Does nothing defiles a man include things like alcohol?
Question:
Hello!
I’ve been having difficulty connecting the dots with a verse in Mark 7 and thought you might be able to help. In verse 15, Jesus says that there is nothing coming from the outside that can defile a man. Does this include alcohol? Obviously, the Bible condemns drinking in any capacity in other verses, so how do we reconcile the two concepts?
Answer:
The discussion started when the Pharisees were upset that Jesus' disciples did not wash their hands ceremonially before eating. "The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, 'Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?'" (Mark 7:5).
Jesus then showed that the Pharisees had elevated their traditions above the Law, nullifying God's commands. He pointed out that uncleanness wasn't about outward physical things but the state of the heart.
"After He called the crowd to Him again, He began saying to them, 'Listen to Me, all of you, and understand: there is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.' When he had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples questioned Him about the parable. And He said to them, 'Are you so lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that whatever goes into the man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not go into his heart, but into his stomach, and is eliminated?' (Thus He declared all foods clean.) And He was saying, 'That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile the man'" (Mark 7:14-23).
This isn't about whether consuming alcohol is right or wrong. The question is whether consuming something made you impure or unclean. Eating ham, catfish, or shrimp did not sully your spirit. However, sins, such as evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, etc., did make a person's spirit unclean.
Casually consuming alcohol is wrong because it causes the person to no longer be sober-minded (I Thessalonians 5:5-8). It is the decision to drink that dirties the soul because sin starts from within.
Response:
Ah, I see. Jesus is discussing whether the food itself is intrinsically sinful (which it is obviously not). Thanks for all your help!
