RE Verse reading–Mark 7:1-23 (day one)
“There is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.” (vs 15) One difference that Jesus had with the Judaism of His day was its externalism. Over attention to what was touched, done or eaten. The issue for Christ was deeper–in the heart. The heart is the “inner man” consisting of both thoughts and intentions. See Hebrews 4:12. The heart is who we really are. It is the place that is either cleansed by grace through faith or remains resistant to the Lordship of Christ. Part of Jesus’ purpose was to expose the human heart in all of its deceitfulness. Jeremiah 17:9. An urgent warning to us lest we rely on religious tradition and duty (even done sincerely) to reach deep enough inside to address and cleanse the real problem. “This people honors me with their lips, but their HEARTS are far from me.” (vs 6)
