Mark 7:14-23

Here Jesus continued the teaching that what you eat and drink cannot defile you morally or religiously, addressing the Jewish dietary laws, which people at that time believed were important to God.  He redirected our attention to our hearts and what comes from the heart.  This is the basis of morality, and our heart is what pleases God.  Here Jesus listed all the types of thoughts that contain the seed of evil if we follow them, which are motivations and intentions that separate us from God and from our fellow human beings. These thoughts indeed can result in evil actions such as murder, theft, malice and deceit. The list is worthy of contemplation in an examination of our heart in prayer, even thought it is uncomfortable to examine our hearts. In daily life, it is good to pay attention to small lies, selfishness, deception, and anger.  That is all.