Hearts Far and Near

This morning I am reflecting on some verses from the Gospel of Mark 7:5-8,14-15,17-23 NIV:

[5] "So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don't your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?” 

[6] He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “ 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. [7] They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.' 

[8] You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.” 

[14] Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. [15] Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” 

[17] After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. [18] “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don't you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? [19] For it doesn't go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.) 

[20] He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. [21] For it is from within, out of a person's heart, that evil thoughts come---sexual immorality, theft, murder, [22] adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. [23] All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”

This interaction between Jesus and the Pharisees and teachers, always intrigued me, as it seems that Jesus gets to the exact foundational issue, faith is internal and relational with external observable actions.  God in His eternal perspective, knowing our thoughts and motivations, looks past our actions to our very heart and mind.  He judges rightly, by what only He can see.

Initially when I read these verses, the thing that caught my eye was Jesus' response to the disciples, "Are you so dull?".  Here is another great example of translators providing a word, that while technically correct, causes us to think that Jesus was being a bit harsh in dealing with His disciples.  The word translated dull is the Greek word asunetos, and it literally means without understanding, which I think is much closer to what Jesus would have said.

Jesus in His statement about external things not able to defile is basically negating things they had been teaching for hundreds of years.  This was no little course correction, but a significant bit for the disciples to process.  Clearly they were struggling with understanding the implications of what Jesus had just said.  Leviticus 11-15 is all about what defiles or makes one unclean, and it is basically all external sources.   If this book is the first thing taught to Jewish children, then the understanding of being defiled by external sources would have been deeply ingrained in the disciples, and any Jewish person who just heard Jesus.  I can just imagine them looking at one another and thinking through all the different things they knew would defile them, and wondering if Jesus' statement was applicable to these situations as well?

Jesus then goes on and provides the new revelation about what actually defiles, and it is all from within, out of a persons heart and mind!  That would have definitely caused a stir, because He was now talking about things that only God can understand and view.  He lists a bunch of clearly wrong actions, but He traces the origination to the heart and thoughts.  This is very similar to the Sermon on the Mount, and His taking sin and expanding the definition to include thoughts, rather than just actions. 

The problem with all of this is that these are no longer clearly observable things, and people would not be able to judge others correctly.  The only One who could correctly judge is God, who sees our hearts and minds and knows all.  The clear path is toward individual relationship with God, the invitation is to intimacy with Him, and it is very different than what all the Jews had grown up with as a base understanding.  The context of all of this was present in the Old Testament, for we have a view of David's intimate pursuit of God, and God revealing what was in David's heart, and such, but the normal Jewish follower was likely taught to focus on the external trappings of their faith and ritual cleanliness.

My encouragement this morning is to look closely at my own heart and mind, to see what things exist there that are "defiling".  As I look at some of the words in verse 21 & 22 above, especially in light of Jesus teaching in Matt 5, I see areas where I need to "clean-up" my thoughts.  For example Jesus said the following, “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.'  But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, 'Raca,' is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell. (Matthew 5:21-22 NIV).  If I take the principle of Jesus' expanded definition and apply it to the other words, I find I have an uncomfortable reckoning.  

Again, the whole point is not to focus on specific things, but to focus on relationship with the Lord, to bring our heart near to Him and allow Him to bring change to our inner-being and mind.  Paul writes about the renewing of our mind (Rom 12:2) and this is exactly what I need, even now after walking 40+ years with Him.  I am amazed at how easy it is to allow thoughts that can cause a defiling to find a place in my heart and mind!  

The good news is that regardless of my own inadequacy, that Jesus has made a way, and through grace His righteousness is extended to me.  What is impossible for man is possible for God!  As Paul says in his  letter to the Ephesians 2:4-10 NIV:   

[4] "But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, [5] made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions---it is by grace you have been saved. [6] And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, [7] in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. [8] For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith---and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--- [9] not by works, so that no one can boast. [10] For we are God's handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."

Lord, I am so grateful that You have made a way, You have not rejected us, but have extended Your grace to us, in spite of our weakness, frailty, uncleanliness,  and sinfulness!  You have set a high standard, and have provided the way for us all through faith!  Help me to press into deeper relationship with You, allowing You to identify areas where I need to renew my mind and cleanse my heart, that I might think and act more like You!  My desire is to bring Glory to Your name.  I want my heart to be near You!

Amen and Amen!