THE DIE-TO-IT DIET

Mark 7:14-23
14 Again Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, "Listen to Me, everyone, and understand this. 15 Nothing outside a man can make him
'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.'" . . . 17 After He had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples asked Him about this parable. 18 "Are you so dull?" He asked. "Don't you see that nothing that enters
a man from the outside can make him 'unclean'? 19 For it doesn't go into his heart but into his stomach, and then out of his body." (In
saying this, Jesus declared all foods "clean.") 20 He went on: "What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.' 21 For from within,
out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander,
arrogance, and folly. 23 All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.'"

This year it's the South Beach Diet. A couple of years ago--and still going strong--the Atkins Diet returned to popularity. In between was the Zone Diet--kind of like Atkins for rich people and math geniuses.

It seems that everyone is obsessed about what they put in their mouths--carbs, fats, proteins. They want to lose weight quickly, though perhaps not healthfully. To them, appearance is important. Fat is out; thin is in.

If only we were as concerned about what comes out of our mouth . . . and out of our heart. That can also be sick.

In Jesus' time, many legalistic Jews watched what they ate. They weren't counting calories, however. Instead, they were adding up
their "righteous points," seeking God's favor. Some legalists were so obsessed that they would put a piece of cloth over a glass before
pouring water into it. That way, a gnat could not land in the water, unseen. If an insect were to enter a Jew's mouth, it would make him unclean.

As Jesus pointed out, what they ate--intentionally or otherwise--did not make them "unclean," unfit to enter God's presence. Instead,
their evil thoughts and deeds defiled them. Time after time, it seemed, the Pharisees obsessed about what was happening on the outside, while Jesus challenged them to look inside, to their spiritual state.

We can be just as outer-conscious, but in a more vain way, by obsessing about our physical appearance--but not because of what God would think. The solution is the same as above: To look on the inside, to be concerned about our spiritual health. Then, our focus needs to stay inward; we shouldn't repeat the Pharisees' mistake of concentrating on outer actions. By starting on the inside, our outward actions fall in line.

So what kind of spiritual diet are you on? Remember, in the Christian life, the key is not only diet; it's exercise. Nourish yourself on God's Word, and then put your faith into action. That will look great, inside and outside. --John Carvalho

DESTINATION POINTS

* Why is our society so consumed with diets and physical appearance?
* In what ways do I need to concentrate on my inner person?

LINKS:
Wouldn't It Be Loverly?
http://www.christianitytoday.com/women/newsletter/wom00510.html

bottom line: God looks at what's inside, not outside.

soul journey