Mark 7 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Mark 7:17-23 – How to Defile the Heart

Mark 7:17-23 – How to Defile the Heart

|| Matthew 15:10-20[1]

MK7:17 Now when he left the crowd and entered into the house, his disciples asked him about the parable. MK7:18 Then Jesus told them: “Are you without understanding? Do you not comprehend? Whatever enters a person cannot defile. MK7:19 For it does not enter the heart, but rather the stomach, and after through it into the sewer.” (Thus, Jesus proclaimed all foods clean.)[2] MK7:20 And he continued: “It is what comes out of a person that defiles a person. MK7:21 For it is from the inside, from a person’s heart that harmful thinking[3] proceeds:[4] sexual immorality, thievery, murder, MK7:22 adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, loose conduct, evil eyes, blasphemy, arrogance, unreasonableness. MK7:23 All of these wicked things issue from within and defile a person.”

*

[1] Matthew 15:10-20: For details see notes in Nazarene Commentary 2000 on Matthew.

[2] Jesus proclaimed all foods clean: The subject is food and the handling of it. Here Mark adds an inspired interpretation of the conclusion reached. There are no kosher foods or drinks to the Christian. [Compare notes on Luke 11:41; Acts 10:15; Romans 14:17.] See also 1 Corinthians 10:25.

[3] Harmful thinking: Or, evil thoughts, designs of evil, injurious reasons. Sin begins in the mind. [James 1:14, 15]

[4] Proceeds: For details see notes in Nazarene Commentary 2000 on Matthew and the items in this list. Mark adds a few.

+

Preceding

Mark 7 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Mark 7:1-8 – Vain Worship and Human Doctrines

Mark 7 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Mark 7:9-16 – Invalidating God’s Word

Matthew 15:1-20 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Tradition and the Heart

Matthew 23:25-26 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Woe 5: Greed and Unclean

Matthew 23:25-26 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: Woe 5: Greed and Uncleanness

++

Additional reading

1. Today’s thought “Out of the heart … come …” (February 11)
2. Today’s thought “Out of the heart of man come …” (August 12)