WHAT’S INSIDE

In Genesis 6, it says that “the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen 6:5). This is right before God declared that He would send a flood to destroy life on the earth (with the exception of Noah and family).

In case we think that this universal evil in people only applied to that generation destroyed by the flood, God still says – after the flood, even applying to Noah and his family – “the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth” (Gen 8:21). This is the doctrine of original sin, that everyone is born sinful, everyone has a sinful flesh or sinful nature. Here Jesus takes up this teaching and explains it.

Sermon Text, St. Mark 7:14-23. 14 When [Jesus] had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand: 15There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. 16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!” 17 When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. 18 So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?” 20 And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

Lord, this is Your Word and these are Your words. Sanctify us by the truth. Your Word is truth. Lord, send Your Holy Spirit into our hearts and cleanse us from all sin. Make us aware of the total uncleanness and corruption of our sinful heart, the fount and source of all evil, so we may turn to You for cleansing and healing. Amen.

Dear fellow redeemed in Christ:

The disciples and the crowds had just been listening to Jesus respond to accusations by the Pharisees and the scribes. Their accusations were about what the disciples were doing, which the Pharisees and the scribes said was sinful. Jesus answered all that. But it’s obvious, from the way Jesus continues here, that the disciples and the crowds are mainly thinking that sin is about the things done outwardly. They think it’s about what to avoid doing.

Jesus says to the crowds: “But the things which come out of a man, those are the things that defile a man.” And, in private, Jesus says the same thing to His 12 disciples: “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.”

Jesus is saying that it’s what’s inside that should concern them the most. Our concern is mostly for what happens on the outside: how we sin in the words we say and the things we do, and even in the thoughts that we’re aware of. It’s about how we sin against God “in thought, word, and deed.” But in one form of the confession of sin that we say, we confess to God first what’s on the inside – that “we are by nature sinful and unclean” – and second “that we have sinned against You by thought, word, and deed.”

Jesus’ words here do talk about the sins that we want to avoid doing, the things that God forbids in the 10 Commandments. It’s quite a list. He says: “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.” Then Jesus repeats: “All these evil things come from within.”

When you think about these things – the sins against the neighbors, these are the sins of the 5th – 10th commandments – you think in terms of what you do, how to get rid of bad habits or wrong thinking. We’re thinking of results. But Jesus isn’t. He emphasizes where it comes from. Twice He says: “From within.”

If you think of the 5th commandment sins – “murders,” also “an evil eye” toward others – where do jealousy, hatred and an unforgiving heart come from? If you think of 6th commandment sins – “adulteries, fornications, lewdness” – where do the lust, curiosity and giving yourself permission to look at sinful images, even approving of cohabiting and homosexuality by family or friends come from? If you think of the 7th commandment sins – “thefts, covetousness” – where do the envy and discontentment that result in these things come from?

Jesus says that this all comes “from within.” He also says that inside we’re filled with “evil thoughts … deceit … blasphemy, pride, foolishness.”

Jesus is teaching not about the sins we do, but about the sin inside us. We know the story of the Fall into sin by Adam and Eve. We know the verse that says: “in sin my mother conceived me,”which is why every baby needs to be baptized, because everyone is sinful from conception and birth.

We also know the other verses about original sin: “by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners,” and: “I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, nothing good dwells.” Also the one from right after the Flood, where God says: “the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth,” and Jeremiah 17:9: “The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; who can know it?”

So we aren’t sinners because we sin – because we do sins; instead we sin, we do the sins, because we’re sinners – with this inborn sinful nature, this sin inside us. We don’t see it until the sin inside us leads to sinful actions. Martin Luther said this inborn sin is “so deep a corruption of human nature that human reason cannot comprehend it … it must be learned from the Scriptures” (Smalcald Art. III.1.1).

This is kind of overwhelming. But the point is to not think that once we straighten out our behaviors, or see better results outwardly, that this makes us acceptable to God, just judging by our own standards and from what we see.

You’re always in trouble because of the sin inside you, no matter how you’ve straightened out your life outwardly. But when you confess this, is when Jesus wins. His goal is to make you hate the sin that’s in you. It’s to make you confess – not just in words but from the heart – “I am sinful and unclean,” to bring you to realize that each day there’s only one thing you need, and it’s Him. Your Savior.

The end of this story in the Bible is when Jesus says: “All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” But that isn’t the end of the story. It is one part of the picture. You and I are on display, in our sinful uncleanness.

But next to us stands One who was not only true God but also became true Man, with a real human soul and body, and yet He was the only One ever conceived holy and without sin, the only One who was not born sinful, the only One to be tempted to sin throughout His life and not only did He never do the sin, but He also never had a sinful wish, desire, or thought, no evil in His heart ever.

Why is He standing next to us? So that His being conceived pure and holy, His being born without sin, His never giving in to temptation, never having a sinful desire, remaining pure and holy inside and out, will count for you. For His sake you are clean, pure and holy, not only on the outside but also on the inside.

This is what happens whenever the pastor says to you, “for His sake I forgive you all your sins.”This is what happened when you were baptized – you were washed clean inside and out. But not only that – He Himself, the holy One, came into you in your baptism – not only dwelling but reigning inside you.

So when you remember your baptism with the sign of the cross, when you hear His Word, and in the Lord’s Supper when you eat His body and drink His blood, what happens is that He Himself enters you. This means the uncleanness inside you is completely washed clean, and you can be only clean, beautiful, pure, holy, and completely without sin. He takes it all away, it’s all forgiven.

You’ll see what this looks like in heaven – what you look like to Him – where your beauty and purity in Him is on display for all to see.

For now, we still struggle with our sinful nature. One of the chief ways is something that isn’t a sin against the neighbor. It’s that we don’t give thanks. In Romans 1 it says this is a sign of the pagan, unbelieving mind: “nor were they thankful.” In Christians, it’s a sign that our sinful nature is running us. It’s when things are dark for you, you count up everything that’s wrong, you think your life isn’t good, etc. You aren’t being thankful! You’re not able to count up God’s blessings and name them. It keeps you from looking outward to and for others.

Your sinful nature keeps you from doing this. God wants you to see this, to fight it with His help, to bring your unthankfulness to God and confess it. Why? So He can heal you, forgive you, and give you a thankful heart, so that then you will actually give thanks and praise Him – which is how you’ll be in heaven! You exchange what the sinful nature does, to engage your heavenly nature.

We learn today that your cleanness is important to God. Jesus wants you to be concerned about the uncleanness inside you, as well as being concerned about the actual thoughts, words, and deeds. He wants you to hate the sin that’s inside you, and He wants you to hate the sins that you do. He wants to cleanse all of it. Through your repentance which He produces, and through faith which He also creates in you through His Word, He actually drives out the sin, enters in, and He Himself, your loving Lord, reigns in you. Amen!