What Makes Us Truly Clean
Inspired by insights from the Grace and Truth Study Bible
"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.'"
—Mark 7:14–15
The Pharisees, with their obsession over ritual and tradition, completely missed the heart of God’s law. They clung to external practices—like handwashing and food regulations—as if these could somehow purify the soul. But Jesus upends their assumptions, teaching that uncleanness isn’t about what goes in but what comes out: the words, actions, and attitudes flowing from the heart.
Imagine a crystal-clear spring flowing from a mountainside. Its waters are refreshing and pure, but the purity depends entirely on the source. If the source becomes contaminated, so does the spring. Jesus says the human heart is like that source—it determines the purity or defilement of everything that flows from it.
The Pharisees focused on surface-level purity while neglecting the true problem: their hearts were far from God (Isaiah 29:13). They even distorted God's law for their own convenience, as seen in their practice of "Corban," which allowed them to sidestep their responsibility to honor their parents. Their hearts were hard, even as they appeared outwardly devout.
The True Source of Cleanness
Jesus makes it clear that external rituals can’t cleanse what is spiritually unclean. It is the heart, transformed by faith and the indwelling Spirit, that becomes the source of true purity. No human effort or tradition can accomplish this transformation. Only Jesus, through His death and resurrection, makes us clean from the inside out.
This is the glorious message of grace: that salvation is not about what we do but about what Christ has done. Just as He healed the Syro-phoenician woman’s daughter and opened the ears of the deaf man, He is ready to transform any heart willing to trust Him.
A Prayer of Confidence in God’s Cleansing Work
Father,
Thank You for the grace that cleanses us from the inside out. We trust in Your finished work through Jesus Christ, knowing that our hearts can only be made pure through Your Spirit. Thank You for freeing us from the burden of outward appearances and traditions that cannot cleanse the soul. May our lives flow from hearts that are renewed and filled with Your love. We rest in the confidence that You have already given us all we need for life and godliness. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Final Thought
Rituals and traditions cannot purify a heart that is far from God. Jesus alone cleanses us completely, restoring the source from which all life flows. As we walk with Him, may the words and deeds flowing from our hearts reflect the purity He has already accomplished in us.