Out of the Heart of Men - Mark 7:21

Mark wrote when Jesus, “was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. And he said unto them, Are you so without understanding also? Do you not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without enters into the man, it cannot defile him. Because it enters not into his heart, but into the belly, and goes out into the draught, purging all meats?And he said, That which comes out of the man, that defiles the man”, and in chapter seven and verse twenty-one of his book, Mark wrote how Jesus began to share with His disciples what proceeds, “out of the heart of men” where we read:

For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

The verse reads, “For from within, out of the heart of men, ...” Mark began with the words, “for from within” which means “because separated and apart from the inward and inside part”, “out of the heart” or “from the soul so far as it is affected and stirred in a bad way or good or as the seat of the sensibilities, affections, emotions, desires, appetites and passions” “of men” which means “belonging to people whether male or female”. Mark shared how Jesus referred to that which is “inside” a person's soul.

The verse continues, “... proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,” Mark added the word, “proceed” which means “goes forth, departs and issues” “evil thoughts” or “harmful, wicked, ill, bad and noisome reasoning, purpose, design and deliberating”, “adulteries” which means “extramarital sex”, “fornications” which is the Greek word “porneia” from which the word “pornography” was derived in English and means “illicit sex, homosexuality, lesbianism, intercourse with close relatives or animals”, “murders” which means “slaughter of the life of human beings”. Mark shared how Jesus said “evil” comes from the heart and includes “wicked thinking, extramarital sex, illicit sex and slaughtering people”.

When we consider Mark's words in this verse, we see Jesus begin to name specific inward “wicked” practices that “defile” a man. “Wicked thinking, sexual acts with married people who are not their spouses, pornography and illicit sex outside of marriage and murdering people” are among the first inward “sins” Jesus identified. Each of these practices begin within a person's heart, and they are often manifested outwardly afterward. Jesus came to “save” people from their “sinful” hearts, and everyone who “confesses” their “sins” to Him shall be forgiven them and be cleansed by God. Those who refuse to yield to Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord” shall remain in their “sins” and forever be separated from God.

Next time Mark shares how Jesus added, “thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, and evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness” to His list, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".