The Real Battle is Within: Jesus’ Teaching on True Purity. (Mark 7:14-23).

 

Dear Sisters and Brothers, Peace of Christ be with you!!!

Yesterday, we encountered Jesus in a confrontation with the Pharisees and scribes who questioned Him about His disciples’ failure to observe the tradition of ritual washing before eating. Their concern was external purity followed by human custom. But Jesus, with divine authority, rebuked them for their hypocrisy, quoting Isaiah:

“These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts.” 

(Mark 7:6-7)

The Pharisees had made religious traditions more important than God’s commandments. They focused on outward actions while neglecting the inner disposition of the heart. It was in this context that Jesus turned to the crowd and delivered a fundamental teaching that shifts the focus from mere external observance to the deeper reality of the human heart.

A Message for All: What Truly Defiles

Addressing the crowd, Jesus declares:

“Listen to me, all of you, and understand: nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person; but the things that come out from within are what defile.” 

(Mark 7:14-15).

This statement must have shocked His listeners. For centuries, Jewish customs had emphasized purity laws, what to eat, how to wash, and how to remain ritually clean. But Jesus, with his divine wisdom, shifts the focus from external purity to interior holiness. The real problem, He explains, is not what enters from outside but what comes out from within.

The human heart, left unchecked, harbors all sorts of impurities. Jesus lists them plainly:

“From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.” 

(Mark 7:21-23)

This is not just a lesson for the Pharisees or for the crowd of that time. It is a message for every believer today. True holiness is not about appearances. It is not about what others see in us but what God sees in us.

A Call to Interior Purity

This teaching forces us to reflect: What is the state of my heart? Am I more concerned with how I look on the outside than with the spiritual condition of my soul? Do I focus on religious practices while neglecting love, mercy, and righteousness?

Too often, we can fall into the trap of being externally religious while our hearts remain far from God. We can observe the rules, say the right words, attend church services, and yet harbor resentment, jealousy, pride, or unforgiveness. The real battlefield is within.

Holiness is not about managing appearances; it is about transformation from the inside out. Jesus is not interested in mere religious performance. He wants hearts that are truly converted, purified, and set apart for Him.

The Path to a Renewed Heart

If the problem is within, then the solution must also begin from within. The good news is that Jesus not only exposes the problem, He provides the remedy. He calls us to surrender our hearts to Him, allowing His grace to cleanse and renew us. God’s commandment in Deuteronomy 6: 4-5 remains unchanged: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” When our is cleansed from all impurity it becomes the temple of God, His dwelling place, where presence reigns and His Loves transforms us from within.  

I would like to suggest here few possible steps to help us curb our hearts of all impurities and experience God’s constant presence:

Daily Examination of Conscience, Like King David, we must pray: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

Repentance and Confession. When we recognize sin in our hearts, we must not justify it or hide it. Confession is the key to inner freedom. An exorcist once said that confession of sins before a priest is more important and powerful means of liberation compared to exorcism.

Filling the Heart with God’s Word. What we consume spiritually shapes us. Meditating on Scripture replaces sinful thoughts with holy desires.

Guarding the Heart, Proverbs 4:23 warns us: “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it.” We must be careful of what influences us, our thoughts, our words, and our actions.

Surrendering to Christ Daily.  True purity is not self-achieved but Christ-given. The more we walk with Him, the more our hearts are transformed and attuned to His Will.

Worship That Pleases God

At the core of this passage is the reminder that God desires worship that comes from a pure heart. We cannot substitute religious rituals for a true relationship with Him. Jesus’ challenge to the Pharisees is His challenge to us today:

Today, let us invite Christ into the deepest places of our hearts. May He cleanse, heal, and transform us so that our worship may be pleasing to Him,  and may we worship Him in spirit and in truth for God is really looking for those who will worship Him in this manner (John 4:23).

Let us PRAY

Lord Jesus, I surrender my heart to You. Cleanse me from all that defiles, and make me a vessel of true worship. Let my love for You be pure, and let my life reflect Your holiness. Amen."🙏🙏🙏

 

“Blessed are the Pure in Heart, for they shall see God”

(Matthew 5:8)