praise Him for bacon

And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them,“Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit,sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:14-23, ESV)

So after Jesus lays the smack down on the pharisees, He declares a profound and even scientific statement, that it is not what goes into you that defiles you, but what comes out. This idea is ALL OVER the scriptures.

However, it's interesting that Jesus leaves after the declaration, and then only His disciples ask Him to clarify. I would assume that the other people were confused as to what Jesus meant to, but they don't bother asking Jesus to clarify, only the disciples. And yet, Jesus reveals and expands this truth to them.

This occasion somewhat reminds me of elsewhere in the Bible, where Jesus answers the question as to why He always spoke in parables. It wasn't so that He could sound even more profound and more wise than He already was. It was so that the mystery of the truth would only be revealed to those closest to Him. So here, Jesus only reveals the real meaning behind his declaration to His disciples; the truth that out of the overflow of a wicked heart comes wicked things, not that wicked things make the heart wicked.

We are NOT sinners because we're sinful, we are sinful because we are sinners. Our acts of sin come out of our sinful nature. Our sinful nature is not moulded by our sinful acts. This is very important to keep in mind.

Now, there's a small hint of black text amidst all of that red text that actually means so much more than what we might read for it to be.

(Thus he declared all foods clean.)

This doesn't sound like a big deal, other than the fact that we can now eat bacon, which is awesome, but it's MUCH bigger than that.

The Mosaic ceremonial laws had drawn a line between "clean" and "unclean" foods, as a way to illustrate to the Jews God's holiness, and the reality of sin. They were told to not eat or partake of unclean foods, but that they could eat and sacrifice clean foods for offerings. There was a line between clean and unclean that couldn't be crossed at all.

However, when Jesus declares all foods clean, He's doing more than allowing unclean food to be edible again, He's declaring something MUCH more than that.

Jesus declares a righteousness and spiritual cleanliness over sinners. Jesus declares that the sinner can finally approach God in a personal relationship again, without the barrier of sin and uncleanliness. 

But how? If the heart is still wicked, and since that's what defiles a person, how is there cleanliness? How can the heart of man that leads to "evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, & foolishness" be made clean?

It is because of the saving work of Jesus on the cross, that God is able to not look at our sin, but instead, He looks upon the sacrifice of a clean "animal" and He places that righteousness, that voluntary giving of righteousness from the clean one, onto the unclean one. God looks at us, and sees Jesus instead, because we are now covered by His righteousness.

In fact, what Jesus does is a complete opposite to what defiles us. What defiles us is what comes out, but yet, what cleans us and rescues is what goes in. What comes out will never clean us, but only what goes in.

This phenomenal act from God is what makes its way into the human heart, and it will slowly manifest itself, and the heart of wickedness will become the clean heart of righteousness, all while it is still covered in even more righteousness and grace. Just as Philippians 1:6 says, "And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ."

But like the disciples, this truth is revealed only to those closest to Him. So this act of God declaring the unclean heart as clean is not something that everyone automatically gets. It is only for those who are close to Him. 

So if you're reading this, ask yourself, are you close to Him? It's clear that our hearts are wicked, because I don't think anyone escapes that list from Jesus. But if you're close to Him, then the work of cleaning will begin.

But those who aren't close to Him can't get any closer, because their hearts have no will for it. It is wicked, through and through. But just as the title of this whole blog suggests, out of amnesty, can come honesty. God forgives, and if we honestly admit our wicked hearts before God, His outstretched hand can bring us close to Him, and we can be made clean. 

There is a declaration of righteousness that is floating around, we just have to hear it, and allow it make its way in.

All of this, by God's grace.

-simon