Jesus continued, “Clearly, you are experts at rejecting God’s commandment in order to establish these rules. Moses said, Honor your father and your mother, and The person who speaks against father or mother will certainly be put to death. But you say, ‘If you tell your father or mother, “Everything I’m expected to contribute to you is corban(that is, a gift I’m giving to God),” then you are no longer required to care for your father or mother.’ In this way you do away with God’s word in favor of the rules handed down to you, which you pass on to others. And you do a lot of other things just like that.” Then Jesus called the crowd again and said, “Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing outside of a person can enter and contaminate a person in God’s sight; rather, the things that come out of a person contaminate the person.” After leaving the crowd, he entered a house where his disciples asked him about that riddle. He said to them, “Don’t you understand either? Don’t you know that nothing from the outside that enters a person has the power to contaminate? That’s because it doesn’t enter into the heart but into the stomach, and it goes out into the sewer.” By saying this, Jesus declared that no food could contaminate a person in God’s sight. “It’s what comes out of a person that contaminates someone in God’s sight,” he said. “It’s from the inside, from the human heart, that evil thoughts come: sexual sins, thefts, murders, adultery, greed, evil actions, deceit, unrestrained immorality, envy, insults, arrogance, and foolishness. All these evil things come from the inside and contaminate a person in God’s sight.” (Mark 7:9-23, CEB)
“the things that come out of a person contaminate the person”
It isn’t what goes in that contaminates. It is what is already there that comes out.
If you look closely at the list at the end of the reading, I am sure you will see some things you can say, I have not done, but if you are honest, there will be some you are guilty of having done.
sexual sins, thefts, murders, adultery, greed, evil actions, deceit, unrestrained immorality, envy, insults, arrogance, and foolishness
Sexual sins is fornication or sexual activity outside of being married and is not to be confused with adultery which is sex when one or both of the members doing the act are married to a different person.
Maybe you can say you never stole anything. Maybe you didn’t murder anyone, but is it murder or kill, and yes there is a difference, and is this only about other humans, or any of God’s creation?
Have you ever been greedy? Not sharing what you had more than enough of for someone who needed it. I have if we are being honest. I am not proud of it, but honestly, I have.
Evil actions is doing something we know is wrong but we do it anyway.
Have you ever been deceitful? Again, if I am being honest I would have to say yes. Not that I’m proud of this either, but honestly, I have.
I have been envious of others. I have insulted others. I have been arrogant and foolish.
I made the world worse by focusing on myself and not being loving. Hate comes from within and we need to focus on others and let love flow and not contaminate our lives or the world.
So love like Jesus.
Focus on others and don’t let selfishness or any evil thoughts contaminate you or the world around you.
Loving People. Loving God.
aSacredRebel 