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That from without cannot defile a man.

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Matthew 15:10-20 Mark 7:14-23
10And He called the crowd and said to them, Hear and understand. 11Not that which goes into the mouth defiles a man; but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man. 12Then His disciples came and said to Him, Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying? 13But He answered and said, Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up. 14Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. 15Then Peter answered and said to Him, Explain this parable to us. 16And Jesus said, Are you also still without understanding? 17Do you not yet understand that whatever enters in at the mouth goes into the belly, and is cast out into the waste-bowl? 18But the things which come out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile the man. 19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies; 20these are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.
MKJV
 14And calling near all the crowd, He said to them, Listen to Me, every one of you, and understand. 15There is nothing from outside a man which entering into him can defile him. But the things which come out of him, those are the ones that defile the man. 16If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear. 17And when He had entered into the house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. 18And He said to them, Are you also without understanding? Do you not perceive that whatever enters into the man from outside cannot defile him, 19because it does not enter into his heart, but into the belly, and goes out into the waste-bowl, purifying all food? 20And He said, That which comes out of the man is what defiles the man. 21For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23All these evil things pass out from inside and defile the man..
MKJV
Insights
  • The setting leading up to giving this parable was that Jesus was addressing the Phareeses saying, you hypocrites did Esaias prophecy of you, Matthew 15:7 & Mark 7:6. After He had spoken the parable, the Phareeses took offence, and Jesus said, Leave them alone, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up, Matthew 15:13.
  • This parable is a general illustration of what defiles a man, it is not from without but from within. And in both Matthew & Mark He explains this to His disciples.
  • As a man thinks in his heart, so is he, Proverbs 23:7. It all starts with our thoughts, God has given man the choice of where he directs his mind's focus. We can either focus on His Word and kingdom (choose life), or on the kingdom's of this world (choose death).