All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
All Commentaries on Mark 7:23 Go To Mark 7
John Chrysostom
AD 407
Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc. The Jews regard and murmur about only the bodily purification of the law; our Lord wishes to bring in the contrary. Wherefore it is said, “And when He had called all the people unto Him, He said unto them, Hearken unto Me every one, and understand: there is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him, but the things which come out of a man, those are they which defilea man;” that is, which make him unclean. The things of Christ have relation to theinner man, but those which are of the law are visible and external, to which, as being bodily, the cross of Christ was shortly to put an end.
Vict. Ant. e Cat. in Marc. Again He subjoins, “If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.” For He had not clearly shown them, what those things are which proceed out of a man, and defile a man; and on account of this saying, the Apostles thought that the foregoing discourse of the Lord implied some other deep thing. Wherefore there follows: “And when He was entered into the house from the people, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable;” they called it parable, because it was not clear.
