A reading from Mark 7 : 14-21
14Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, "Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. 15Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.' "[a]
17After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable. 18"Are you so dull?" he asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? 19For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.")
20He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' 21For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. 23All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' "
Let us pray,
Heavenly father I pray that as we come to your word this day, you would teach us, mould us and challenge us through Jesus Christ our Lord amen.
From the outset of this sermon I would like to apologise for using a geeky computer term but here it is GIGO – Garbage in Garbage out. Basically it means that if you put rubbish into a computer you will get rubbish out at the other end.
This passage is all about purity, cleanness of the individual which affects their relationship with God and does, I believe has something to teach us as individuals and also as a church in our life and mission.
Let us take a step back from this individual passage and look at it in context.
Marks gospel is a journey towards the full revelation of Christ as Messiah and concludes with the centurion at the foot of the cross saying “truly this man is the son of God.” This passage occurs right at the heart of the gospel. Prior to this we have had immense demonstration of Jesus’ power – Baptism, calling of the disciples, healings, teachings, teaching on the Sabbath, driving out demons, raising the dead girl, sending out the 12, walking on water. With all of these amazing acts Jesus is gaining in popularity – feed 5,000 people and you will gain a name for yourself!
Just before we get into chapter 7 we have a summary of what Jesus is up to
“As soon as they got out of the boat people recognised Jesus. They ran throughout that whole region and carried the sick on mats to wherever they heard he was. …It is not a problem to say that “Jesus mania” was sweeping the countryside.
As we come to the passage we are looking at this morning – the scene is set – Jesus is in one of these towns and some of the Jewish authorities are out to catch him out. The place is public, a market place, stalls, fruit, veg, and noisy lots of people buzzing about. They have got him now! – The disciples are eating without washing their hands - this is not a hygiene issue – its another 1800 years before our Louis Pasteur gives the health benefits of washing hands – it is all about ritual tradition. In this tradition it was a widespread custom of washing after the market as they may be defiled by touching a gentile in the crowd and so become ritually unclean.
The shadow of a Gentile falling across a dish or plate made it unclean.
These traditions were found in the “law of the elders” that halakah – the oral law which claimed to interpret and complete the Mosaic Law.
Jesus responds by trying to show them how far these traditions have fallen from the law. By quoting text from the 10 commandments – “honour your father and mother” but then your case you can nullify that by doing certain things. This is only one example.
It is then Jesus calls the crowd and says that nothing outside a person can defile him – this was radical teaching – it went directly against the rabbinic teachings of the day. That statement in itself would have been completely stark to Jews of the day listening in.
Then after leaving that public declaration we see the disciples entering the house and his disciples asking him what he meant.
ARE YOU SO DULL! – The disciples don’t get the significance of what he said
Food doesn’t enter the heart – therefore it can’t defile it –
It is what comes out of a man that makes him unclean. He goes on to describe examples of this uncleanness.
So what was Jesus trying to say from this passage?
- He was not trying to overturn the laws of Moses – in Matthew we read that he came fulfil the law and the prophets.
- He was not trying to say that you can eat / drink or use substances which would harm you.
Instead what he was speaking against the hypocrisy of ritual cleanliness but the impurity of hearts
It is what comes out of a man that defiles him – it is the heart that is unclean – the thing that needs cleaned not the hands. It’s all about the heart
The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.
I have a story which I think illustrates this
Ray Stedman shares a letter in one of his books from a sharp-minded, Christian business man friend of his. I'd like to share it with you along with Steadman's comments about it.
DON'T TAKE ME TO THE HOSPITAL, PLEASE!
This scene didn't make sense, There he lay in the street, bleeding -- the hit-and-run driver gone. He needed medical help immediately! Yet he kept pleading, "Don't take me to the hospital, please!" Surprised, everyone asked why. Pleadingly, he answered, "Because I'm on the staff at the hospital. It would be embarrassing for them to see me like this. They've never seen me bleeding and dirty. They always see me clean and healthy; now I'm a mess."
"But the hospital is for people like you! Can't we call an ambulance?" "No, please don't. I took a Pedestrian Safety Course, and the instructor would criticize me for getting hit."
"But who cares what the instructor thinks? You need attention." "But there are other reasons, too. The Admissions Clerk would be upset." "Well, why?" "Because she always gets upset if anyone for admittance doesn't have all the details she needs to fill out her records. I didn't see who hit me, and I don't even know the make of the car or the license number. She wouldn't understand. She's a real stickler for records. Worse than that, I haven't got my Medical card with me."
"What real difference would that make?" "Well, if they didn't recognize me in this mess, they wouldn't let me in. They won't admit anyone in my shape without a Medical card. They must be sure it isn't going to cost the institution. They protect the institution. Just pull me over to the curb. I'll make it some way. It's my fault that I got hit."
With this, he tried to crawl to the gutter while everyone left, leaving him alone. Maybe he made it, maybe he didn't. Maybe he's still trying to stop his own bleeding.
A strange story you might think but unfortunately it is quite close to home. If we think of the man on the pavement as someone we know who has been hit not by a car but by some sin or another. Where should he find somewhere to be helped, somewhere to be accepted somewhere where relationships can be sorted, wounds cleaned, restored.
If we believe that each one’s purity comes not from tradition nor from the outward appearance but from a heart which is made clean from repentance and relationship with Jesus then
I suppose there is a challenge here for us
Firstly as individuals – in looking at ourselves in the mirror – what is there inside us that need changed, values, feelings, sins? How is our heart?
Then again in the mirror as a member of the church – when someone comes in – what prejudices do we have?
And as a body of believers how can we present ourselves not as the museum of saints with all the outward signs of purity and having life sorted but a hospital for sinners.
People who are open about what they struggle with, what they need.
In conclusion I do believe that it is not about garbage in garbage out
The garbage produced is systematic of what garbage is in the heart
Garbage out, garbage inside
And the garbage needs dealt with.
Before we pray let us take a moment of quiet as we listen to a song
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