The Life of Christ

• Jesus did not choose a hypothetical situation. According to the Mishnah, there had been an actual case of an elderly father who did not receive any financial assistance from his son, because the son claimed to have taken the Corban vow. 29

• By choosing one of the Ten Commandments or “ Ten Words, ” as they were called, Jesus aimed right at the heart of their folly; no obligations were more rigidly observed.

Mk. 7:14-19 And after He called the multitude to Him again, He began saying to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: 15 there is nothing outside the man which going into him can defile him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. 16 [If any man has ears to hear, let him hear.”] 17 And when leaving the multitude, He had entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. 18 And He said to them, “Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him; 19 because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?” (Thus, He declared all foods clean.)

Years later, at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15), a heated debate developed as to what extent believers were required to keep the Law of Moses.

• One of the particular points of controversy addressed the eating of unclean foods, as defined in the Law.

• With these words in Mk. 7:19, Jesus renders that portion of the Law null and void. True spirituality is what comes out of our mouth, rather than what goes into our mouth.

• Jesus' words rendered all foods now clean.

• The church didn't quite figure this out until the Acts 15 conference.

Mk. 7:20-23 And He was saying, “That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, 22 deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. 23 All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man.”

Evil thoughts proceed out of an evil heart. • Whatever the current condition of our heart will determine the content of our thought life.

• From there, our current state of thoughts will then determine the current flow of words and deeds.

• Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.

• Jesus exhorts us not to invest effort into cleansing the outward, but rather concentrate upon cleansing the inward condition of our heart, from where all thoughts proceed.

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Mt. 15:21 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon.

29 Alfred Edersheim, Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Book Two (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1971), 21.

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