Mark 7

“That which proceeds out of the man, that is what defiles the man” (v20).  Jesus directed people to look into their own hearts instead of trying to police other people.  The Pharisees complained that His disciples ate bread with “unclean hands,” ignoring Jewish tradition.  These outward rituals were easy to monitor, and conformity to them equaled righteousness.  But Jesus pointed out that real sin, the kind that destroys (v21-22), erupts out of a sinful heart. 

If we humbly ask God to take care of our heart-issues, exchanging bitterness and anger for forgiveness and gentleness, right behavior follows naturally.