Mark 7:23Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Similarly, a person may seem virtuous outwardly, yet be filled with pride, envy, and malice internally; who may speak kindly while harboring deceit and flattery in their heart; who refrains from stealing yet is stingy and refuses to help others. Thus, individuals who present themselves as righteous but are corrupt within resemble “painted tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead bones and all uncleanness” (Matthew 23:27).

Our God, the Christian, “tests hearts and minds; He examines our hearts” and looks beyond outward appearances (Ps. 7:10; 1 Sam. 16:7). He focuses on the inner being, the heart, rather than the exterior, and judges accordingly. If you display humility on the outside, that is good; however, are you not prideful within? If you do not display anger outwardly, this is commendable, but does resentment against your neighbor not fester inside? You may not physically kill your brother, which is commendable, but do you not harbor hatred for him in your heart? “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15). Avoiding physical relations with a woman is commendable, but if you lust in your heart, you are an adulterer. “Anyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt. 5:28). You may refrain from stealing what belongs to another, yet desire it in your inner being – that makes you a true thief. You may not take another’s possessions, but if you hoard your resources and refuse to assist the needy – that too makes you a true thief. Clinging to God’s gifts, which are meant for sharing and not solely for oneself, is an offense against others just as much as failing to share what you possess.

The human heart is a vessel tainted by impurity and the stench of sinful desires. Beloved Christians, let us strive to purify this vessel within us, so our outward actions may be pleasing to God. The extraordinary promise from God is that He intends to dwell in our hearts: “I will dwell in them, and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people” (2 Cor. 6:16; Lev. 26:12). There is no greater or more precious treasure than having God reside within us. There is no higher honor for humanity than to serve as the temple of God! God inhabits a pure soul as His most cherished sanctuary. He prefers to dwell in a heart that is pure than in man-made structures, for in the soul resides the image of God. Let us cleanse our hearts, O Christians! Let the image of God shine through us, revealing the beauty of our souls, making us the temple of our God. “Therefore, beloved, having such promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7:1). “Imitating the prophet Jonah, I cry, ‘My life, O Blessed One, be free from corruption, and save me, O Saviour of the world, calling, “Glory be to Thee.”’”

As long as divine commandments remain in effect, consuming food that contravenes these laws will corrupt an individual, as it stems from a heart that disregards the law and gratifies the flesh). The other part of the parable indicates that the origin of moral impurity resides within the heart of humanity, signifying that those who seek to remain pure before God must cleanse their hearts. The Lord did not address the regulations regarding clean and unclean foods, which would be rendered obsolete with the ending of the entire Old Testament framework upon the establishment of the New Covenant between God and humanity, and the introduction of spiritual laws within the hearts of the new Israel. Nonetheless, He imparted to His disciples that these external laws are, even now, considerably inferior to the internal ones.

Alternatively, they may have been influenced by Christ's assertion that nothing entering a person’s mouth can taint him. Thus, they reported the Pharisees' offense to Christ, perhaps hoping for clarification on His pronouncement. The provocative statement in verse 11 had led the Pharisees to feel threatened; they had become so accustomed to the notion that spiritual cleanliness required handwashing before meals that they interpreted Christ's words as undermining the law of purification. The Pharisees may have also been disheartened because, in verse 11, Christ spoke to the people, undermining their authority through His teaching. In response to the report of their offense, Christ referred to either the Pharisaic doctrine, which was human-made rather than divinely ordained and thus needed to be discarded, or to the Pharisees themselves as being misled. Despite their role as shepherds and teachers, they were not God’s chosen plants—those who act in accordance with divine will—and thus they fall outside of His special protection and are destined for ruin. Therefore, the guidance was clear: do not adhere to their teaching, or face the same downfall; alternatively, do not concern yourselves with them, leaving them to their own devices. Subsequently, Peter, representing the group, sought clarification from the Lord regarding His enigmatic remarks about the distinction between defilement through what is ingested versus what is expelled from the mouth. The Lord clarified that by what enters the mouth He was referring to food, while what comes forth from the mouth encompassed all harmful thoughts, desires, and intentions arising from the heart. Such expressions reveal the moral corruption of the human soul; in contrast, food merely passes through the body without affecting the spirit.

Nonetheless, in light of these statements, many have come to believe that Christ dismissed the practice of fasting. This perspective cannot be accepted. Fasting, whether through total abstinence from food or consuming only minimal amounts necessary for survival, has long been acknowledged as a powerful tool for resisting the desires of the flesh. Those who aspire to a rational existence, rather than a base one, have consistently sought to temper their passions, aligning them with reason (spirit). They recognize that excessive food, particularly certain types like meat and wine, can inflame passions and dull the conscience. Consequently, such individuals have turned to complete abstinence from all food at times, or have chosen to forsake meat and wine, or to adhere to a very moderate diet overall. Christ Himself encouraged His followers to resist carnal desires, and He served as an example by fasting for forty days in the wilderness. Therefore, it cannot be concluded from His statement, "Not that which enters the mouth defiles a man," that He negated the value and necessity of fasting. He was addressing the fact that what defiles a person, rendering him unworthy of the Kingdom of Heaven, is not the food itself but rather the spirit of self-control that is compromised by indulgence, along with evil thoughts and wrongful actions—not the food and its consumption, nor the mere adherence to the external cleanliness valued by the Pharisees. "Eating with unwashed hands does not defile a man," He asserted, thus eliminating any misunderstanding regarding the essence of this dialogue.

Consequently, leaving the scribes to their ineffective malice, Christ addressed the surrounding crowd with a loud voice: ‘Hear and understand!’ He proceeded to instruct both the people and His disciples that within the kingdom of heaven, purity of heart surpasses ritual cleanliness, ‘for out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, blasphemies.’ Indeed, all these things ‘defile a man; and eating with unwashed hands does not defile a man.’ This regulation stems solely from a customary practice of ritualism and lacks any intrinsic moral significance, contrary to the interpretations of the Pharisees, those “blind leaders of the blind.”