Mark 7:20-23 KJV And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Shopping for a watermelon can be a difficult task. No matter how good it looks, it’s really hard to tell if you are getting a good melon or not! So, I tap it, thump it, and, if no one is looking, squeeze it. After all my assessing is done, I will take it home only to discover that the inside does not match the outside.

When the Pharisees were aggravated that Jesus’ disciples did not wash their hands before eating, which happened to be a violation of one of their traditions, Jesus immediately challenged them. Mark 7:9 KJV And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. He even called them “hypocrites” and explained that what comes from the inside of a person is what “defiles” him, not the other way around.

If we’re not cautious, we can become engrossed with looking good on the outside and forget what really counts. In fact, when we get to the place where we are keeping all the “right” rules, we may become proud of ourselves and critical toward others. However, entertaining bitterness, clinging to critical attitudes, and thinking too highly of ourselves are the kinds of things that defile us and make us guilty of Jesus’ charge of “hypocrite.”

Please do not miss the real point here. We must remember that it’s the things on the inside of us, your heart, your thoughts, your attitudes, that really matter most. Jesus has been, and always will be, concerned with condition of your heart.

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Kevin Allen