Neville Goddard on Mark 7:14-23 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Mark 7 in context

Scripture Focus

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

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

16If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

17And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable.

18And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him;

19Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats?

20And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.

21For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

22Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

23All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

Mark 7:14-23

Biblical Context

Jesus teaches that external things do not defile a person; what defiles comes from within the heart in thoughts and deeds.

Neville's Inner Vision

From the I AM perspective, nothing arriving from without can defile the self; defilement arises as a movement in consciousness, not as a consequence of dietary laws. The crowd and the meals are merely stimuli; what truly defiles is the state I entertain in the secret chamber of my heart. Evil thoughts, fear, pride, and envy are not cast upon me by outside objects but arise from within as my belief in a separate self. If I cling to the image of lack or danger, I invite a false cleanliness and a false uncleanness; the inner defilement is the result of imagining myself apart from the whole. The heart—the seat of my inner life—is where I choose to nourish or neglect. When I revise the inner story and affirm, "I am the I AM; I am whole, pure, and unassailable," the external appearances rearrange to reflect that state. Thus, the path to true holiness is not ritual avoidance but a turning of my attention back to consciousness, where the river of life flows as one with God. The old defilement dissolves in the light of realized oneness.

Practice This Now

Close your eyes and declare: I am the I AM, perfectly pure now. Revise any belief in defilement by feeling the reality of inner wholeness and letting that feeling rule your life.