Mark 7:17-23 English Standard Version

17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?”[a] 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Footnote[a]  Greek goes out into the latrine

I have eliminated (Thus he declared all foods clean.) in line 19 as a comment that does not exist in other versions and detracts from this message.

Focus on what goes into the heart.

John 6 English Standard Version

35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

51 I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

56 He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

Ephesians 3:17 English Standard Version (ESV) so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love,

He who eats by faith the Word of God will find His Word in our hearts.

John 6:63 English Standard Version (ESV) It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

Ezekiel 36:26 English Standard Version (ESV) And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.

His Word, Jesus, enters our hearts by faith. Read the Word with faith.

Mark 7:11-13 English Standard Version

11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)— 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

In these passages is a specific issue. It is centered around a false interpretation of God’s word in which those doing the teaching might obtain something which should have gone towards honoring God’s word.

This section ends with an accusation that many other things are done in the same way without giving any specifics. Those things are left as an open accusation. Without some specific detail how do we know what is being done that is wrong?

This is a perfect example of the Word of God avoiding specifics in order that each person can examine their own motivations in what they do and believe. We can find a hint of where Jesus was going in these verses by the passages that followed.

14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.”

“Here me, all of you!”

There is no exclusion here when He declares “all”, meaning everyone who reads His Word.

Now comes the narrow path to understanding.

17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable.

Rather than theorizing, a disciple will turn to Jesus for answers.

Then Jesus revealed the heart of the matter at hand.

19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?”