Go beyond the outward show
"All these evil things come from within, and defile the man" (NIV) Mark 7:23
Bible Reading: Mark 7:24-30
As humans, we always have the tendency to make our assessment and conclusions about events, human actions and personalities from what we can see from outside. Little wonder many people always put up the best in their outward actions. But the passage today challenges us to probe further inside, to look beyond the outward show and demonstration of outward actions. The actions of men have their origins in their thoughts and minds.
Jesus Christ, the only Perfect God-man that ever lived on earth, the One who knows the heart of all men, asks us to go beyond the mere religious traditions of outward shows. He responds to the queries of the disciples arising from the criticism of the Pharisees that they don’t observe the Jewish tradition of washing of cups before using them. He argues that it is not the washing of cups that defiles a man, rather the heart of men is the fountain from which good or evil proceeds.
Sinful actions, corrupt behaviour and irreverent conducts that we see outwardly are a manifestation of what is inside of a man. An unregenerate, unconverted individual will naturally produce sinful actions. It is not what is outside of a man that defiles the man but what comes out of the man, from the heart.
The question is, what is in your heart? The heart can only produce righteous actions and bear fruit of the Spirit after it has been cleansed with the precious blood of Jesus Christ. No amount of reformation or resolutions can make a man produce good fruits when the tree itself is corrupt. Only Christ can make a difference in any life.