Mark 7:22Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Similarly, a person who appears righteous externally but is corrupt internally—who seems meek and gentle yet is consumed by pride, envy, and malice; who offers kind words while harboring deceit and flattery; who refrains from thievery but withholds generosity—is of no real value. Such individuals are like ‘whitewashed tombs, which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness’ (Matthew 23:27). Our God, who is the Christian’s God, ‘tests hearts and minds; He regards the heart,’ not merely our outer facade (Ps. 7:10; 1 Sam. 16:7). He examines what is internal, in the heart, rather than that which is external; and His judgment is based on this truth. If you exhibit humility on the outside, that is good, but are you not proud within? You may not express anger outwardly or show signs of rage—which is commendable—but does resentment toward your neighbor not fester internally? You may not physically harm your brother—this is commendable—but do you not harbor hatred toward him at heart? ‘Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer’ (1 John 3:15). Abstaining from physical relations with a woman is commendable, but to covet in your heart makes you an adulterer. ‘Anyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart’ (Matt. 5:28). You may not plunder another’s possessions, yet if you covet what belongs to others in your heart, you are a thief in spirit. You do not steal from others, but your stinginess denies aid to the needy—this too makes you a true thief. If you hoard the gifts of God, which are meant for all, you are as guilty as any thief when you keep these blessings for yourself. The heart of humanity is a vessel tainted with impurity and the foulness of desires. Beloved Christians, let us strive to purify this vessel within us so that our outward actions may be pleasing to God. The magnificent promise God has given us is that He wishes to dwell in our hearts: ‘I will dwell in them, and walk among them; I will be their God, and they shall be My people’ (2 Cor. 6:16; Lev. 26:12). There can be no treasure greater, more precious, or more delightful than having God reside within us. There is no greater honor for humanity than to be a temple of the Divine! God resides in a pure soul as in His most cherished sanctuary. It is far more fitting for Him to dwell in a pure soul than in man-made edifices since the soul reflects the image of God. Let us purify our hearts, O Christians! Let His image shine through us, revealing the inherent beauty of our souls, so that we become the temple of our God. ‘Therefore, beloved, having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God’ (2 Cor. 7:1). ‘In the spirit of the prophet Jonah, I cry out, “O Blessed One, let my life be free from corruption, and save me, O Savior of the world, calling, ‘Glory be to Thee.'”’

As long as divine commandments remain, the consumption of food that contravenes these laws will taint a person, as it stems from a heart that disregards the law and caters to base desires. The other aspect of the parable indicates that the root of moral impurity resides within the human heart, asserting that those who aspire to keep themselves pure before God must cleanse their hearts. The Lord refrained from addressing the laws surrounding what is permissible and impermissible to eat—these would be rendered obsolete with the abolition of the entire Old Testament framework upon the establishment of the New Covenant between God and humanity, along with the internalization of the spiritual law within the hearts of the new Israel. Nonetheless, He made it clear to His disciples that external laws will always be subordinate to those that govern the heart.

11), prompting them to bring this matter to His attention so that He might clarify His earlier statement (v. 12). The insightful remark of v. 11 proved to be a stumbling block for the Pharisees. They had grown so accustomed to the idea of needing to wash their hands before meals for spiritual cleanliness that they perceived Jesus' words as a threat to the established law of purification.

Their offense was heightened as Jesus directly addressed the people, thereby undermining their authority through His teachings. In response to the news of the Pharisees' offense, Christ referred either to the Pharisaic traditions, which were not divinely inspired but human inventions, liable to be abolished, or to the Pharisees themselves. Although they served as spiritual leaders, they were not true servants of God, for they lacked alignment with His law and will and thus were not under His providential care; they were destined for judgment (έκριζόω cf. 13:29-30). Consequently, He advised His followers to disregard them. In the first interpretation, this signifies avoiding their teachings to escape falling into error alongside them; in the latter, it suggests leaving them to their own devices.

Subsequently, Peter, representing the other disciples, requested further explanation from the Lord on His enigmatic statement about the defilement related to what enters the mouth as opposed to what emanates from it. The Lord clarified that by what enters the mouth, He referred to food, while what exits the mouth signified all malevolent thoughts, desires, and intents that arise from the heart. These latter expressions reveal the impurity of the human spirit; however, food merely passes through the body, without impacting the spiritual essence.

This explanation of Jesus’ words requires no additions; it is clear. Nonetheless, many individuals interpret these statements to mean that Christ dismissed the practice of fasting. We cannot endorse this perspective. Fasting, whether it entails complete abstinence from food or consuming minimal amounts necessary for survival, has always been recognized as a significant discipline for overcoming the desires of the flesh. Throughout history, those who sought to live not blindly like beasts, but rationally, have aimed to rein in their passions, bringing them under the authority of reason (spirit). They understood that excessive food and certain types of food, like meat and wine, greatly stir the passions and dull the sensitivity to conscience. Consequently, such individuals have relied either on total abstinence from all food for a period, or on refraining from meat and wine, or on a very modest overall diet. Christ Himself encouraged His followers to combat the flesh, and, as an example to us, He fasted for forty days in the wilderness. Therefore, from His statement, ‘Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man,’ it is incorrect to conclude that He dismissed the value and necessity of fasting. He was indicating that it is not the food itself that renders someone unworthy of the Kingdom of Heaven, but rather the lack of self-control stemming from gluttony, wicked thoughts, and sinful actions. It is not the food or its consumption, devoid of the external cleanliness upheld by the Pharisees, that defiles a person; He affirmed that eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person, and with these closing remarks, He clarified any misunderstanding regarding the real meaning of this discourse.

Thus, abandoning the scribes to their ineffective malice, Christ turned to the crowd and called out with a loud voice: ‘Hear and understand!’ He then taught both the multitude and His disciples that in the realm of heaven, the purity of the heart holds greater significance than that of the hands, ‘for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, blasphemies.’ Indeed, these actions ‘defile a man; and eating with unwashed hands does not defile a man,’ a notion derived merely from common ritualistic requirements and lacking any absolute moral character, contrary to the interpretation of the Pharisees, those “blind leaders of the blind.”