A Good Heart

And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:14-23 ESV). The word "heart" can be found often in the Scriptures. And, when it does, it seldom simply means the organ, the muscle in our chest that pumps and pumps. It doesn’t talk about what your doctor wants to check regularly with the EKG and blood tests. Your doctor makes you do that treadmill test. He wants to know if there are blockages that may lead to a heart attack. He checks for more than you even might like. I’ve been there and done that! In the Bible, "heart" refers to such things as personality, intellect, memory, emotions, desires and the will. Actually, as you and I think about it, so do we. For example, we’ll say, "He’s all heart" and we may be cynical, but we’re not suggesting that he’s a total organ. It means more than a bodily function. The human heart is the source of evil. So, if there is to be peace in our lives, which is both harmony and a fullness of life, there must be a change of heart. In order to be peacemakers, reconcilers, healers of relationships, you and I must have a new heart. But we can’t just jump in as little princes (or princesses) of peace. We must have new hearts; we must become new creatures first! This is the essential message of the Scripture. When doctors do the heart checks on the muscle/organ, we know that they may not be 100% accurate, but they get pretty close to an accurate diagnosis of the function and work of the heart. We ought to regularly check both our physical hearts and our spiritual heart. At least one of the measurements we can use to check our spiritual heart is an examination of our emotions. A healthy heart experiences emotions. A healthy person cries at times and laughs at times. A healthy heart is touched by joy, pain, anger, gratitude and love. So having said that, I ask you to ask yourselves, "Have I cried over anything lately?" or "Have I really laughed?" A healthy heart is touched by the pain of others as well as personal pain. A healthy heart experiences emotional change when it’s happening. That kind of spiritual heart is a good heart.