Sunday's Message: The Parables of Jesus - Clean and Unclean (Mark 7:14-23)

During the months of September, October and November, we'll discuss the following parables found in the Gospel of Mark:

• September 22 - New Wine and Old Clothes (Mark 2:21-22)
• September 29 - A Strong Man (Mark 3:23-27)
• October 6 - The Sower (Mark 4:1-20)
• October 13 - Lamps and Baskets (Mark 4:21-25)
• October 20 - A Growing Seed (Mark 4:26-29)
• October 27 - The Mustard Seed (Mark 4:30-32)
• November 3 - Clean and Unclean (Mark 7:14-23)
• November 10 - The Wicked Tenants (Mark 12:1-11)
• November 17 - The Fig Tree (Mark 13:28-31)

During the service on Sunday, November 3, we used Mark 7:14-23 to better understand what makes a person unclean. Below is the text and a recording of the sermon. You can stream the service by going to the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel on Sundays at 10:00 a.m. (EDT).  You can hear a podcast of the service at the Sligo Presbyterian Church YouTube Channel or the Sligo Presbyterian Spotify Page. 

Well, here we are, the first Sunday in November. And before I say anything else, let me ask you, and feel free to answer honestly: how many would like the election to go on for another couple of months? Just raise your hands. I’ll tell you, there’s a part of me that feels as though I’ve been in this never ending campaign for the last three and a half years. But in a couple of days, the pardon will have been issued, the cell door opened and we’ll be free, free at last, thank God almighty, we’ll be free at last. Because, as we all know that, regardless of who wins, it’ll all be settled by the time we get up on Wednesday morning, right?

Of course, this campaign has been wild, with two radically different visions for the United States presented by two candidates who seem to have almost nothing in common and articulated by two groups that not only disagree but that almost hate one another. And those differences, man, they are real and profound, including everything from abortion and immigration to tax policy and foreign affairs. Now that’s just the way it is. 

But I’ll tell you, there’s one area that I haven’t heard mentioned where I believe they’re all on the exact same page. Now think about it; regardless of whether you’re on Team Harris or Team Trump, both sides believe the real problem is external to themselves, right? I mean, the problem is with billionaires getting more tax cuts or men denying women the right to choose. Or it’s with illegal immigrants pouring across the border or boys playing girl’s basketball. Do you see what I mean? For both sides, the real issue is with “them,” right? It’s not with us, you know, with what we’re doing or saying or thinking. It’s with them, with their actions and their rhetoric and their values. Simply put, it’s them against us. And they’re the problem, right? But you know, that just makes sense. I mean, if I want your vote, I’m certainly not going to say the problem is with us, now am I? Good night nurse, that’s no way to win friends and influence people. And so I’m going to identify those external groups or issues or ideologies that everybody on our team can label “bad.” That’s just life in the political fast lane. Of course, there are a couple of problems here. I mean, not only does this allow us to avoid all the discomfort that comes from taking a hard look in the mirror, when we allow it to creep into our relationships with others and with God, well, we may find ourselves spending a lot of time alone, worshiping a god that we’ve created and that we can control and following a whole bunch of stuff that, at the best of times, is secondary to the one who actually created us. You see, there are some issues when we decide to see the source of the problem as out there rather than in here.

And I’ll tell you, that’s what we’re going to talk about this morning, because I believe that’s really what Jesus was getting at in the short parable we’re looking at today. You see, now that we’ve graduated from all those stories about sowers and seeds and soil, Jesus taught his disciples a lesson about the nature and source of uncleanliness, in other words, what actually makes a person clean or unclean. And as we’ve done in the other messages, we’re going to answer three questions that, by this time, you may know in your sleep. First, what did Jesus say? And then, second, what does it mean, and I’m talking about right here and now? And then, third, what are we going to do about it? Now that’s the plan, and hopefully, by the time we’re done, we just might be in a better position to handle the uncleanliness which comes from within.

Of course, to do that, we’ve got to start by answering the question, what did Jesus actually say? And again, to get a sense of what’s happening here, I think it’s important to think about the context before considering the words. You see, according to the Evangelist Mark, this whole business about what makes a person clean or unclean started with this:

Some Pharisees and several teachers of the Law of Moses from Jerusalem came and gathered around Jesus. They noticed that some of his disciples ate without first washing their hands. [Mark 7:1-2, CEV]

Now this is how it all started. And even though it may not seem like much to us, for them, man, this was a big deal, because eating with unwashed hands was just plain wrong, even spiritually dangerous. You see, it violated the cleanliness standards found in the Law of Moses, a set of rules from the Old Testament that told people exactly what they should do and exactly where they should go and exactly how they should get there. In other words, these rules governed every aspect of their lives. And if you followed them, you were clean but if you didn’t, you weren’t. And for these disciples who were eating with dirty fingernails, they were unclean, not only physically but spiritually,  and for Jesus to allow them to do it, man, that was messed up. Now that’s the context.  

And I’ll tell you, it was in response to these fine, upstanding men who knew exactly what external standards made you acceptable to God, it was in response to them that Jesus did this:

Jesus called the crowd together again and said, “Pay attention and try to understand what I mean. The food that you put into your mouth doesn’t make you unclean and unfit to worship God. The bad words that come out of your mouth are what make you unclean.” [Mark 7:14-16, CEV]

Now, that’s what he said. But so that his disciples would understand exactly what he was getting at, he offered an explanation, you know, just like he did when he told the people the parable of the sower. 

After Jesus and his disciples had left the crowd and gone into the house, they asked him what these sayings meant. He answered, “Don’t you know what I am talking about by now? You surely know that the food you put into your mouth cannot make you unclean. It doesn’t go into your heart, but into your stomach, and then out of your body.” By saying this, Jesus meant that all foods were fit to eat. [Mark 7:17-19, CEV]

In other words, what separated you from God, man, it wasn’t the stuff you eat. That just goes in one hole and out another. And by extension, it wasn’t whether you ate a sandwich with dirty hands or enjoyed cheeseburgers or thought there was nothing better in all creation than a plate of fried oysters. Avoiding these external things may still make sense and be good for you, but they didn’t make you unclean. Now that’s what he told them. But he didn’t stop there.

Then Jesus said:

What comes from your heart is what makes you unclean. Out of your heart come evil thoughts, vulgar deeds, stealing, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, greed, meanness, deceit, indecency, envy, insults, pride, and foolishness. All of these come from your heart, and they are what make you unfit to worship God. [Mark 7:20-23, CEV]

You see, it wasn’t what might come in from the outside, but rather what came out from the inside; that was what made a person unclean. And that was what caused folks to do and say evil things. And that was what could make you unfit to worship God. Now, according to what Mark wrote, that’s what Jesus said.

Which leaves us with question number two, what does it mean? I mean, what does it mean to say that, when push comes to shove, it’s not really what comes into our lives and our community that makes us unclean; and it’s not really the stuff out there which might filter in here, that stuff doesn’t cause us to be bad; and it’s not the other, you know them, that makes us unfit to worship God? My goodness, what does it mean to believe that my real problem isn’t you or them or it or he or she, but rather it may be me? What does this mean for us? Now, I think that’s the question, isn’t it?

And I’ll tell you, personally, I think the answer is two-fold. I mean, on one hand, I believe understanding this changes the way we see the external,  and I’m talking about those ideas and people that we often blame for our own problems. You see, if we believe it’s not about what’s on the outside, I think some of those external factors and forces, well, they may become less important; therefore, we’re not going to use them to exalt ourselves or to exclude others. They’re just not that important. Still, that doesn’t make them unimportant. I mean, just because we choose not to give them power over our relationships with God and others, that doesn’t mean it might not be a bad idea to take them seriously or even claim them for ourselves. For example, just consider what Paul wrote to the Corinthians. Although he was clear that following the rules couldn’t make us right with God, he did offer this suggestion about worship:

Two or three persons may prophesy, and everyone else must listen carefully. If someone sitting there receives a message from God, the speaker must stop and let the other person speak. Let only one person speak at a time, then all of you will learn something and be encouraged. A prophet should be willing to stop and let someone else speak. God wants everything to be done peacefully and in order. [1 Corinthians 14:29-32, CEV]

Now that’s what he wrote. And if we had any doubts about it before, this proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that the Apostle Paul must have been a Presbyterian. Amen. But be that as it may, even though we shouldn’t use them as the basis for our relationship with God or with one another, man, these external and secondary ideas may still make sense. We’re not throwing out the baby with the bath water. You see, on one hand, understanding the real source of uncleanliness is going to change the way we see the external.

On the other hand, though, it’s going to make massive changes to how we see the internal, and I’m talking about those destructive attitudes that we’ve allowed to grow on the inside and those malicious attributes that result in behavior that’s both hateful and mean. You see, rather than sweating bulletins over whether we’ve crossed all the “Ts” and dotted all the “Is” and lined up all the ducks, we should be making the conscious decision to do something about the mess that’s on the inside. And I’ll tell you, in a real way, I think it’s taking seriously another quote from the Apostle Paul, this time from his letter to the Romans:

Since these people refused even to think about God, he let their useless minds rule over them. That’s why they do all sorts of indecent things. They are evil, wicked, and greedy, as well as mean in every possible way. They want what others have, and they murder, argue, cheat, and are hard to get along with. They gossip, say cruel things about others, and hate God. They are proud, conceited, and boastful, always thinking up new ways to do evil.

These people don’t respect their parents. They are stupid, unreliable, and don’t have any love or pity for others. They know God has said that anyone who acts this way deserves to die. But they keep on doing evil things, and they even encourage others to do them. [Romans 1:28-32, CEV]

You see, in light of what Jesus taught, those things that are external are less important than we might have thought while something we might be tempted to ignore, you know, what’s happening on and coming from the inside, this is absolutely crucial. And I’ll tell you; I think that’s what this little story means.

And so, what are we going to do about it? I mean, if our relationship with God has less to do with whether or not we wash our hands before we eat and more to do with how we treat one another and if the real source of uncleanness isn’t with those things on the outside that we blame for our problems but rather with those attitudes that we allow to fester and those attributes that we allow to define who we are and what we do, if this is what we believe, what are we are going to do about it? Now that’s a great question. And even though I think we come up with some equally great answers, let me briefly suggest three we might want to take seriously.

For example, if this is what we believe, first, I think that should lead us to make the conscious decision to listen, and to do it with intentional openness. I mean, give me a break, I’m probably never going to recognize that what causes a lack of spiritual hygiene comes from within me, if I don’t listen to you. Of course, I recognize that, as humans, we have a remarkable ability to focus on the specks and ignore the logs. But that’s why we desperately need people who love us so much that they’ll tell us that we’re not nearly as smart and we’re not nearly as righteous and we’re not nearly as good and loving and kind as we think we are. Isn’t that what we all need from time-to-time? In fact, isn’t that exactly what the Old Testament prophets did for God’s people when they said things like this:

I, the Lord, hate and despise

your religious celebrations

    and your times of worship.

I won’t accept your offerings

or animal sacrifices—

    not even your very best.

No more of your noisy songs!

I won’t listen

    when you play your harps.

But let justice and fairness

flow like a river

    that never runs dry. [Amos 5:21-24, CEV]

Of course, the effectiveness of any prophet is actually based on a decision made by his audience. If we accept the truth about evil, we’ve got to listen with openness. That’s one.

And second, when we hear the truth, I think we also have to accept it with humility. Now, don’t get me wrong, sometimes what we hear may be just a lot of baloney. But, you know, when it’s not, when it’s from a source we trust and because of that, we’re forced recognize something that’s unpleasant about ourselves, we can accept what we hear with modesty and meekness and humility, an attitude just might enable us to do what James suggested to the readers of his letter:

In fact, God treats us with even greater kindness, just as the Scriptures say,

“God opposes everyone

    who is proud,

but he blesses all who are humble

    with undeserved grace.”

Surrender to God! Resist the devil, and he will run from you. Come near to God, and he will come near to you. Clean up your lives, you sinners. Purify your hearts, you people who can’t make up your mind. Be sad and sorry and weep. Stop laughing and start crying. Be gloomy instead of glad. Be humble in the Lord’s presence, and he will honor you. [James 4:6-10, CEV]

You see, after we listen with openness, we can also accept what we hear with humility. And that’s two. 

And then third, we can decide to change. Man, we can decide to change those attitudes that we’d rather keep hidden and we can decide to change those attributes that have done so much damage to those around us. You see, we can change. But I’ll tell you, to do that, it’s going to take courage. For example, it’s going to take courage to buck the trend and not justify our situations by blaming others. And it’s going to take courage to confront what’s on the  inside, you know, inside our hearts and souls, and I’m talking about all the garbage that can cause us to do some pretty heartless things to the people around us.  And brothers and sisters, it’s going to take courage and strength and perseverance to do what’s necessary to change. Remaining comfortable is easy; change is tough. But I’ll tell you, this is the kind of toughness I think Paul challenged the Ephesians to have when he wrote this:

You were told that your foolish desires will destroy you and that you must give up your old way of life with all its bad habits. Let the Spirit change your way of thinking and make you into a new person. You were created to be like God, and so you must please him and be truly holy. [Ephesians 4:22-24, CEV]

Along with listening with openness and accepting with humility, when we understand the real source of uncleanliness, I’ve got to believe we’re going to change with courage. And that’s three.

Now, when I wake up on Wednesday morning, I don’t know if the election will be settled. And even though I’m hoping the one whom I support wins, because I sincerely believe, if that happens, we’ll all benefit, even though that’s certainly true (and it’s true for everyone who votes), regardless of who wins, I pray that, as a nation, we have the openness and the humility and the courage to confront our own demons and not look for someone or something else to blame. In my opinion, that’s got to be the way forward. But when you get right down to it, we in Sligo, PA really don’t have a lot of control over that.

What we can control is this. We can claim this story about what makes a person unclean and what Jesus considered the real source of uncleanliness. And we can allow this story to shape our understanding of those focuses present on the outside that we often fear and those attitudes and attributes on the inside that we often ignore. And then we can make the conscious and intentional decision to listen to what’s said with openness and to accept what’s true with humility and to change what’s necessary with courage. You see, I believe this is what we can take from this story dealing with what’s clean and unclean. And next week, we’ll look at the parable of the wicked tenants, which, let me assure you, has nothing to do with the one I fear might occupy the White House next January.