The Gospel for the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost is from Mark 7:14-23 and continues last Sunday's selection about the ritual washing of hands before meals. In that discussion with the Pharisees, Jesus showed respect for the principles of divine Law but pointed out that the legalistic observance of human rules is not appropriate.
In today's passage, our Lord goes further and makes a general pronouncement about the human condition. The basic problem that human beings have with God's Law is not external but internal. As Jesus says in Mark 7:15, "There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man" (KJV). This saying refers to the fallen condition of humanity. There are outward circumstances that provide varied challenges, but the deepest problem is the corruption of our hearts, minds, and souls. Our disobedience of the commandments comes from within each of us. This is a very serious predicament, and man-made rules do not solve the human problem.
So what are we to do? The life and ministry of Jesus kept presenting the same basic solution that we see in Mark 1:15: "Repent ye, and believe the gospel." Aware of our inner corruption, we are called to a life of repentance and faith in the redeeming message of Jesus Christ. We need to be open to God's inner renewal prophesied in Jeremiah 31:33, "I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts." As the Apostle Paul exhorts in Romans 12:2, "...be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind." For as long as we live in this world, our inner corruption remains a problem, but by grace, through faith in Christ, we can be renewed and grow in true obedience.
