Heart Exam

(Today's reading - Numbers 21-23; Mark 7:14 - 8:10)


Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can make him ‘unclean’ by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him ‘unclean.’” (Mark 7: 14,15)

Jesus is talking to Jews. They understood the Law of Moses and that the Law (Leviticus11) made it very clear that what they ate, the food they put into their bodies had an effect on how God viewed them. What they put in their mouths did in fact make them "clean" or "unclean" before God. So, what is Jesus doing here? Some would argue that He was changing the Law in relation to diet, and that may be true; but, I believe there is a much bigger concept being put forward by our Savior.

Under the Law of Moses, performance became the god of the people. What they did, how well they kept letter of the Law, determined how "religious" they were. We would never be like that... would we? They had become a checklist people. They believed that their righteousness was determined by externals and Jesus looks them in the eye and says, "not externals, internals". Not the hands, but the heart. They could keep the Law and never love. I can do all the right things and do them all with wrong motives. What I "do" is not necessarily an outward sign of an inward change... as some would say. There are many people doing many good things that have no relationship with God at all.

So, what does Jesus want to see in His people? “Don’t you see that nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’? For it doesn’t go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body.” He went on: “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean.’ 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.’” (vss 18-22)  He tells them (and us) that we are defiled by what comes out of our hearts. It is about our motives, our intentions. He says that our actions flow from our hearts. Evil heart... evil actions. Pure heart... pure actions.

Jesus moved the goal posts. No longer were they to view their relationship with God as a checklist, but rather it was to be a life changing connection. "Who they were" was to be different, not just "what they did". I am afraid for many today, Christianity has become a list of dos and don'ts. As long as we keep the list, we are faithful. The measure of a persons spiritual maturity is determined by the externals. Is he here every Sunday? Do they come on Wednesday night? Do they give every week? Let me tell you... you can do all that and still be living a pagan life. I know, I have done it! Will you do those things if your heart has changed... absolutely. But, the doing of it does not insure that a person is right before God.

That is why we have so much scripture that calls on us to examine ourselves... because we are the only ones that truly know what is going on inside of us. I can put on a pretty good show when the time is right. Say the right things. Frown when a frown is called for. Smile when a smile is called for. I am the only one that knows for sure if my heart is right. Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves.(1 Cor 13:5) Examine yourselves! Do an internal examine and see if you are "in the faith"; with a clear implication that you might find that you are "out of the faith". To put it the terms of today.... "You better check yourself before you wreck yourself."

What about you? have you done a thorough internal exam lately? What has your heart? Better yet... who has your heart? If anyone or anything other than God... you better check yourself... :-). Stethoscope please...