Jesus Explains His Meaning to the Disciples (7:17-23).
Once they were back in the house that they were staying at the disciples broached the question again and Jesus explained things in more depth to them.
Analysis.
a And when He was entered into the house from the crowd, His disciples asked of Him the parable, and He says to them, “Are you so without understanding also?” (Mark 7:17-18 a).
b Do you not perceive that whatever from outside goes into the man, it cannot defile him, because it goes not into his heart, but into his stomach, and goes out into the draught?” (Mark 7:18-19 a).
c This He said, making all meats clean (Mark 7:19 b).
b And He said, “That which proceeds out of the man, that defiles the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, evil thoughts proceed, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, covetings, wickednesses, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, railing, pride, foolishness” (Mark 7:20-22).
a “All these evil things proceed from within, and defile the man” (Mark 7:23).
Note that in ‘a' He asks them if they are without understanding, and in the parallel explains what is at the heart of the matter and will bring understanding, that it is the evil within a man which defiles him. In ‘b' He points out that what enters a man from outside cannot morally defile him, because it passes through the body, but that what comes from His inner heart, of which He gives numerous examples, does defile him. Central in ‘c' is the clear principle (probably a comment by Mark) that logically by His statement He was declaring all foods ‘clean'.