Most Christians are familiar with the Old Testament regulations regarding clean and unclean foods. Moses gave the Israelites many details about which animals the Israelites could eat. If it has a divided hoof and chews the cud, it was permissible. Any sea creatures that have both fins and scales were allowed. There was a list of forbidden and acceptable birds and insects. Pork is one of the most famous forbidden foods.
Christians are equally aware that those prohibitions do not apply today. They may not be able to explain why, but they know that in the church age we do not concern ourselves with which foods may be eaten and which may not be eaten.
However, what is often missed is what replaced food as the source of uncleanliness. Today’s passage tells us Jesus declared all foods clean. However, He did not stop there. He said what comes out of a man is what truly makes him unclean, not what goes into a man. This mean we do need to be concerned about uncleanliness in the church age.
Through His miracles, Jesus had attracted a large crowd of followers. It was inevitable that the Jewish leaders would notice. In fact, some Pharisees and scribes came from as far away as Jerusalem to investigate what was happening.
It was about 80 miles / 130 km from Jerusalem to Capernaum. That was at least a three day journey. Since the men traveled three days to investigate Jesus, that shows it was important to them.
The religious men criticized Jesus because His disciples did not wash their hands properly. After showing the hypocrisy of the so-called religious experts, Jesus addressed the issue of cleanliness.
Mark 7:14 ¶ And after He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand:
Mark 7:15 there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man.
Jesus proclaimed to the crowd that it is what comes out of a man which defiles him, not what he eats.
Mark 7:16 [And if anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”]
Mark 7:17 ¶ And when He had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples were asking Him about the parable.
Mark 7:18 And He said to them, “Are you lacking understanding in this way as well? Do you not perceive that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him,
Mark 7:19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and goes to the sewer?” (Thus He declared all foods clean.)
The first part of verse 19 was spoken by Jesus. The sentence at the end of verse 19 was a statement by Mark, the author. Mark clearly wrote that Jesus declared all foods clean. This statement is the basis upon which we in the church age no longer consider certain foods forbidden.
Some people wrestle with this. They have trouble accepting the idea that God changed the rules because the Bible says God does not change.
However it is God’s nature and character that never changes, not His rules. Just because Jesus changed the regulations regarding what humans can eat, does not mean God Himself changed.
Mark 7:20 And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man.
Mark 7:21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries,
Mark 7:22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.
Mark 7:23 All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”
Under the Mosaic Law, there was a long list of items which made Old Testament Jews unclean. Certain foods were on that list. Those prohibitions no longer apply, so Christians generally think we do not have to be concerned about being unclean.
However, Jesus did not merely declare all foods clean, He listed the thoughts and actions that truly make us unclean. The evil thoughts that come out of our hearts defile us, just as ingesting the wrong foods defiled the Old Testament Jews.
As we live our lives in the 21st century, we should be concerned about the cleanliness of our hearts. Are we full of evil thoughts and desires? If so, then we are defiled. Just as the Mosaic Law prescribed rituals to be purified from defilement, so too if we are defiled with sin, we need to confess our sins.
Mark 7:24 ¶ Now Jesus stood up and went away from there to the region of Tyre. And when He had entered a house, He was wanting no one to know of it; yet He could not escape notice.
It is about 35 miles / 55 km from the Sea of Galilee to Tyre. That is more than a one day walk. Even up in Tyre Jesus could not escape notice.
Mark 7:25 But after hearing of Him, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit immediately came and fell at His feet.
Mark 7:26 Now the woman was a Greek, of Syrophoenician descent. And she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
This woman was not Jewish.
Mark 7:27 And He was saying to her, “Let the children be satisfied first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
The children represent the Jews. The dogs represent the Gentiles. Jesus was a Jew and came to do ministry among Jews. Since the woman was not Jewish, He at first refused to help her.
Mark 7:28 But she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table feed on the children’s crumbs.”
Mark 7:29 And He said to her, “Because of this answer go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.”
The woman acknowledged her lack of standing, so Jesus decided to help her.
Mark 7:30 And going back to her home, she found the child lying on the bed, the demon having left.
Mark 7:31 ¶ And again He went out from the region of Tyre, and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of the Decapolis.
It is about 22 miles / 35 km from Tyre up to Sidon. That would be one day of walking. Then it is 45 miles / 75 km from Sidon back down to the Sea of Galilee. That would have been another two days of walking.
Mark 7:32 And they brought to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, and they pleaded with Him to lay His hand on him.
Mark 7:33 And Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue;
Jesus attempted to help this man in private.
Mark 7:34 and looking up to heaven with a sigh, He said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!”
Mark 7:35 And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly.
Mark 7:36 And He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He was ordering them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it.
Jesus knew His miracles were drawing such a huge crowd He was having trouble traveling, so He attempted to keep the news about Him from spreading. However, that did not work.
Mark 7:37 And they were utterly astonished, saying, “He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”
In their minds healing the ears and tongue was greater than many of the other miracles Jesus had performed.
Most Christians are familiar with the Old Testament regulations regarding clean and unclean foods. Moses gave the Israelites a long list of foods that were not to be eaten because they were unclean. Pork was one of the most famous forbidden foods.
Christians are equally aware that those prohibitions do not apply today. They may not be able to explain why, but they know that in the church age we do not concern ourselves with which foods may be eaten and which may not be eaten.
However, what is often missed is what replaced food as the source of uncleanliness. Today’s passage tells us the sinful thoughts and desires that come out of our heart defile us, just as food defiled the Israelites in the Old Testament time period.
We need to be on guard against evil thoughts, sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, adulteries, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. We should avoid all these just as earnestly as Jews avoid eating pork.
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”
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