Mark 7:1-13 describes how the Pharisees return to confront Jesus with a loaded question, hoping to discredit Him. But Jesus turns their challenge back on them, exposing how they elevate their man—made traditions above both God’s law and the command to honor their parents.

Mark 7:14-16 shows Jesus calling the crowd to Himself. He responds to the Pharisees’ charge with a striking proverb. He teaches that it is not external rituals that make a person clean or holy, but the inner condition of the heart. True holiness flows from inward harmony with God, not outward displays meant for show.

Mark 7:17-23 asks Jesus to clarify His statement: “There is nothing outside the man which can defile him if it goes into him; but the things which proceed out of the man are what defile the man.” This challenged their existing view of sin and righteousness. Jesus corrected their misunderstanding by explaining that wickedness originates from the heart.

Mark 7:24-30 records how Jesus went to the Gentile region of Tyre, where a woman pleads with Him to heal her daughter. Initially, He refuses, saying He was sent to Israel, but her persistent faith moves Him to grant her request.

Mark 7:31-37 records how Jesus moves from Tyre to the region of the Decapolis, where large crowds of Gentiles gather on a remote hillside, bringing their sick and lame. He heals them, and they respond by glorifying the God of Israel.