Mark 7:14

Mark 7:14 says, And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: Jesus called all the people to Him.  He didn't call just those of a certain faith, nationality, or race, but all people, and He still does today.  If we begin to think that we are somehow better than someone else because of one of these factors, we are not listening to what Jesus said.  Jesus also asked them not to just hear what He said, but to understand it.  We can quote chapter and verse of the Bible but knowing them without understanding them does us no good.  Verse fifteen adds, There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.  Jesus then said that nothing entering a man could defile him, yet this is too often what we judge people by.  The second half of the verse makes it clearer.  It is our thoughts that defile us.  I don't believe that Jesus was saying that it is okay to put anything into our body that we choose to, but that it is our thoughts that lead us to do so.  We may not use illegal drugs, drink or smoke for example, but if we hate those who do, we are defiling ourselves.  Our thoughts are going to be judged by God because they lead to our actions.  Verse sixteen continues, If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.  Of course, for what Jesus teaches to have any meaning to anyone, they must first hear Him and then put their faith in Him as their personal Savior and Lord and then allow the Holy Spirit to guide their thoughts.   Verse seventeen states, And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. When Jesus was in a house alone with His disciples, they asked Him what the parable He had just shared meant.  The best way to understand what the Bible says is to get alone with Jesus away from the outside noise of the world and to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us to an understanding.  Verse eighteen adds, And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;  Jesus asked His disciples if they were also without understanding, and as Christians this is something we will never have to be unless we choose to be.  I believe that if we prayerfully seek to understand God's word as followers of Christ that we will be given an understanding of God's word clearly.  Verse nineteen continues, Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? Again, Jesus said very clearly that what enters us from the outside, like food, cannot defile us.  We sometimes spend a lot of time concentrating on external things though, such as how a person looks or dresses, more than we do on their actions.  Verse twenty says, And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.  Verse twenty-one adds, For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Jesus then once more said that it is the things within that defile a person, because in our heart or mind we propose evil.  Even if we are worshipping God in church, if in our thoughts are looking down on others who are there worshipping as well, our thoughts have defiled us, even if our actions seem good.  Verse twenty-two continues, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:  Verse twenty-three concludes, All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.  Jesus then listed several things that come from within that defile us.  As Christians, we need to keep our thoughts on what God would have us do at all times. Otherwise, we will allow the standards of the world to guide or thoughts and then our actions.