They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ You have let go of the commands of God and hold on to human traditions.

‭‭Mark‬ ‭7‬:‭7‬-‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The most radical change is from the inside out.

Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me and understand this. Nothing outside a person can defile them by going into them. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles them.

‭‭Mark‬ ‭7‬:‭14‬-‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In a world focused on appearances, rituals, and external conformity, Jesus redirects the spotlight inward, teaching that what truly corrupts a person is not what they eat, wear, or touch, but the things that emerge from within: our words, intentions, attitudes, and actions.

It’s a call to integrity—not just moral behavior, but alignment of our heart and spirit with the way of love, humility, and truth. 

It’s not the world entering us that defiles—it’s the bitterness, pride, deceit, or hatred we allow to grow and flow outward.

This is the freedom Jesus offers: a life radically transformed from the inside out.