“Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.” Mark 7:15 NIV
It is our wicked thoughts and affections, our words and actions, that defile us. Just as a contaminated well can only provide contaminated water, so a wicked heart can only send forth wicked ways. A spiritual understanding of the Law of God along with a sense of the evil of sin, will cause one to seek for the grace of the Holy Spirit. This in turn, will keep down the evil thoughts and affections that work within.
May we seek to walk with the Spirit, so that we would not gratify the desires of our sinful nature.
Lock Your Wings 
It’s interesting to hear the same stories from different points of view which each account highlighting unique details. This stood out for me: “One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus.”
Mark 7:1 NLT
So many accounts have indicated that people followed Jesus, waited for Jesus, listened to Jesus and they were healed, taught, and enlightened. The Pharisees also came to Jesus but for a much different purpose: to spy on Him, try and trap Him, and discredit Him. They were putting so much effort into that that they missed everything about who Jesus really was. They were so intent on keeping their own power/status that they missed Jesus.
It made me think of Lee Strobel who also studied the bible in an effort to discredit it. Or Lisa Tykrist who dove deep into forgiveness in the bible hoping to find a loophole to justify not forgiving her deepest hurts. Instead they were seeking with such intention that God gave them the wisdom to overcome their own personal desires and trust in Him. The Pharisees were not seeking to find answers but seeking to protect the image and status they enjoyed.
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