DIRTY HANDS OR DIRTY HEARTS?

 

Thursday, August 3, 2023

 

DIRTY HANDS OR DIRTY HEARTS?

 

Mark 7:14-23

14 And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:

15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.

16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.

18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;

19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

 

          The last words recorded in chapter six were: “as many as touched him were made whole!”  Chapter seven begins by explaining that the Pharisees were following Jesus and his disciples and had observed them eating with unwashed hands. Now, as a kid, Mom would tell me to wash up for dinner. We had been outside playing and it was uncertain what vile thing we had picked up to play with. Dirt was the common playground and Mom did not want us to eat with dirty hands because we might become sick. The Pharisees, however, took hand washing to a different level as can be seen in the first five verses of chapter seven.

 

          Jesus turned things around and explained to the Pharisees that whatever the body took in it also passed out. The cleansing system of the human body could easily dispose of most of what went in. However, the Pharisees had dirty hearts. This the body could not cleanse. Out of the heart proceeded evil thoughts and the actions that those thoughts prompted. Verses 21 and 22 provide a long list of dirty things that come from within. The Pharisees had clean hands but dirty hearts.

 

James 4:7-8

7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

8 Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.

 

Dear Lord, wash my heart of all the things that would defile me. Let my heart be completely dedicated to you. AMEN