Mark 7:14-23

Mark 7:14-23
English Standard Version (ESV) 

  We're always looking for excuses.  We want someone or something to blame -- if things are going poorly, it can't really be our fault, right?  Wouldn't it be great to blame that mean thing you said on something you ate?
  In this passage, Jesus tackles the dietary laws head-on.  He tells the people that it's not how you eat that makes you a good person, but it's the condition of your heart.  Where you focus your thoughts, what you think about when you have free time -- if you're focused on what is pure and good, then that will overflow and your interactions, your words, will be good.  However, if you spend your time thinking on things that are selfish and hateful and evil, that, too, will overflow.
  We can't blame our wicked impulses on other things or people or influences.  We have to take responsibility for our character.  We can then confess our sins to God, trusting in his forgiveness, and asking him to guide us to be the kind of people who selflessly love others and build up one another.