Jesus on “As within, so without”
Mark 7: 18-23 Jesus said to them, “Do you not realize that everything that goes into a person from outside cannot defile, since it enters not the heart, but the stomach, and passes out into the latrine?... But what comes out of a person, that is what defiles. From within people, from their hearts, come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly. All these evils come from within and they defile.”
Jesus is clearly demonstrating the principle of “as within so without” in this teaching.
This idea is commonly passed around by New Age writers or yoga practitioners. It is actually a modern extension of an ancient paraphrase– of an even more ancient text– “The Book of Wise Balinas on the Causes,” written sometime between 600-900 AD, which became known as the “Emerald Tablet,” by Hermes Trismegistus. Clearly Solomon was correct when he wrote, “Nothing is new under the sun!”
The wisdom and truth that Jesus speaks in the Gospel of Mark is equally important to people today as when He said it thousands of years ago. The human mind and heart are very powerful tools for living. Thoughts become words, which become the actions we take, that become the products or results we see in our lives. For example, if we want to have a healthy body, we need to exercise and eat healthy foods (actions), which we only feel motivated to do if we think– and say– we can accomplish the goal of having a healthy body. Jesus is teaching us that negative (“evil”) thoughts create negative results such as “arrogance and folly,” all the way to “murder”.
What thoughts are you thinking? What results do you want to see in your life? If the thoughts and words you have in your mind and heart do not match and support the results you want to achieve in your life, you will not be successful. St. Paul also shared the power of our words in his teaching to the Romans, “For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.”
Take careful notice of your thoughts. When you catch yourself thinking or saying words that do not support your goals, stop the thought immediately, and look for a more positive thought. You don’t need to be pollyanna or unrealistic! However, don’t allow yourself to be the victim of “stinking thinking”.
Whatever is in your heart and mind will come out and become the reality of your life. So, if you want more love in your life: think more loving thoughts about yourself and others, and say more loving words to yourself and others. If you want more wealth in your life, don’t focus on your lack, or complain that you “don’t have the money.” Instead, be grateful for all that you do have, and have sincere hope in your heart that God can bring more abundance into your life. Start by improving what is “within” your heart, and you will start to see a better life manifesting “without”.
