Mark 7:20-23 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

The disciples were hungry. And, without washing their hands, they ate. Of course, this terrible, horrible act couldn’t be let go by the Pharisees. And so they “found fault” and began to accuse Jesus’ men. Christ gives a great illustration and contrast between the traditions of men, which they preached as doctrine, and the commandments of God. Then he hits home, and tells His disciples, with the Pharisees standing by, what really defiles a man.

The list and concept in the verse above wasn’t what the Pharisees were interested in. For Jesus called out the heart of the matter – the heart. As I read this this morning, it encourages me to look at this list, and see if any of these items have began to find a home in my heart, or my thoughts. Things on the outside must be taken care of, that’s for sure. But that stuff begins in the heart, and the heart must be addressed first. It would behoove us to do a heart check as we begin our day today.