in false worship. 7:1-8
Pharisees andscribes, teachers ofthe Torah (Law), come again(cf. 3:22) from
Jerusalemamidst the growing popularity of Jesus (v. 1). By now we know they
are

up to no goodwhen it comes to the Galileanprophet from Nazareth. They are
certain
they know who He is, and they are determined to take him down.
Too often we have our minds made up in advance as to the characterofa
person.
With our opinions firmly formed, we look only for evidence that will confirm
our
judgments and settle the case as far as we are concerned. Facts willnot getin
the
way of our opinions.
And, if we cannot find a fault that will stick to them, then we will go after
their
friends, associatesand followers. “Guiltby association” is always a goodtactic
in
taking someone down. This is the strategythey pursue (v. 2, 5).
Religious legalists andPharisees are expert at this game. Too often we play
the game
as well.
1) They love to compare themselves to others. 7:1-5
The religious and spiritual elites surround Jesus looking for anything to
accuse him
of. His disciples provide the perfect opportunity: they ate with “defiled” (6X),
that is
4
ceremonially, unwashed hands. Foryou “hand sanitizing freaks” this had
nothing to

do with hygiene. It was all about ritual purity and religious traditions that
went
beyond scriptural command but establishedspiritual superiority, their
spiritual
superiority, in the minds of the Phariseesand scribes. Writing to a Gentile,
Roman
audience, Mark provides something of a parenthetical explanation in vs. 3-4
(read).
- You might have touched something unclean so you must wash.
- You might have touched a Gentile person so you must wash.
- Cups must be washed;pots must be washed, and so on (v. 4).
- Disregardthe “traditions of the elders” (v. 3), and your sin.
Religious ritual and legalistic traditions had takenover their lives enslaving
them
rather than freeing them. However, they were blind to their own self-imposed
bondage and challenge Jesus withan air of spiritual superiority and self-
righteousness
(v. 5 read). Note:even they cannotcite a scriptural justification for their
practice.
That, however, does not matter. We are in the “religious right!” You and your
disciples are not.
Now, do keepthis in mind. All this religious washing had a goodintent: to
remind
Jews that they were unclean before God. That was a goodthing. However,
they were

completely off base on the true source of their impurity. Their problem was
not
outside but inside. It wasn’ttheir hands but their hearts.
It is pretty hard to compare hearts, something only God cansee. So let’s draw
up a
religious list of external activities and see who comes out on top. That is much
easier.
5
Interestingly Exodus 30:19 informs us that the priest had to wash their hands
and feet
before they entered the tabernacle. The Pharisees,evenout did the priest! No
comparison:we are the religious champions!
2) They actually play the hypocrite with a distant heart. 7:6-8
One thing Jesus consistentlydid was callout hypocrites and exposes them for
who
they truly are. In verses 6-8 Jesus makes no reference to the conduct of His
disciples.
He ignores that all together. He doesn’teven get into a debate about washings.
Instead, He exposes the true source of spiritual authority: is it “man made
traditions”
or is it the “Word of God?” What will determine how you think and live your
life?
Jesus begins with a scathing indictment calling out the Pharisees and scribes
as
“hypocrites,” mask-araters!This is the only use of this word in all of Mark.
They

were nothing more than religious actors and pretenders. They were not real!
Further, the prophet Isaiah (29:13)also condemns their hypocritical religion:
in
essencethey honor God with their lips but their heart is nowhere near to be
found. It
is all words and show (v. 6).
The result: vain, purposeless worship;worship God does not welcome or
receive. The
evidence:1) they teach as doctrines the commandments of men (v. 7); 2) they
leave
or abandon the commandment of God and hold to the traditions of man (v. 8).
For them the ultimate authority for spiritual life was Scripture and tradition,
but if
there was a conflict tradition won out and it did so every time. If the Bible is
acknowledgedatall it is only in passing. Sometimes it isn’t even considered.
We
have our traditions. That is all we need.
6
Example: church business meetings; deacons meetings;church discipline;
religious
practices (name of the church, times we meet, suit or no suit, choir or no
choir, public
invitation or no invitation and the list goes on!) Lists are so easyto check off!
Examining our heart isn’t!
Can you provide a scriptural basis for what you believe and do? Are you a
textdriven or tradition-driven Christian? The difference is crucial.

II. Legalistmake void the word of God resulting in spiritual disobedience. 7:9-
13
Not all traditions are bad. However, they do become bad when we put them
on the
same level as/orin the place of Scripture.
It is possible to take a goodthing, turn it into a God thing, thereby making it a
bad
thing. It is a “Bible plus” kind of religion. Adding to the Bible, you in practice
make
void the Bible and nullify its truth and power in your life (v. 13).
Jesus makes this crystal clearas He moves into round 2 with the Pharisees. It
is no
contest. The “beatdown” is ugly! The exposure of sinful hearts painful.
1) They reject the commandments of God and establish their own. 7:9
The greatscholarA.T. Robertsonnoted “the strong contrasthere betweenthe
commandment of God and the traditions of men” (Word Pictures, 322).
They think that they are establishing the commandment of God, protecting it.
However, in actuality they are rejecting God’s commandments and in the
process
establishtheir traditions as if they were God’s commandments.
They set aside what is the revealedWord of God and replace it with “made
up”
traditions of men. How ludicrous! How insane! How human.
7
Man made rules and regulations became the object of obedience while God’s

commandments get setaside, left behind, “kickedto the curb.”
We don’t need the Bible, the constitution and bylaws have the final word in
this
church. I have seenit. I have heard it with my own ears. I like the wisdomof
Warren
Wiersbe, “we must constantlybeware lest tradition take the place of truth. It
does us
goodto examine our church traditions in the light of God’s Word and to be
courageousenoughto make changes” (p. 71).
How often we foolishly push awaythe only reliable, trustworthy and infallible
source
of authority we have. It is an act of pure spiritual suicide. Have you seenthe
sad
progressionunfolding before our eyes:1) teachthe commandments of men
(v.7); 2)
leave the commandments of God (v.8); 3) rejectthe commandments of God
(v.9); 4)
make void the Word of God (v.13). And the tragedy of it all, we fail to see our
hypocrisy in it. Oh, we know it is possible to be a hypocrite. We see it so
clearly in
others. It is when it is in us that we go spiritually deaf, dumb and blind.
2) They manipulate God’s Word to their own advantage. 7:10-13
Jesus now gives His own example that settles the issue. The verdict will not
please
the religious elites.

He goes to the Scriptures and the writings of Moses (v. 10)pointing out what
they
clearly teachabout how children are to treat their parents.
- Exodus 20:12;Deut 5:16 (5th commandment); “Honor your father and
mother.”
- Exodus 21:17;Lev. 20:9: “Whoeverreviles (NIV; NKJV, “curses”)fatheror
mother must surely die.”
The principle is clear:God calls children to honor and respecttheir parents.
8
However, the Pharisees createda theologicalloophole thatallowedthem to
circumvent, to getaround, the clearcommand of God (vs. 11-12). Theysimply
declaredwhat they would have given to their parents “Corban” actuallya
Hebrew
term referring to “a gift dedicated to God” (v. 11).
Such a declaration, such a vow (Num 30:2), had to be honored and it allowed
them to
dis their parents, neglecttheir needs, and feelgoodabout it because it was
done, after
all, in service to God. I serve God by disobeying his expressedcommand to
honor
my parents? What kind of logic is that?!
Jesus tells them (v. 13) it is the kind of reasoning that 1) makes void the word
of God,
2) sets up man-made traditions over God’s commands and 3) opens the door
for many

more such actions that reveals the hardness of our hearts, the hypocrisy of our
worship, and the disobedience of our actions, all in the name of religion! These
are
not atheistand secularist. These are the religious and supposedly spiritual.
Bottomline: they have placed their traditions in the place of Scripture and
themselves
in the place of God! The heart truly is an idol factory, and religious traditions
are
some of its best tools. This truth should concernus all. I may be as guilty as
the
Pharisees ofJesus’day and not even see it.
III. Legalists are confusedconcerning the source ofdefilement resulting in a
lack of
true understanding. 7:14-23
The fruit of sin has its rootin every human heart!
Every human heart has the rootof every human sin in it!
You see, it is entirely possible to look nice on the outside while being dead on
the
inside.
9
The most deadly contamination is not what I touch.
The most deadly contamination is what I think!
Proverbs 23:7: “As a man thinks in his heart so is he!”
1) Defilement has its root on the inside. 7:14-20

Jesus summons all who are listening in on the theologicaldebate and charges
them (v.
14): “hearme” (imp), “all of you, and understand” (imp).
He then delivers a little parable in v. 15 with an explanation in response to a
question
as to its meaning by his disciples (v. 17). Once again (cf. 6:52; 8:17-18)they
are
chided for their lack of understanding (v. 18). Also note, only the 12 are with
him at
this point (v. 17).
What follows (vs. 18-20)is one of the most critically important spiritual
lessons in all
of the Word of God. We must not miss it.
- Defilement (impurity) is not external but internal (v. 15, 18).
- Defilement is not gastro-intestinalbut cardial (v. 19).
- Defilement is not a matter of the stomach, it is a matter of the heart.
- Defilement is not what goes in but what comes out (v. 20).
Jesus’words are spiritually revolutionary! Religiouslythey are shocking. The
real
issues of religious and spiritual faith are internal not external. The focus is on
the
inside not the outside. Sin always proceeds,has its genesis from within. Food
ends
up in the stomach, but sin begins in the heart. Foodis eaten, digestedin the
stomach

and expelled (v. 19;lit. “Goes outinto the drain or latrine”). Sin, however,
remains in
the heart, and then produces all manner of defilement and death.
Basic problem: not what we do but who we are!
10
Realfilth, impurity, defilement is inside and unseen, but it is there, and
eventually it
will show itself as vs. 21-23 make clear.
By the way, note Mark’s editorial comment in v. 19:“Thus he declaredall
foods
clean.” I believe the study note in the ESV Study Bible captures succinctly
what Mark
the evangelistis saying,
Mark notes that Jesus’teaching, in essence, declaredall foods
clean. The Mosaic ceremonial laws distinguished between
“clean” and “unclean” foods (see Lev. 11:1-47). Their purpose
was to instill an awareness ofGod’s holiness and of the reality
of sin as a barrier to fellowship with God. But once defilement
of the heart is thoroughly removed and full fellowshipwith God
becomes a reality (through the atoning death of Jesus;see Mark
10:45;Rom. 14:14; Heb. 8:6-13; 9:10, 14), the ceremoniallaws
have fulfilled their purpose and are no longerrequired.
The point is quite simple: it was always about the heart.
2) Defilement reveals its fruit on the outside. 7:21-23

My friend Mark Dever, pastor of Capitol Hill BaptistChurch in Washington,
D.C.
calls vs. 21-23 “the fingers of sin.”
Sadly, but inevitably, sin’s root will produce sin’s fruit. And, it is an ugly ,
destructive crop to behold.
Jesus provides a selective, not exhaustive, list of sin’s fruit. He highlights no
less
than 13 characteristicsofthe evil actions that flow naturally from a sinful
heart,
actions that always resultin sorrow, destructive behavior and death. The list
has a
strong Old Testamentgrounding.
1) Evil thoughts – evil devising and schemes. Theysetthe stage forwhat
follows.
11
2) Sexual immorality – (porneia). Generalword identifying any and all sexual
sins
contrary to God’s will. It includes pre-marital, extra-marital and unnatural
sexual
behavior.
3) Theft – stealing. Taking from another what is not yours. The 8th
commandment
(Ex. 20:15; Deut. 5:19).
4) Murder – taking an innocent life in disobedience to the 6
th commandment (Ex.

20:13;Deut 5:17).
5) Adultery – violating the marriage covenantby engaging in sexualbehavior
mentally (Matt 5:28) or physically with someone you are not married to. The
7th
commandment (Ex. 20:14; Deut. 5:18).
6) Coveting – greed, a desire for more at the expense or exploitation of
another . A
violation of the 10th commandment (Ex. 20:17; Deut 5:21).
7) Wickedness – behavior that is bad, evil; deliberate malice.
8) Deceit– deception, dishonesty, cunning treachery.
9) Sensuality – unbridled, shameless living that is completely lacking in moral
discernment or restraint.
10) Envy – lit. “An evil eye,” figure of speechfor stinginess, jealously, rooted
in
unbelief. It believes God is withholding His best from you. A heart ailment
that
has the seeds of its own destruction sownwithin. It is never satisfied!It always
wants more.
11) Slander– blasphemy; defaming; speaking evil of man or God.
12) Pride – arrogance,haughtiness.
13) Foolishness – senseless;spiritually insensitive.
12
Vs. 23 simply concludes:“All these evil things come from within, and they
defile (5

times in vs. 15-23)a person.”
Conclusion:1) There are basically only 2 approaches to religion, eachof
which can be summed
up in a single word: do or done. The world says the problem is out there and
the answeris what
I can do. The Bible says the problem is in here and the answeris what Christ
has done!
2) You see in legalismwe think better of ourselves than Jesus does. But in
salvation, we think of
ourselves as Jesus does:hopeless, helpless sinners in desperate needof a
Savior.
3) 1 Samuel 16:7 says, “Forthe Lord sees not as man sees;man looks onthe
outward
appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” When the Lord examines your
heart, what does He
see? A self-righteous legalisttrusting in what I do, or a humble sinner trusting
only in what
Jesus has done. The difference is of eternal significance.
http://www.danielakin.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/Mark-7.1-23-The-
Deadly-Lure-of-Legalism-Manuscript-kh1.pdf
WILLIAM BARCLAY
Although it may not seemso now, this passage, whenit was first spoken, was
well-nigh the most revolutionary passage in the New Testament. Jesus has
been arguing with the legalexperts about. different aspects ofthe traditional

law. He has shown the irrelevance of the elaborate handwashings. He has
shown how rigid adherence to the traditional law can actually mean
disobedience to the law of God. But here he says something more startling yet.
He declares that nothing that goes into a man canpossibly defile him, for it is
receivedonly into his body which rids itself of it in the normal, physical way.
No Jew ever believed that and no orthodox Jew believes it yet. Leviticus 11:1-
47 has a long list of animals that are unclean and may not be used for food.
How very seriouslythis was takencan be seenfrom many an incident in
Maccabeantimes. At that time the Syrian king, Antiochus Epiphanes, was
determined to root out the Jewishfaith. One of the things he demanded was
that the Jews should eat pork, swine's flesh but they died in their hundreds
rather than do so. "Howbeitmany in Israelwere fully resolvedand confirmed
in themselves not to eatany unclean thing. Wherefore they chose ratherto die,
that they might not be defiled with meats, and that they might not profane the
holy covenant;so then they died." (1 Maccabees1:62-63.)Fourth Maccabees
(chapter 7) tells the story of a widow and her sevensons. It was demanded
that they should eat swine's flesh. They refused. The first had his tongue cut
out, the ends of his limbs cut off; and he was then roastedalive in a pan; the
secondhad his hair and the skin of his skull torn off; one by one they were
tortured to death while their agedmother lookedon and cheeredthem on;
they died rather than eat meat which to them was unclean.
It is in face of this that Jesus made his revolutionary statementthat nothing
that goes into a man can make him unclean. He was wiping out at one stroke
the laws for which Jews had suffered and died. No wonder the disciples were
amazed.
In effect Jesus was saying that things cannot be either unclean or cleanin any
real religious sense ofthe term. Only persons canbe really defiled; and what
defiles a personis his own actions, whichare the product of his own heart.

This was new doctrine and shatteringly new doctrine. The Jew had, and still
has, a whole systemof things which are cleanand unclean. With one sweeping
pronouncement Jesus declaredthe whole thing irrelevant and that
uncleanness has nothing to do with what a man takes into his body but
everything to do with what comes out of his heart.
Let us look at the things Jesus lists as coming from the heart and making a
man unclean.
He begins with evil designs (dialogismoi, Greek #1261). Everyoutward act of
sin is precededby an inward act of choice;therefore Jesus begins with the evil
thought from which the evil actioncomes. Nextcome fornications (porneiai,
Greek #4202);later he is to list acts of adultery (moicheiai, Greek #3430);but
this first word is a wide word--it means every kind of traffic in sexualvice.
There follow thefts (klopai, Greek #2829).In Greek there are two words for a
robber--kleptes (Greek #2812)and lestes (Greek #3027). Lestes(Greek #3027)
is a brigand; Barabbas was a lestes (Greek #3027)(John18:40) and a brigand
may be a very brave man although an outlaw. Kleptes (Greek #2812)is a
thief; Judas was a kleptes (Greek #2812)when he pilfered from the box (John
12:6). A kleptes (Greek #2812)is a mean, deceitful, dishonourable pilferer,
without even the redeeming quality of a certain audacious gallantry that a
brigand must have. Murders (phonoi, Greek #5408)andadulteries come next
in the list and their meaning is clear.
Then comes covetous deeds (pleonexiai, Greek #4124). Pleonexia comesfrom
two Greek words meaning to have more. It has been defined as the accursed
love of having. It has been defined as "the spirit which snatches atthat which
it is not right to take," "the baneful appetite for that which belongs to others."
It is the spirit which snatches at things, not to hoard them like a miser, but to
spend them in lust and luxury. Cowleydefined it as, "Rapacious appetite for
gain, not for its own sake, but for the pleasure of refunding it immediately

through all the channels of pride and luxury." It is not the desire for money
and things; it includes the desire for power, the insatiable lust of the flesh.
Plato said, "The desire of man is like a sieve or piercedvesselwhich he ever
tries to, and cannever fill." Pleonexia (Greek #4124)is that lust for having
which is in the heart of the man who sees happiness in things instead of in
God.
There follows evil deeds. In Greek there are two words for evil--kakos (Greek
#2560), whichdescribes a thing which in itself is evil, and poneros (Greek
#4190), whichdescribes a person or a thing which is activelyevil. Poneriai
(Greek #4189)is the word used here. The man who is poneros (Greek #4190)
is the man in whose heart there is the desire to harm. He is, as Bengelsaid,
"trained in every crime and completelyequipped to inflict evil on any man."
Jeremy Taylordefined this poneria (Greek #4189)as "aptness to do shrewd
turns, to delight in mischiefs and tragedies;loving to trouble our neighbour,
and to do him ill offices;crossness,perversenessandpeevishness ofaction in
our intercourse." Poneria (Greek #4189)notonly corrupts the man who has
it; it corrupts others too. Poneros (Greek #4190)--the Evil One--is the title of
Satan. The worstof men, the man who is doing Satan's work, is the man who,
being bad himself, makes others as bad as himself.
Next comes dolos (Greek #1388);translated guile. It comes from a word which
means bait; it is used for trickery and deceit. It is used for instance of a
mousetrap. When the Greeks were besieging Troyand could not gain entry,
they sent the Trojans the present of a greatwoodenhorse, as if it was a token
of goodwill. The Trojans opened their gates and took it in. But the horse was
filled with Greeks who in the night broke out and dealt death and devastation
to Troy. That exactly is dolos (Greek #1388). It is crafty, cunning, deceitful,
clevertreachery.

Next on the list is wantonwickedness (aselgeia,Greek #766). The Greeks
defined aselgeia(Greek #766)as "a dispositionof soul that resents all
discipline," as "a spirit that acknowledgesno restraints, dares whatsoeverits
caprice and wantoninsolence may suggest." The greatcharacteristic ofthe
man who is guilty of aselgeia (Greek#766)is that he is lostto decencyand to
shame. An evil man may hide his sin, but the man who has aselgeia (Greek
#766)sins without a qualm and never hesitates to shock his fellow-men.
Jezebelwas the classic instance ofaselgeia(Greek #766)whenshe build a
heathen shrine in Jerusalemthe Holy City.
Envy is literally the evil eye, the eye that looks onthe successandhappiness of
another in such a way that it would castan evil spell upon it if it could. The
next word is blasphemia (Greek #988). Whenthis is used of words against
man, it means slander; when it is used of words againstGod, it means
blasphemy. It means insulting man or God.
There follows pride (huperephania, Greek #5243). The Greek wordliterally
means "showing oneselfabove."It describes the attitude of the man "who has
a certain contempt for everyone excepthimself." The interesting thing about
this word, as the Greeks usedit, is that it describes an attitude that may never
become public. It may be that in his heart of hearts a man is always secretly
comparing himself with others. He might even ape humility and yet in his
heart be proud. Sometimes, ofcourse, the pride is evident. The Greeks hada
legend of this pride. They saidthat the Giants, the sons of Tartarus and Ge, in
their pride sought to storm heaven and were castdown by Hercules. That is
huperephania (Greek #5243). It is setting oneselfup againstGod;it is
"invading God's prerogatives." Thatis why it has been called"the peak of all
the vices," andwhy "God opposes the proud." (James 4:6.)
Lastly comes folly (aphrosune, Greek #877). This does not mean the
foolishness that is due to weaknessofintellect and lack of brains; it means

moral folly. It describes, not the man who is a brainless fool, but the man who
choosesto play the fool.
It is a truly terrible list which Jesus cites ofthe things that come from the
human heart. When we examine it a shudder surely passes overus.
Nonethelessit is a summons, not to a fastidious shrinking from such things,
but to an honest self-examinationof our own hearts.
ALBERT BARNES
Mark 7:19
Entereth not into his heart - Does not reachor affect the “mind,” the “soul,”
and consequentlycannot pollute it. Even if it should affectthe “body,” yet it
cannot the “soul,” and consequently cannotneed to be cleansedby a religious
ordinance. The notions of the Pharisees, therefore, are not founded in reason,
but are mere “superstition.”
The draught - The sink, the vault. “Purging all meats.” The word “purging,”
here, means to purify, to cleanse.Whatis thrown out of the body is the
innutritious part of the food takeninto the stomach, and leaving only that
which is proper for the support of life; and it cannot, therefore, defile the soul.
All meals - All food; all that is takeninto the body to support life. The
meaning is, that the economy or process by which life is supported “purifies”
or “renders nutritious” all kinds of food. The unwholesome or innutritious
parts are separated, and the wholesome only are takeninto the system. This

agrees withall that has since been discoveredof the process ofdigestionand
of the support of life. The food takeninto the stomachis by the gastric juice
convertedinto a thick pulp called chyme. The nutritious part of this is
conveyedinto small vessels, andchangedinto a milky substance called
“chyle.” This is poured by the thoracic duct into the left subclavian vein and
mingles with the blood, and conveys nutriment and support to all parts of the
system. The useless parts of the food are thrown off.
Mark 7:20
Hat which cometh out of the man - His words;the expressionof his thoughts
and feelings;his conduct, as the development of inward malice, anger,
covetousness,lust, etc.
Defileth the man - Makes him really polluted or offensive in the sight of God.
This renders the soul corrupt and abominable in his sight. See Matthew 15:18-
20.
BRIAN BELL
Mark 7:1-23 3-19-13
Cleanliness is next to Godlessness
I. Slide#1 Announce:
A. Slide#2 Haiti Fundraiser: Christian Audio. A portion of proceeds will go to
Teachers Conf.

B. Slide#3 Children at Risk:3pm, New Rm. 45min DVD on Human
Trafficking in San Bernardino.
1. S.B. DistrictAttorney’s office put together, espdealing w/TeenageSexfor
Sale.
2. Did you know they have the Players Ball? It’s an annual gathering/awards
of pimps.
a) Just held the 38th annual on Dec 8, 2012 atthe Key Club, Hollywood, Ca.
3. Also filling dignity bags for Operation Safehouse.
II. Slide#4 Intro:
A. Story: So I was placedon a case this week for jury duty. The D.A.
questioned me. “Mr. Bell,
being a religious man, it says somewhere in the Scriptures, I don’t know
where, but it says that
there must be 2 witnessesto convict, but if we have 1 & its a sure thing, would
you have a
problem w/that?” I said no. He turned & walkedaway. I still had the mic. I
said “would you like
me to explain the Mosaic Law, & what Moses meantby that in
Deuteronomy?” We all laughed.
He said, “maybe afterwardMr.Bell.” I said, “wellyou askeda preacher!”
1. This was found in the bible, but often people quote things from the bible,
when that
isn't its source. People oftenthink Cleanliness is next to Godliness is in
Scripture.
It’s not. And I think I found a place that says the opposite, so I chose for my
Title:
Cleanliness is next to Godlessness.

B. Slide#5 Illustration: Once when I was in Sophia, Bulgaria I found a
wonderful deal on an
antique pocketwatch. It lookedold/rustic/cool…but, it only ran for a few
days…if that!
1. No matter how often I wound it or how many times I changedthe hands…it
just
didn’t help. [it did have correcttime twice a day!]
2. The most important thing about a watchis to tell time. So, what I learned
that day,
when it comes to watches...what’s mostimportant is...whatis inside! * Slide#6
*
a) This morning, Jesus challengesthe religious leaders with what’s most
important.
Inside or outside? - Mouth or heart? - Washing hands or washing hearts?
3. Keep in the back of your minds a few questions: What is holiness any ways?
Does Jesus everditch church, & if so when?
C. Slide#7 Outline: The Delegation;The Degradation;The Defilement.
III. Slide#8 THE DELEGATION (1-5)Pharisees & Scribes from Jerusalem
A. (1) A delegationof religious leaders from Jerusalemtravel about 100 miles
to check Jesus out.
1. Jesus ministry is front page news & has reachedall the way down to
Jerusalem.
1
2. These men didn’t come to see if Jesus was the Messiah…butinsteadto find
“a fly in
the ointment”…& to this end, they were masters.

a) Slide#9 They could be straining their water& find the smallestgnat, but
somehow miss
the camel.
b) They were majoring on minors, straining out a gnat, while minoring on
majors,
swallowing a camel. And being so busy with small details, they never dealt
with the
important matters. (Lev.11:4,23 both were forbidden as food)
B. This was not a matter of personalhygiene but of religious ritual.
1. They ate w/their hands so of course they’d washup before a meal, but this
was
dealing with their prescribed ceremonialwashing!
C. (3) In a specialway – literally means w/the fist. (Exactmeaning unknown)
Some think up to the elbow.
(Like a doctor, nurse, surgeonscrubs in/up)
D. Slide#10 Traditions of the elders – The Mishna at the end of the 2nd
century said, “Tradition
is the fence around the law.”
1. I think the Law needed protecting about as much as a lion in a field needs
protection around him.
E. During the late 2nd century AD, these oral teachings (traditions) were
written down in what was
calledthe Mishnah (a book w/6 divisions: agriculture, festivals, marriage, civil
life, crime, & ceremonies)
1. To this was added a commentary called the Gemara.

2. Togetherthe Mishnah & the Gemara formed the Talmud.
3. These contained248 commandments (thou shalt’s); & 365 prohibitions
(thou shalt not’s)
4. As one Rabbi put it, “The Scriptures are water, the Mishnah is wine; the
Gemara
spicedwine.”1
F. The JewishMishnahcontained no less than 30 ch.’s on the cleansing of
vessels.
1. This Hand washing ritual came from the command for priests to washtheir
hands
(Ex.30:19;40:12). It was a reminder to come to God clean(i.e. w/cleanhearts)
2. All pious Jews starteddoing this about 200 yrs before Christ.
3. So, by Jesus day, it was firmly entrenched as a requirement for those who
wanted to
be clean.
a) They completely lost the original idea of clean hearts.
IV. Slide#11 THE DEGRADATION (6-13)When Lips supersede Heart
A. (6) Honor w/lips, but not heart – Jesus says, I’ll tell you why My disciples
don’t keepyour
traditions – Look what Isaiahsaid would happen when tradition takes the
place of truth.
2
1 David Hewitt, Mark, pg.106.
1. There is a big difference betweentradition & truth.
a) Tradition is outward; Truth is inward.

Tradition has to do w/ritual; Truth has to do w/reality.
Tradition is something you keep;Truth is something that keeps you.
2. What a tragedy that religious people would ignorantly practice their
religion &
become worse for doing it!
a) Jesus doesn’tsay, “wellas long as you’re sincere!”
B. (6b) Heart is far from me – You can’t think your way into the kingdom of
God.
1. Slide#12,13“Christianity is a rational faith, a reasonable faith, but you do
not get
into the kingdom head 1st. You getinto the kingdom heart 1st.”2
C. (7) Hypocrites – You folks have turned religion into play-acting.
1. We are hypocritical when we talk about love but never love;
Talk about forgiving but never forgive;
Talk about witnessing but never witness.
D. I believe there are a great# of services thatJesus Christ would never
attend.
1. Worship Music - some would think of Him not attending because of“style,
the
volume, or lack of hymns”. - I’m thinking, no, more like when a bunch of folks
that
have gottentogether and are “singing” because,“thats whatwe do every
week.”I
think Jesus dismisses Himself. Do you think He sticks around to be polite?
“You

honor Me with singing on the outside, but you plan out your week on the
inside.”
a) Do you think He sticks around for your worship if in fact you hold
unconfessedsin &
bitterness inside?
2. How about Sermons? What if the sermon is a mini self-help seminaron
becoming a
better you? That’s moralism & its not helpful. - Any gospelwhich says only
what you
must do & never announce what Christ has done...is no gospelatall!
E. (11) But you say… –
1. Illustration: You’ve seenmany moms place a very thin blanket over their
babies in
their strollers (keepthe sun off). But what would happen if they just kept
placing
blanket after blanket. It doesn’tmatter how thin these blankets are…the baby
would
suffocate.
a) Over the years the Phariseeshad overlaid the biblical teaching w/vast
amounts of spoken
teaching blankets & oral tradition blankets.
b) Though admirable, the original aim of protecting the baby, became its
demise.
F. (10-13)Now Jesus gives anillustration of the point He just made.
3
2 Jerry Vines, pg.130.

1. First Jesus quoted from Isaiah& now He’ll pull from Moses…Howcanthe
Pharisees argue with the Law & Prophets?
G. Slide#14 Corban– Mark explains to his Roman audience this Hebrew
word a gift to God;
devoted to God.
1. If a sonwanted to avoid his responsibility, of caring for his parents in later
life, he
simply neededto declare his money Corban…dedicatedto God.
2. So, by observing what man allowedthey could avoid what God required.
a) Oh, Jesus is concernedabout us taking care of our parents!
3. And this was just 1 example of many, claimed Jesus (13).
H. Note the digressionhere: 4 layers of thin blankets that smother:
1. Replacing (7)(heartfor lips); Neglecting (8)(God’s commandments); Then,
Rejecting (9)(God’s commandments); Invalidating (13)(no effect regarding
the Word of God).
2. Aren’t these the steps of most “Cults”? – Teachingsthat are built around a
prophet
or prophetess whose writings eventually replace the Word of God.
3. What a false confidence man’s traditions have given to so many sincere
people.
a) As if what you do on the outside, will somehow change the inside.
I. So what is the balance or safe place with tradition?
1. Slide#15 Learnfrom what other Christian communities have learned over
the years
(i.e. traditions of old)

2. Neverput it on the same level as the bible.
3. We must constantly differentiate betweenwhat is Scriptural &
authoritative &
traditions, which may or may not be relevant or helpful at any given time.
a) (eg. Scriptural - the church meets weeklyon the 1st day of the week.
But tradition dictates time & location, & what we do when we meet)
4. Scripture is God-breathed; Tradition is man-made!
5. Scripture is from God & is Authoritative & Primary; Tradition is from
man & is
secondary& must remain flexible.
6. Traditions must always be subordinate to God’s Word.
7. We must constantly assess ourtraditions in the light of Scripture.
J. Slide#16blank Whattraditions will we hand down to the next generation,
yet considerthem doctrine?
1. Will we at Calvary require the next generationto wear Hawaiianshirts?
Lead worship w/an acoustic guitar? Use aluminum communion trays?
Have male worship leaders? Have a Dove as their logo?
a) None of these are bad (maybe Hawaiianshirts) but will it be required of the
next Calvary gen?
4
2. One generation, Your hair’s too long. The next generation, Your hairs to
short, it
makes you look mean, like a white supremacist.
3. We shouldn’t pass on Non-Essentials;we must pass on Jesus.

V. Slide#17 THE DEFILEMENT (14-23)Think Internal not external; Think
Potentialb4 Actual
A. The issue? – Outward religious traditions vs. Inward living faith.
1. Slide#18 Imagine the disciples requesting of Jesus, “Lord, teach us to
wash!”
B. (15) William Barclaycalls this “well-nigh the most revolutionary passagein
the N.T.”
1. Dr. Vincent Taylorsaid, “[Jesus’pronouncement]…wasdestinedto free
Christianity
from the bondage of legalism.”
C. Sin is Internal before it is External (17-19)
D. Slide#19a (19)It is the heart that must be changed. - External rituals
cannot do that.
1. The capacity for fellowship w/Godis not spoilt by outward things like
unclean
hands but by personal sin.
2. Prov.4:23 Keep your heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues
of life.
a) NLT Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your
life.
E. Slide#19bSin is Potentialbefore it is Actual (20-23)
F. (21,22)Here Jesus gives us a catalogueof13 ugly sins. It is an X-ray of the
human heart.
1. All of these sins lurk as a potential inside of all of us.
2. So Jesus calls for purity, holiness, on the inside, from a changedheart from
God.

a) Slide#20 In the forests of northern Europe & Asia lives little animal called
the ermine,
known for his snow-white fur in winter. He instinctively protects his white
coatagainst
anything that would soilit. Fur hunters take advantage ofthis unusual trait of
the ermine.
They don’t set a snare to catchhim, but insteadthey find his home, which is
usually a
cleft in a rock or a hollow in an old tree. They smearthe entrance and interior
with
grime. Then the hunters settheir dogs loose to find and chase the ermine. The
frightened
animal flees towardhome but doesn’t enter because ofthe filth. Rather than
soil his white
coat, he is trapped by the dogs and captured while preserving his purity. For
the ermine,
purity is more precious than life.3
G. Slide#21blank (23)Some, like the Phariseesofold, have a very defective
theologyof man & sin
and think that man is intrinsically/inherently good???
1. And because ofthis they treated symptoms w/their legalism, rather than
dealing w/
the rootproblem!
2. Yes the bible deals with the fruit of sin; but better…it deals w/the root of
sin.
It doesn’t only deal w/the flow of sin; but the very fountain of sin!
5

3 Our Daily Bread, April 21, 1997
3. The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately(incurably) wicked;
Who can
know it? - Forthe wages ofsin(not sins) is death.
a) “We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners!”
H. (Spurgeon) “If sin had not been in you, it could not have come out. All the
trouble in the world
does not put sin in the Christian. It brings it out.”
1. You might think, “My wife makes me so angry!” – No, angerwas already
there in
your heart & this just gave it opportunity to come out!
I. So, what’s the remedy?
1. It’s not education, culture change, socialreform, nor revolution, but
regeneration.
2. The heart canbe purified only by faith.
J. Slide#22,23Wrap up: Your choice:Keep polishing your brokenwatch; or
receive a new
mainspring, from The Watch-Maker, foryour heart today.
1. Ezek.36:26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I
will take
the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
CHRIS BENFIELD

CleanHands and DefiledHearts
Mark 7: 1-23
It has been a while since we’ve heard from the scribes and Pharisees,but they
were a
continual nuisance to the Lord as He ministered among the people. It appears
they followedJesus
as often as they could, seeking any means to accuse Him and discredit His
ministry.
As we have discussedbefore, there will always be those who seek to hinder the
work of the
Lord. Jesus dealtwith them; the disciples dealt with them; Paul dealt with
them, and so shall we if
we are committed to honoring the Lord. The Pharisees were knownfor their
adherence to the Law
and legalistic traditions, but in reality they were hypocrites. As the criticized
their perceivedfaults
in the Lord and His work, they completely ignored their lack of obedience to
those aspects ofthe
faith that genuinely pleasedthe Lord. Outwardly they lookedgood, but within
they were defiled
and corrupt.
These truths have not changed. Like the Phariseesofold, our lives are
measuredby what is
in our hearts, instead of the life we portray before men. It is possible to have a
form of
righteousness, but actually have a defiled heart. As we examine the lessons in
the text, I want to

consider:Clean Hands and Defiled Hearts.
I. The Accusationof the Jews (1-5)– Our opening verses revealanother
controversybrought
about by the unjust accusationof the Pharisees. Notice:
A. The Examination (1-2) – As we have learned, the Pharisees kepta close
watchon Jesus and
the disciples, seeking anymeans to accusethem. At this particular moment,
they had witnessed
the disciples eating bread without washing their hands. (The enemy will see to
it that our motives
and actions will be calledinto question by those outside the faith. He knows he
is defeated, and
our Lord is eternally victorious. While he can’t defeat Christ, he can work to
bring accusationto
those who desire to serve the Lord and proclaim the Gospel.)
B. The Tradition (3-4) – Mark revealedthat the Pharisees heldstrict
traditions, passeddown
through generations. Theywere forbidden to eatunless they washedtheir
hands. There were
many traditions regarding the washing of cups, pots, brass vessels, and the
tables upon which the
food was served. While there is absolutelynothing wrong with cleanliness,
these traditions were
kept while they ignored the greateraspectsofthe faith. They exercisedgreat
care for outward
cleanliness and yet neglectedthe needs within their hearts.
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P a s t o r C h r i s B e n f i e l d – F e l l o w s h i p M i s s i o n a r y B a p t i s t
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 Traditions are fine in a proper context. There is nothing wrong with
washing one’s hands or
properly cleaning cups and pots, but these and other traditions must not be
held in higher regard
than the fundamentals of our faith. Tradition cannot replace or exceed
biblical mandates. The
modern church is often willing to ignore biblical mandates if it goes against
long held traditions.
C. The Confrontation(5) – Having stoodon the sideline as long as they could,
the Pharisees
confronted Jesus aboutthe disciples disregardfor long held traditions. They
were appalled that
these men would dare to eatwithout first washing their hands.
 The enemy and those who promote his agenda are never afraid of
confrontation. Some
within the church are even quick to confront those who fail to honor certain
traditions and rituals
that are held in high regard. If you are committed to serving the Lord, you
might as wellprepare to
deal with confrontation. Someone will eventually take issue with your
practices.
II. The ProclamationofJesus (6-13)– As He had done in the past, Jesus
immediately
responded to the accusationofthe Pharisees.However, ratherthan chastising
the disciples for

failing to honor tradition, He questionedthe motives of the Phariseesand
rebuked their agenda.
We find that:
A. He Condemned their Hypocrisy (6-9) – I don’t think the Pharisees were
necessarilyshocked
by Jesus’response, but He challengedthem publicly regarding their
continued hypocrisy. Jesus
quoted a prophecy from Isaiah that was being fulfilled at that very moment.
These soughtto honor
God with their lips and their actions, but their hearts were not right with the
Lord. These held to
traditions that were passeddown and demanded, but they ignored the
commandments of God.
Their righteousness was allan outward show, a front that lackedreal
substance. In essence
Jesus rebukedthe hypocrisy of the Pharisees. According to Warren Weirsbe,
“Rabbi Eleazersaid,
‘He who expounds the Scriptures in oppositionto the tradition has no share in
the world to come.’
The Mishna, a collectionof Jewishtraditions in the Talmud, records, ‘It is a
greateroffense to
teachanything contrary to the voice of the Rabbis than to contradict
Scripture itself.’” i
 Unfortunately such practices continue today. Our world is filled with those
who hold to
religious traditions and certain practices, but their hearts are not right with
the Lord. They give

greatattention to performing that which is expectedby the religious
establishment and yet fail to
honor the Lord by living according to the dictates of Scripture.
October18, 2017
C h u r c h Page 3
B. He Condemned their Delinquency (10-13)– Here Jesus addressedanother
grievous error
many committed all while seeking to justify it according to the faith. In that
culture, and in most
today, one was expectedto care for their aging parents. Jesus reminded them
of the
commandment to honor their father and mother. However, the Jews had
devised a way to avoid
their responsibilities and justify their neglect. When their parents made a
request, the rebellious
son would declare that his available monies were “Corban.” This is a term
that meant the money
was dedicatedto God and could be spent for no other purpose than the needs
of the Temple or
sacredduties. These neglectedtheir responsibilities through false pretense and
were bold enough
to declare the money was reservedfor the Lord.
 Such activity remains today in some form or another. Folks may not tell
their parents their
money is reservedfor the Lord, but they seek to justify their actions through a
mandate or

expectationof the church. They are willing to neglectthe needs of those closest
to them in order
to continue their efforts of self-righteousness. Manychildren have been turned
from the faith
because ofthe legalistic demands of their parents, all while seeing the utter
hypocrisy in it.
III. The Clarificationof Jesus (14-23)– Following His encounterwith the
Pharisees,Jesus
offered clarity to the disciples and those gatheredaround Him. Consider:
A. The Admonition (14-16)– Jesus calledthem to listen closelyand
understand the truth He
shared. While the Pharisees worriedso much about dirt and uncleanness from
without, Jesus
declaredthose things cannotdefile a man. It isn’t about what we take in by
mouth that defiles us,
but what comes out of our mouths and the actions of our lives that defile.
These are both
prompted from within. Our heart will dictate our words and our behavior.
We should be much more
worried about the condition of our hearts than the dirt and filth without.
B. The Explanation (17-19)– After coming togetherwith the disciples in a
private setting, they
desired further clarification. Jesus declaredthatthose things consumed by us
cannot defile us.
They are takenin through the mouth and soonenough pass through the body.
The Pharisees had

placed all this effort and concernabout what was takenin, and yet failed to
comprehend the
condition of the heart. (Jesus does not imply that we are to be foolishor
carelesswith our eating
habits. Improperly prepared food can make us sick, and even cause death. He
is emphasizing a
greaterspiritual truth. Ratherthan focusing solely on the physical aspects of
life, and making
provision for them alone, we need to ensure our hearts are healthy
spiritually!)
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C h u r c h Page 4
C. The Illustration (20-23)– Again Jesus emphasizedthe great truth of that
which comes out of
the man defiles, (his words and behavior,) not that which is takenin through
the mouth. He goes
on to provide a list of evil behaviors that are prompted by a defiled heart. He
speaks of:
 Evil Thoughts — This is the root of all that follows. When an evil heart
conjures up evil
intentions, the evil person will carry them out.
 Adulteries — Illicit sexualactivity by married persons.
 Fornications — This word translates the Greek word “porneia” and it
refers to any illicit sexual
activity. The origin of sexualsin in not in the body, it is the result of a defiled
heart!

 Murders — The taking of another's life. By the way, you are guilty of
murder if you have hatred
in your heart toward another person, 1 John 3:15.
 Thefts — Taking that which belongs to another for your own use. This
covers a lot of territory,
even the tithe, Mal. 3:8-9.
 Covetousness— An insatiable craving for that which belongs to another.
 Wickedness— This word means “malice” and it refers to all the ways that
evil thought
manifest themselves in a person's life. It is deliberate acts of meanness!
 Deceit— This word refers to cunning maneuvers designedto ensnare
someone for one's
personaladvantage. It is the idea of someone trying to work undercover to
bring someone else
down. Sneaky, deceptive people fall into this category.
 Lasciviousness — This word refers to unrestrained, shamelessbehavior. It
is an attitude that
says, “I will do as I please and I do not care what anyone thinks about it!”
 An Evil Eye — This is a Hebrew expressionthat speaks ofenvy and
jealousy. It looks atthe
blessings ofanother and desires them for itself. It is envious when others
prosper.
 Blasphemy— injurious or defaming speechdirectedat either God or man.
Gossipand curing
fall into this category.

 Pride — The boastful exalting of oneself. It's the attitude that says, “Look
at me, see what I
have done. No one is a goodor as greatas I am.” This is an overbearing
attitude that is the
opposite of humility.
 Foolishness — This word refers to those who are morally and spiritually
desensitized. They
cannot see their sins; neither can they sense the Lord working in and around
them. With this
kind of person, there is no spiritual illumination. There is no spiritual
discernment. They do not
know God and there is no desire to know Him. ii
 Surely we all would agree that such behaviors are much more defiling than
eating with
unwashed hands. We must ensure our hearts are right with the Lord and we
are living in a way
that honors Him above all else.
Conclusion:The Pharisees spentmuch time on tradition and little time on the
condition of the
heart. The heart of man’s problem is always a problem within the heart. We
can put on a religious
October18, 2017
C h u r c h Page 5
front, honoring the Lord with our lips, and even pretend through our actions,
but our hearts reveal

the truth of the matter. Are there needs in your life today? Have you
responded to the call for
salvationthrough repentance and faith? Whatever the need is within the
heart, Jesus canprovide
the help and solution you need.
BRIAN BILL
Mark 7:14-23
Where BadStuff Comes From
Haddon Robinson, who arguably has written the best book on preaching
called, Biblical Preaching, once told a group of young preachers, “Whenyou
stand up to preach, people are bored…and they expect you to make it worse.”
I don’t ever want to bore people when I’m preaching but I’m sure I’ve
delivered more than a few snoozersermons. That reminds me of some bulletin
bloopers I’ve collectedoverthe years. Thankfully these didn’t appear in our
bulletins but as far as I know they are realannouncements.
• The Rev. Merriwether spoke briefly, much to the delight of the congregation.
• Barbara remains in the hospital and needs blood donors. She is also having
trouble sleeping and requests tapes of PastorNelson’s sermons.
• During the absence ofour pastor, we enjoyed the rare privilege of hearing a
goodsermon when J.F. Stubbs supplied our pulpit.

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