Ep. 129 | What Defiles a Person? | Focused on Christ Podcast Hosted by Mike Crump | Featuring Pastor Nathan Smith
In this episode of Focused on Christ, we explore one of Jesus’ most powerful confrontations with the Pharisees in Mark 7. While Jesus is healing the sick and performing miracles, the Pharisees focus on one issue—ritual handwashing. But Jesus points to a far deeper truth: defilement comes not from what’s outside, but from within the heart.
We’ll discuss:
- The context of Jesus’ ministry leading up to this moment
- The Pharisees’ obsession with tradition over truthWhat “Corban” reveals about hypocrisyJesus’ declaration that all foods are clean
- A sobering list of what truly defiles us—and what that means for the church today
Plus, an important summer update:We’ll be taking a short break in June and July for family milestones and ministry refreshment. We’ll be back with new episodes starting August 5th—a perfect time to catch up on any episodes you’ve missed!
Discussion Questions
- Why were the Pharisees so focused on external traditions? How do we sometimes fall into similar patterns today?
- What does Jesus’ response about Corban reveal about how religious practices can be misused?
- How does Jesus’ teaching about defilement challenge common religious thinking of His time?
- What’s the significance of Jesus declaring all foods clean, and how does this relate to the broader message?
- Looking at the list of sins Jesus mentions in verses 21-22, why do you think He emphasizes these coming from within?
- How does understanding that sin comes from within impact our approach to dealing with sin?
- In what ways do we sometimes try to fix internal spiritual issues with external solutions?
- Why is grace such a difficult concept for people to fully embrace?