“HEAR ME!”

 Mark 7:14-21                         (ESV)

What Defiles a Person

[14] And HE called the people to HIM again and said to them, “”HEAR ME”, all of you, AND UNDERSTAND: [15] There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” [17] And when HE had entered the house and left the people, HIS disciples asked HIM about the parable. [18] And HE said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not SEE that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, [19] since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus HE declared all foods clean.) [20] And HE said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. [21] For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, [22] coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. [23] All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

As my life matures past the Brain Hemorrhage of 15+ years ago, I often find myself thinking about how the remnant I am now has changed from the “pre-stroke” vessel I previously was? Before the Brain Hemorrhage I was very vocal about making sure that people heard what I saw as truth, regardless of whether it was uncomfortable for them to accept it or not!  My delivery was BOLD and DELIBERATE, sometimes to a fault, delivering what I felt needed to be said regardless of how it was received.  

In stark contrast, in the Scripture passage above JESUS was trying to relay to “the people” gathered that what was coming OUT of a person DISPLAYED what was on the INSIDE!  HIS disciples even had to “HEAR ME” AND TO UNDERSTAND that GOD needs us to be OBEDIENT, not to take the easy way out of a situation that we find ourselves in! 

Since JESUS is GOD in human form, HE needs to be listened to with more intensity than any other human vessel.  We need to SEE that displaying JESUS through our lives is our chief responsibility, not saying what we think is the easiest thing to say.  As humans, we don’t possess the ability to UNDERSTAND that we REQUIRE a Savior.  The ONLY WAY we are able to be delivered from the penalty of sin is to be CHOSEN in HIM before the foundation of the world (Ephesians 1:4)! 

Is JESUS saying do you “HEAR ME” calling you???