Scripture Reading: Mark 7:14-23
Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. “Are you so dull?” he asked. “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a person from the outside can defile them? For it doesn’t go into their heart but into their stomach, and then out of the body.” (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods clean.) He went on: “What comes out of a person is what defiles them. For it is from within, out of a person’s heart, that evil thoughts come—sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and defile a person.”
Reflection
We often focus on the external appearance of a thing and ignore its internal condition, primarily because it cannot be seen. But this can fool us into believing something is better than it actually is. For instance, what do you think when you see a car that is shining and gleaming with a fresh coat of paint? That it's in good condition, yes? Only a look under the hood will tell us if it truly is in good condition or not because, despite the shine and the gleam, the engine might be dirty and rusted and falling to pieces. If we are not careful, this can describe us: externally holy, inwardly corrupt. What are the signs of corruption?
In today's passage, Jesus describes some of them: sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance, and folly. "All these evils," he says, "come from inside and defile a person" (Mark 7:23). But we know this already. What we may not realize is that all of us are internally corrupt. We sometimes get on a high horse of self-righteousness and say we have never committed murder or adultery. Let us pay heed to Jesus' words to the self-righteous Pharisees: You call somebody a fool, and you've committed murder; you think of someone with lust, and you've committed adultery (see Matthew 5:21-30).
Therefore, we all need to get our internal affairs in order. The question is, how? First, we acknowledge that WE need deep cleaning. We often believe that everybody else is in need of cleansing except us, but like the song goes, "Not my brother, not my sister, but it's me, O, Lord, standing in the need of prayer." Second, we can't purify ourselves; only Christ can through the blood he shed for the forgiveness of sins. When we are washed in the blood of the lamb, we are made white as snow (see Isaiah 1:8).
Third, although we are forgiven and cleansed, we will continue to struggle with temptation as long as we inhabit these bodies and will, on occasion, fall. Therefore, ongoing cleansing is required. The parts that are not purified need to be made pure. When Jesus told Peter that unless He washed Peter's feet, he could have no part of Jesus, Peter told him to wash his hands and head as well. Jesus answered, "Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean" (John 13:10).
And, finally, if we become saturated in the word of God, immerse ourselves in continuous prayer, rely on supportive brothers and sisters, God will do wonderful things with our internal condition!
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Today's devotional — Internal Affairs — is based on Mark 7:14-23, the gospel reading for the day. The reflection is by Aneel Aranha, founder of Holy Spirit Interactive (HSI). Follow him on Facebook: fb.com/aneelaranha
