For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' “Mark 7: 21-23 (NIV)
The Pharisees were at a meal where Jesus and his disciples were attending... All the Pharisees began the grand production of washing their hands up to the elbow, then letting them air dry, before they would begin to eat. Then the Master was asked about it.
He explained that all the evil things in a man's body come from within. Our anger, our rage, our lust all make a man unclean. No, our Messiah was not advocating dirty hands, but was explaining, it is not what you put into your body that makes you unclean, but the things leftover from the old man you were before you got born again. Washing your hands up to your elbows will do nothing to keep the sin in your life from seeping out. Only walking with the Master can take care of that.
Copyright 2007 Timothy E. Davis