It seems that every day there is some new warning or advice on what we should eat. In my lifetime, butter, lard, and tallow have been declared bad and then good. In our day and age, such declarations are for the purposes of health. In Jesus’ day, they were spiritual in nature. Based on the Law of Moses, there were clean and unclean foods, or foods that somehow spiritually defiled you if eaten.
Jesus taught something different that, in one way, lets us off the hook but also sets a hook deep into our being. “Summoning the crowd again, he told them, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand: Nothing that goes into a person from outside can defile him but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” When he went into the house away from the crowd, his disciples asked him about the parable. He said to them, “Are you also as lacking in understanding? Don’t you realize that nothing going into a person from the outside can defile him? For it doesn’t go into his heart but into the stomach and is eliminated” (thus he declared all foods clean). And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of people’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, evil actions, deceit, self-indulgence, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a person.” (Mark 7:14–23, CSB)
So, let’s be clear. What we eat doesn’t defile or tarnish our standing with God. We have the freedom to observe or not observe the dietary law of the Old Testament. Whether something is healthy or wise is another matter. There are a couple of caveats elsewhere in scripture. Paul writes in Romans 14 specifically about this. Food can stain our conscience if we violate our convictions or cause another to stumble.
Jesus, however, is clear: what defiles us, makes us unclean, stains our conscience, and darkens our relationship with God is what comes out of our heart. Jesus’ list hits everyone. “Evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, greed, evil actions, deceit, self-indulgence, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.” We are all guilty of one or more of these. If each one is worth a point, I score a 10 out of 13. What about you?
We have a heart problem. That truth is hard for many. We see all our problems and struggles as external forces pushing in on us. The Devil made us do it. It’s my neighbor’s or boss’s fault. If only this circumstance were different, then I wouldn’t have to do that. But the real problem is internal. It is us. We have a heart problem that only Jesus can fix.
Ezekiel prophesied, “I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. I will place my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.” (Ezekiel 36:25–27, CSB) Isaiah wrote, ““Come, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are crimson red, they will be like wool.” (Isaiah 1:18, CSB) When we come to Jesus, He gives us a new heart. We still struggle with our old habits, but we desire to please God rather than ourselves.
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