Mark / Tradition, Inner Purity, and What Truly Defiles

Tradition, Inner Purity, and What Truly Defiles

Mark 7:1-23

Chapter 7

¹ And the Pharisees gathered together to him, and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem. ² And seeing some of his disciples eating bread with common hands—that is, unwashed— ³ For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands with the fist, holding to the tradition of the elders, ⁴ and from the marketplaces unless they wash, they do not eat. And there are many other things that they have received to hold: washings of cups, pitchers, bronze vessels, and beds— ⁵ The Pharisees and the scribes ask him, "Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with common hands?" ⁶ But he said to them, "Isaiah prophesied well about you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.'" ⁷ In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. ⁸ Neglecting the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men. ⁹ And he said to them, "You neatly set aside the commandment of God so that you may keep your tradition." ¹⁰ For Moses said, "Honor your father and your mother," and, "The one speaking evil of father or mother must end with death." ¹¹ But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Korban—which is a gift by which you might be benefited through me,"'" ¹² you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or mother, ¹³ invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you handed over; and you do many such similar things. ¹⁴ And calling the crowd to himself again, he said to them, "Hear me, everyone, and understand." ¹⁵ Nothing that enters him from outside the man can defile him. But the things that come out from the man are the things that defile the man. ¹⁷ And when he had entered a house from the crowd, his disciples asked him about the parable. ¹⁸ And he says to them, "Are you uncomprehending too? Do you not see that everything that enters the man from outside cannot defile him, ¹⁹ because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and it goes out into the latrine—thus cleansing all the foods. ²⁰ And he was saying, "That which comes out from the man, that defiles the man." ²¹ For from within, out of the heart of humans, the evil reasonings come out: sexual immoralities, thefts, murders, ²² adulteries, covetousnesses, wickednesses, deceit, sensuality, evil eye, blasphemy, pride, folly ²³ All these evil things come out from within and defile the man.