IMPORTS & EXPORTS – Mark 7:14-23
Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on September 6, 2015 under 2015 |
Message preached Sunday, September 6, 2015 from Mark 7:14-23
Theme: Defilement before God does not come from what we import from the outside, but rather from what we export from the inside.
(Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from The Holy Bible, New King James Version; copyright 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc.)
Jesus dealt decisively with these religious leaders—not only because of their insistence that a man-made tradition be legalistically kept as if it were a doctrine from God, but also because of the hypocrisy they exhibited in requiring it. Let’s begin our time this morning by going back and reading that story. It’s found in Mark 7:1-13; and it says,
Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?” He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:
‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do” (Mark 7:1-13).
Now, that’s a remarkable story; and it’s one that we considered in our last time together. But last week, I argued that as important as that story is, it wasn’t really the main point of this passage. That was a lesson about the hypocrisy that comes from seeking holiness before God through man-made religious traditions; but it’s a lesson that was incidental to the much larger spiritual lesson of this passage.
This larger and more important spiritual lesson has to do with where real defilement before God actually comes from. And we find that spelled out for us in what happened next—in verse 14 to verse 23:
When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand: There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?” And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man” (vv. 14-23).
And I would argue that while the first half of the passage gives us a very serious warning, the second half speaks of an even greater and more serious warning—one that is far more relevant to our lives today than many people realize.
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I have had the opportunity now and then to help teach college and seminary courses on preaching. And whenever I can, I always try to share with the students the one Bible verse that I believe is the most important verse for a preacher of God’s word to keep in mind. It’s a verse that tells us the vital principle that will make all the difference in the life and ministry of any faithful preacher. In fact, if possible, I require the students I work with to memorize it.
Would you like to know what short and easy-to-remember verse is? It’s Proverbs 4:23; and it says,
Keep your heart with all diligence,
For out of it spring the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23).
I say that it’s a vital verse for preachers. But actually, it’s a vital verse for anyone to remember who seeks to live faithfully before God through faith in Jesus Christ. It tells us that the issues of our lives—how we live, what we speak, what we think, what we do, where we go, how we’ll work; and even how a preacher will preach or a teacher will teach—are all things that flow out from the heart. They are expressions that flow forth from the wellspring of our inner-being. And they will determine the kind of person we are.
Most people don’t even think all that much about ‘keeping their heart’ at all (or if they do, they tend to think of it in some silly ‘romantic’ way). In practical terms, most people just give free reign to their inner-being, and let their ‘heart’ go whatever direction it goes—figuring that “if it goes there, it must be right”. I think it’s fair to say that most people tend to rule their hearts by what I call the ‘Star Wars principle’: “Luke, trust your feelings . . .” There are a lot of people who are sitting in a prison cell somewhere today because they ‘trusted their feelings’!
Our hearts should not be be trusted like that. Let’s never forget that we are fallen people—tainted with the sinful inclinations we inherited from our father Adam; and our hearts will lead us astray if we aren’t careful. Therefore, one of the most important and most strategic things we can do for our Christian life is to guard our heart—to keep it “with all diligence”—to not allow it to give way to its own sinful inclinations or to gravitate toward its own wicked dispositions; but to grab hold of it, to take rule over it, to protect it, to keep it, to guard it, and to steer it into the direction of obedient submission to our Lord and Master Jesus. We are to do this constantly and earnestly—as if the very character of our lives here and now, and the quality of our heavenly reward in the future, depended upon it. And that’s because they do!
I believe that the Lord Jesus’ words in this morning’s passage speak to that ‘Proverbs 4:23′ principle; and show us that true ‘defilement’ before God comes from a failure to properly keep our own hearts. The people who were being influenced by the thinking of the Pharisees thought that spiritual uncleanness before God came about because of what was taken in from the outside. They thought that if they could become spiritually defiled before God if they ate with hands that had not first been properly washed in the traditional way—and thus ignored the corruption that was in their own inner being. But Jesus clarifies to them that the source of true spiritual uncleanness before God is not from what is imported into us from the outside, but rather from what is exported out of us from the inside.
It’s really hard to find a more ‘practical’ spiritual matter for us to consider than this one!
* * * * * * * * * *
Let’s go back together through this passage; and take a look, first, at . . .
1. THE PRINCIPLE.
Now; I’m imagining that Jesus had been surrounded by crowds of people at this time; but that when He had this debate with the Pharisees and scribes, the people backed off a bit. But now—having heard this exchange—He wanted them to all come in close so that He could say something to them. Mark tells us;
When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand . . . (v. 14).
And right away, you can plainly see that what He wants to tell them is very important. Whenever the Son of God speaks, of course, it’s important. But when He says, “Hear Me, everyone . . .”, then you know it’s very important. And when He even goes on to add, “and understand”, then you know it’s very, very important. You and I need to take that to heart. What the Lord Jesus is telling us here is not something to treat indifferently. It’s something that is vital to the soul. There will be legalistic people in this world who, through rituals and traditions, would try to distract us from it. I’m suspecting that’s why He had to call everyone to Him—as if He was speaking over the heads of the Pharisees and scribes.
Some of us have a translation of the Bible that contains verse 16; where Jesus is presented as saying, “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” Others of us have a translation that does not contain those words, but sets them apart as a footnote. That’s because not all ancient copies of Mark’s Gospel contain the words of verse 16. If they are words that were genuinely spoken by the Lord at this time, then they are like something what He has said before in other occasions; and they underscore the importance of these words—bookending His instruction, if you will, on either side with a strong call to pay attention. If, on the other hand, they are words that an ancient copies of the Gospel pulled from what Jesus said elsewhere, and wrote them on the margin of the text for emphasis—something that got accidentally added to the text later—they would nevertheless have an appropriate application to these words of our Lord.
In either case, what Jesus is about to say is very important. We must heed it. And here’s what He says:
There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man (v. 15).
What a staggeringly important declaration! In one sentence, Jesus renders a multitude of vain and destructive man-made rituals and ceremonies utterly useless—all of which were designed to supposedly “cleans” us from the impurities of this world and make us holy before God. Jesus completely liberates His followers from such things! But at the same time, He doesn’t let us walk away thinking that there is no such thing as potential ‘defilement’. Instead, He shows us that such defilement doesn’t have its source from the outside of us, but rather from the inside of us!
And I believe His Jewish listeners who was concerned to avoid ‘defilement’—when they heard these words—were completely stunned!
* * * * * * * * * *
Now; what do you suppose Jesus meant by the word “defile”? It might be important for us to clarify that.
Some people might hear this story and think that, because the whole thing started because the disciples didn’t wash their hands before eating, ‘defilement’ is to be understood as external ‘uncleanness’. It was just an unsanitary world. If that’s what people living today would think that Jesus is talking about, then they might tend to simply ignore it all—thinking, “I live in the twenty-first century. We aren’t living like folks did in the old days. We’re clean all the time. I took a shower just this morning.”
And by the way; thank you. But that’s not what Jesus is talking about. The word that is here being translated “defiled” or “unclean” is one that basically means “common”. And in this case, it’s the idea that someone or something is no longer set apart as sacred and holy unto God. They are no longer “special”; but are now “common” or “profane” in the sense of being ‘ceremonially unacceptable’ in God’s sight.
The Jewish people were very concerned about keeping holy and separated unto God—and were careful not to become “unclean” or “common” or ceremonially “undefiled” before Him by contact with impure things. To be “defiled” in this way would require that someone be separated from everyone else in the Jewish assembly until they were not longer defiled—and all so as not to contaminate anyone else. And for Jesus to tell them that this does not come from the things on the outside, such as foods or through unwashed hands—but instead, came from what happens on the inside, as a product of the heart—was an utterly astonishing and revolutionary thought!
It may be that most people didn’t grasp it; and after hearing this astonishing declaration, simply moved on. But the disciples wanted to hear more. And so, we go on next to read . . .
2. THE EXPLANATION.
Mark tells us;
When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable (v. 17).
This was not a “parable” in the sense that we’ve encountered before, is it?. Ordinarily, a “parable” is a memorable story that was told for teaching purposes. But here, the word “parable” is used to describe something that Jesus said that was perplexing and enigmatic, and that needed explanation. And so, they asked Him about it.
And by the way; just as an aside, their act of getting alone with Jesus and asking for an explanation is something that we’ve also seen before. Way back in Mark 4:10, we’re told that Jesus taught the people in parables publicly about the mysteries of the Kingdom; but when He was alone, His disciples gathered around Him privately and asked Him for an explanation. Mark tells us later in that chapter that “without a parable He did not speak to them. And when they were alone, He explained all things to His disciples” (v. 34). If you and I want to know the truth of the things that Jesus said, we need to get alone with Him!
That’s what they did. And it seems to me that Jesus gives them an ever-so-gentle rebuke.
So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? (v. 18a).
It’s as if this was something that they already should have understood. After all, they had been with Jesus for some time now—up close and very personal. The would have heard much of His teaching; and they would have seen many of His miracles. They had a growing sense of who He is. It seems that as far as Jesus was concerned, they should already have grasped by now that ‘defilement’ in the sight of God does not come from external things but from internal things.
Again, I offer an aside. I wonder if the closer we draw to Jesus—and the more we get to know Him, and love Him, and obey Him, and follow Him—the less we will be inclined to believe that our relationship with God is somehow determined by external things; and the more we will rely on the Lord Jesus’ work in our own hearts to make us right with God. I believe it’s safe to say that if we are all wrapped up in trying to earn God’s favor through rituals and ceremonies and religious traditions—all through a bunch of ‘don’t eat this’ and ‘don’t touch that’ kind of rules and prohibitions—then it’s an indication that we’re not walking in a personal relationship by faith with Jesus as we should. That’s because if we were closer to Him, we’d know better.
The disciples should have known better. But nevertheless, Jesus explains this principle to them. And He explains it in very frank and plain terms:
Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated” (vv. 18a-19b)
I have tried to think of a way to expound on that that’s appropriate for a Sunday morning church gathering. But perhaps I don’t need to say much at all. Whatever we put in to ourselves from the outside—meaning food, of course—goes right though us (after all, anatomically, we’re all built like a doughnut, aren’t we?), does what it needs to do for us, and then goes on down the drain. It doesn’t even come into contact with the inner spiritual aspects of a person that relates to matters of true personal holiness.
And by the way; we next read a remarkable little phrase:
“thus purifying all foods” (v. 19b).
My translation has this as if they were the words of Jesus. But I tend to agree with many others who say that these are Mark’s words—as he states the implication of what Jesus just said. To the Jewish person, they were commanded in the law to observe careful dietary laws and not eat foods that were considered ‘unclean’ to them. But that wasn’t about making them righteous in God’s sight. It was about making them a separate people from the Gentiles. In these words, Jesus—as the Mediator of the New Covenant—made all foods ‘clean’.
So; the foods we eat—the things we take in from the outside—simply go into our bellies and out of our bodies. They don’t impact the heart. Those external things are not where defilement before God comes from. But Jesus then goes on to explain where it does come from:
And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man” (vv. 20-23).
There’s a structure to what Jesus tells us. He says first that, “from within, out of the heart” proceed “evil thoughts”. The word that He uses describes a kind of inner reasoning—a kind of inner ‘dialogue’—that plans and crafts evil things. I don’t have to tell you about that, do I? How many times have you been sitting around and someone asks you, “So; what are you thinking about?”—and you’re a little embarrassed to answer, because what you were thinking about was evil?
And then, Jesus goes on to tell us that those “evil thoughts” express themselves in twelve things. The first six are ‘actions’, and the second six are ‘attitudes’. Some ancient Greek texts list them in a slightly different order; and so they may show up in a different order in our different translations. But they’re all there. And I don’t believe this is meant to be understood as a complete list—but it certainly does show us the various ways that true defilement before God springs forth from within!
Following the order of things in the translation I’m using, Jesus speaks of “adulteries”. This speaks of any relationship that violates the marital vow—whether in action, or in flirtation, or even in simple desire. Merely looking at someone else with lust, as Jesus told us elsewhere, is to have committed adultery with them in our hearts. Then, He mentions “fornications”. This is from the word porneia; and it’s where we get the word “pornography”. It speaks of all forms of sexual immorality that are forbidden in God’s word—not just in action, but in thought. Then comes “murders”. In the Sermon on The Mount, we’re told that to call someone a demeaning name is to be guilty before God of having murdered them. From out of our wicked hearts comes the wish that someone where dead—and in some, this wish rises up and takes action! Then comes “theft”; and this could include not just the idea of major acts of theft, but even the little acts of petty theft from the office. “Covetousness” speaks of more than just the act of taking something. It speaks of the inordinate desire to have something that we don’t have a right to; and so is sometimes translated “greed”. Think of the unrestrained materialism that leads so many in our culture to get hopelessly into debt! And then Jesus speaks of “wickedness” or “malice”—a general word for just any kind of base behavior. None of these defiling actions come into us from eating anything. They originate from within.
And there are attitudes that spring from within too. Jesus speaks of “deceit”. The word that He uses here refers to the idea of “baiting” someone—lying to them and fooling them in such a way as to manipulate them into doing something. He speaks of “lewdness” or “sensuality”—the idea of an unrestrained giving-over of one’s self to passions and lusts. He speak of “an evil eye”; and what He means here is not the idea of giving someone a dirty look—although that’s bad too. Rather, what He is speaking of here is “envy”—the idea of resenting someone for the blessings in life that God has given to them. It’s what Jesus spoke of in His parable in Matthew 20:15 when He said, “Is it not lawful for me to do what I wish with my own things? Or is your eye evil because I am good?”. “Blasphemy” speaks not only of cursing God, but also of slandering other people. It’s the whole idea of tearing someone down with our words. “Pride” speaks of the attitude that we’re greater in our own eyes than we really are in the sight of God, or that boasts of how superior we are to others. And then Jesus speaks of “foolishness”. This isn’t the idea of being low in intellect. Rather, it’s the idea of true “foolishness” and true “folly” as it’s described in the Bible—that of knowing the right thing to do and not doing it. It could include the kind of foolish joking and foolish talking that we know better than to engage in. All these attitude also spring forth from the heart.
When we look at this list, none of us escape unscathed. And as Jesus says, “ All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” They do not come from anything on the outside that we take into our bodies. They come from within—from our hearts—and spring forth out of us in the form of actions and attitudes that truly defile us in the sight of a holy God.
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Now; what should we do about it? First, I believe we should have deep sorrow. A list like this shows us the reality of what is in us; and takes away any reason we may think we might have to strut around as ‘holy’ because of the external things that we might have avoided. We don’t have to go wallowing around in the moral cesspools of this world to be dirty, do we? We already carry one around within us.
But second, I suggest that we take to heart the prayer that King David once prayed. In Psalm 139:22-23, he wrote;
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting (Psalm 139:23-24).
God doesn’t reveal the sin in our hearts to us in order to crush us and demean us. Rather, He lets us know the truth so that we can come to Him and allow Him to search those things out and take them from us. We’re safe in coming to Him and asking Him to shine the spot-light within us, because He loves us and desires our holiness.
And I cannot end without adding this. Do you know where that “way of everlasting life” is that He will lead us to? It’s Jesus Himself—the very one who spoke the words of this morning’s passage. As John 3:16 tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” He’s the one who has taken all the guilt of that sin within us upon Himself and paid the full price on the cross.
Let’s makes sure that we have trusted Him for purity within.
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