Mark 7 Diet Debate

Mark 7:19   “Jesus declared all foods clean.” (NIV)

Mark 7 reports a debate on food. The critics of Jesus charged him with a failure to observe the traditional rules about food and food handling. Jesus answered his critics with the idea that all foods are clean. All foods are eatable. This teaching shocked people. Most folks thought that what you ate and how you ate it were important to one’s relationship to God. Jesus taught that what goes into a person--food--is not so important as what comes out of a person, that is, their thoughts and words and actions.

People today have an obsession with food, too. Americans spend forty billion dollars annually on diet plans. Cooking shows and fine restaurants and gourmet kitchens, as well as the fast food industry, are part of the food world that makes the 21st century just as food conscious as those first century critics of Jesus. People give food a value beyond the simple need to eat to live. Food has an emotional, psychological, intellectual and spiritual meaning to people, now, just as it did when the debate between Jesus and his critics was first recorded.

Nutrition is important. Exercise is important. The Bible teaches the value of both. (See the story of Daniel or take note of 1 Timothy 4:8). The teachings of Jesus do not obviate the value of nutrition and exercise. We are called to be good stewards of our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). 

Still, rules about food or exercise or any other external behavior can become an obstacle to spiritual formation. Rule keepers can be filled with anger, lust, envy--all sorts of evil thoughts. Jesus identified a dozen sins that arise from one’s thoughts (verses 21-23) No rule has the power to uproot and remove the source of this evil. Jesus quoted the prophets who made clear that such rule keeping was far from the purposes of God and true worship (verses 6-8).

The Gospel uproots the evil within a person by creating a transformed mind (Romans 12:1-2). This transformation is an ongoing process. As one weeds a garden week by week, so one confesses, repents and receives forgiveness in order to experience transformation of the evil heart. When the Holy Spirit changes the heart then one’s behavior will gradually change, too.

Of course, one danger is that people will hear the critique Jesus made of rules but not hear the Gospel. To abandon rules does not make one spiritual. Licentiousness fails us even more than rule keeping. We want our behavior to change. The issue is how to change, and this change begins in the heart, in the mind, in the spirit. Day by day confession, repentance and the grace of God create a new heart and a new life.

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Grandchildren. Sweetie Pie begins first grade this week.We are going to have much to talk about in the days ahead. I remember my own first grade class and teacher. My remembrances of school are happy. I am eager to talk with Sweetie Pie about her impressions of this coming adventure as she grows and learns and makes new friends.