Mark 7:1–23

What Makes People “Unclean”?

7 The Pharisees gathered around Jesus. So did some of the teachers of the law. All of them had come from Jerusalem. 2They saw some of his disciples eating food with “unclean” hands. That means they were not washed.

3The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands to make them pure. That’s what the elders teach. 4When they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they wash. And they follow many other teachings. For example, they wash cups, pitchers, and kettles in a special way.

5So the Pharisees and the teachers of the law questioned Jesus. “Why don’t your disciples live by what the elders teach?” they asked. “Why do they eat their food with ‘unclean’ hands?”

6He replied, “Isaiah was right. He prophesied about you people who pretend to be good. He said,

“ ‘These people honor me by what they say.

But their hearts are far away from me.

7 Their worship doesn’t mean anything to me.

They teach nothing but human rules.’ (Isaiah 29:13)

8You have let go of God’s commands. And you are holding on to the teachings that men have made up.”

9Jesus then said to them, “You have a fine way of setting aside God’s commands! You do this so you can follow your own teachings. 10Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother.’ (Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16) He also said, ‘If anyone calls down a curse on his father or mother, he will be put to death.’ (Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9) 11But you allow people to say to their parents, ‘Any help you might have received from us is Corban.’ (Corban means ‘a gift set apart for God.’) 12So you no longer let them do anything for their parents. 13You make the word of God useless by putting your own teachings in its place. And you do many things like that.”

14Again Jesus called the crowd to him. He said, “Listen to me, everyone. Understand this. 15/16Nothing outside of you can make you ‘unclean’ by going into you. It is what comes out of you that makes you ‘unclean.’ ”

17Then he left the crowd and entered the house. His disciples asked him about this teaching.

18“Don’t you understand?” Jesus asked. “Don’t you see? Nothing that enters people from the outside can make them ‘unclean.’ 19It doesn’t go into the heart. It goes into the stomach. Then it goes out of the body.” In saying this, Jesus was calling all foods “clean.”

20He went on to say, “What comes out of people makes them ‘unclean.’ 21Evil thoughts come from the inside, from people’s hearts. So do sexual sins, stealing and murder. Adultery, 22greed, hate and cheating come from people’s hearts too. So do desires that are not pure, and wanting what belongs to others. And so do telling lies about others and being proud and being foolish. 23All those evil things come from inside a person. They make him ‘unclean.’ ”