The Things That Defile a man

 January 22, 2024- Monday- Morning Bible Reading and Meditation- Mark 7KJV

For Mithcah Bible Baptist Church – Bahrain Mission, Morning Online Devotional Bible Study – January 23, 2024

 

“15 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.

16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.”

 

Thoughts to ponder for today: The Things that Defile the man

 

Tradition in every country are observed with carefulness; that not only religious, but even the non-religious gave importance in observing them and taking heed unto it. 

In the start of this chapter, again Pharisees and scribe are there; watching how JESUS and His disciples actions, even their dining manners. 

To find fault they are committing against the law; like now: to find fault in Him and His disciplesagainst the tradition of men.

 

But the LORD JESUS sharply and boldly rebuked these leaders with these words:

“6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:

11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.

12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;

13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.”

 

Ouch! Calling these leaders hypocrites surely irritated them!

Then He called those people who followed Him; talked to them and taught them.

As we proceed further, let us take note of the group of people whom The LORD speaks everyday: 

 

1. The LEADERS – the Pharisees and Scribes: ,the Scribe are the writer, the Pharisees are religious sect of the Jews, who usually think they are righteous; they are public teachers of the law and the despiser of   those who err, more often than not, they are being rebuked and reproved by The LORD. As the verses above mentioned.

2. The LAYMEN – they are the commoners; they are curious, and wanting always to see what is new; trying to get a portion of something; whether it be for the living or for learnings. Some of them are waiting to see what miracle The LORD is about to perform.  

“14 And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: 

15 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.

16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.”

 

3. The LEARNERS- they are those disciples whom The LORD love because of their zealousness in following Him and listening to His teachings.  Some of them are commissioned to go two by two to teach and to preach that the Kingdom of GOD is at hand. To them The LORD explained what He meant about the words He has spoken in in verses 15, 16. And then elaborated more profoundly what are those that defiles the man. 

“17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.

18 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;

19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.”

 

Adulteries- cohabiting with a married man 

Fornications- sex outside of marriage, same sex marriage, pornography, sex for sale, self-gratification 

Murders- The speech, hatred and uncontrolled anger

Thefts – stealing, burglarizing, 

Covetousness- wanting or desiring what others have

Wickedness- plotting mischief or naughtiness which causes others destruction or hurts

Deceit- cheating, fooling someone or taking advantage from someone for self-gain. 

Lasciviousness- lewdness, sexual harassment,obscene, filthiness in words or in action , immorality

Evil eye- suspicious, assumptive

Blasphemy – making fun of godly thing, using God’s words to curse or mock others.

Pride – self -centeredness, self-righteous high-mindedness

Foolishness- unreasonable, causing others miseries, destroying his or her own self 

 

These are the things that defile a man. Hence disrupting the blessings of The LORD.

But the action of this people who fully trusted the LORD, directed the blessings of The LORD. And we categorized them as: 

 

4. Living Testimony of Faith in The LORD 

➢ The Greek Sidonian woman who pleaded with humility and with persistently that the LORD casted out the evil spirit from her daughter whom is in the house, not minding even if the LORD indirectly addressed her as among the “dogs”. V.24-30

➢ Those people who brought to The LORD the deaf and mute person, besought Him to heal him. Fully entrusting the healing to The LORD to whom He put His finger in his ear, and He spit on his finger and touched his tongue; and he was fully healed. 

Indeed, it is not what we take in that defile us, but what are the contents of our hearts that comes out of our mouth. The LORD is not saying that washing our hands before eating is not needed, of course He knows that it is needed, just like what he did; washing also the feet of His apostles on that LORD’s supper. But what He is implying here is more on the mental and spiritual senses.

If our heart is simple and our faith in the LORD is pure, then The LORD will take us, even those people to whom we brought to The LORD, He will heal their infirmities and makes our faith in Him settled and whole. 

Let us not be among the defiled by taking heed daily to learn more about His words. 

 

Good morning. 

 

Mark 7KJV

7 Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem.

2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault.

3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.

4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.

5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?

6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death:

11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.

12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;

13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

14 And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:

15 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.

16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.

18 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;

19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

24 And from thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered into anhouse, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid.

25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet:

26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter.

27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs.

28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs.

29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter.

30 And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed.

31 And again, departing from the coasts of Tyreand Sidon, he came unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the coasts of Decapolis.

32 And they bring unto him one that was deaf, and had an impediment in his speech; and they beseech him to put his hand upon him.

33 And he took him aside from the multitude, and put his fingers into his ears, and he spit, and touched his tongue;

34 And looking up to heaven, he sighed, and saithunto him, Ephphatha, that is, Be opened.

35 And straightway his ears were opened, and the string of his tongue was loosed, and he spakeplain.

36 And he charged them that they should tell no man: but the more he charged them, so much the more a great deal they published it;

37 And were beyond measure astonished, saying, He hath done all things well: he maketh both the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak.