Spiritual Sanitizer

As I was reading in Mark 7 this morning, I came across the scripture where Christ is berated by the Pharisees because his disciples eat their meal without properly washing, according to the Mosaic Law.  I love the Gospel of Mark, how it was written to the Gentiles, because it helps me understand the Mosaic Law a little better, not taking for granted that I just know it, like some of the other books.

 5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with ^aunwashen hands?

 6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people ^ahonoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the ^atradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.

 10 ^aFor Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso ^bcurseth father or mother, let him die the death:

 11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is ^aCorban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.

 12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;

 13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

 14 ¶And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand:

 15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can ^adefile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that ^bdefile the man.t

As I pondered on that last verse, it struck me that, even when we physically partake of something that is contrary to our religion, like to drink coffee or smoke for me, it is not as much the actual substance that defiles me (however bad it might be), but it is more the spirit of disobedience in my heart that defiles me.  
This led me to the thought that this verse gives us true and full ownership over our spirituality!  God is promising that outside entities cannot defile our souls, whether physically, emotionally, or visually!  If our hearts are true to Him, seeking to obey His commandments, no matter what other people do to us or show to us, if we are, again, doing everything in our power to live true to what God wants us to do, we cannot be defiled!!

The next verses added additional insight:

 21 For from within, out of the ^aheart of men, proceed evil thoughts, ^badulteries, fornications, murders,

 22 ^aThefts, ^bcovetousness, ^cwickedness, ^ddeceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

 23 All these ^aevil things come from within, and ^bdefile the man.

As I pondered the word "defiled," it made me think of "disinfectants," and how obsessed modern society is with sanitizing themselves physically.  What if we paid as much attention to the cleanliness of our souls, how often would we seek to apply repentance...the ultimate "soul sanitizer" to cleanse us of pride, of deceit, of covetousness...

Hmmmmm.....