Mark 7 Sunday Preview – Clean or Defiled?
Have you ever been deep in conversation with someone while eating, only to be interrupted by an unwelcome food projectile or spittle landing on your face? In that moment, all you want to do is rush home, shower, and cleanse yourself. For those of us who can’t stand feeling dirty—whether it’s dust, sweat, or grime—this reaction is instinctive. We know that simply changing clothes won’t suffice; we need to wash away the dirt completely.
This scenario, though humorous, reveals a deeper truth about our spiritual condition. The Bible tells us that the human heart is deceitful and desperately wicked, in need of cleansing. Yet, how often do we settle for a superficial change? We focus on outward appearances—fitness, health, style, education—while neglecting the inner filth that really needs attention.
God, however, doesn’t overlook this. Just as He guided Samuel in 1 Samuel 16 to choose David not for his outward appearance, but for his heart, He reminds us that the heart is what truly matters. Jesus reinforces this in Mark 7 when He confronts religious leaders obsessed with external rituals. He declares that true defilement comes from within, from a heart turned away from God.
Ultimately, it’s not about how we appear to others, but about the condition of our hearts before God. True cleansing starts from the inside out, with a heart radically changed by Jesus.