From the Heart

“For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts…” – Mark 7:21

The debate is over what causes defilement in a person. What makes a man or woman ritually and spiritually unclean?

Jesus loves to poke holes in our assumptions as if they were balloons. He does it in this statement.

The assumption is that certain foods enter a person and defile them. Jesus says we should be more concerned with things that come out of our mouths, our lives, and our behavior.

He lists them, not to be exhaustive, but to be descriptive:

Evil thoughts come from the heart. So do adultery, fornications, and murders. Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, and pride are all issues that have their root in the heart.

The last item on his list is foolishness.

What you eat goes in and out of you. It does not linger.

The heart holds on to thoughts. It nurtures them. It gives them a home. It allows thoughts to reproduce and alter our thinking about other things. Then, when our entire way of  thinking is corrupted, so will our words and deeds.

He wants us to think about this. He challenges us to listen and hear deeply if we have ears.

It is never a bad time for self-reflection, self-assessment, and reorientation of our thinking. If we are feeling stained, defiled, vile, and perverse in our words and thoughts, it is time to renew our hearts in prayer with God.

Ask God to change your heart and refresh your thinking.

Then, focus on things that are healthy, pure, loving, and beautiful. Not only can the heart defile us, but it can also cleanse us and brighten us.

When our hearts are held close to the heart of Jesus, we will begin to produce fruit in our lives that honors God and lifts up people.