September 14

Nothing that enters a man from the outside can defile him; but the things that come out of a man, these are what defile him. — Mark 7:15 BSB

It’s important to keep our bodies clean, but it’s even more important to have clean hearts.

Being physically dirty doesn’t make someone unworthy before God. A person working in a coal mine or factory may have blackened hands and face, but they can still have a pure, sincere heart. On the other hand, someone with a perfectly clean body may still have a heart full of sin.

To please God, we must have pure hearts, even if our bodies are dirty from honest labor.

Jesus gives us a glimpse of the human heart, and it’s not flattering. It’s like a nest filled with all kinds of evil.

There’s a lot of talk about social rank—people judge others based on their job or status. But nothing truly degrades a person except sin.