Eat what you like
Some years ago I was invited to a community forum organised by the local police for local religious leaders. I think they were exploring the links between crime and different religious communities. What I can still remember is the trays of sandwiches on the table: kosher, halal, vegetarian and those with no restrictions. Some of the invited guests politely declined the food – probably because they couldn’t be sure how it had been prepared or what it contained. Meanwhile, the Christian leaders tucked in!
It is striking that Christianity places no restrictions on the foods we eat. Why is that? It is strange when we consider the detailed food laws in the Old Testament. It’s because of what Jesus said: “Nothing that enters a man from the outside can make him ‘unclean’ … (In saying this, Jesus declared all foods “clean”)” (Mark 7:18-19). What we eat can neither purify nor defile us before God – whether by comfort eating, compulsive eating or controlled eating. And the same goes for what we drink.
No, Jesus is quite clear where the problem lies: “What comes out of a man is what makes him ‘unclean’”(v20-21). It’s what comes out of our hearts that make us unclean before God – because of what is in our hearts. Now, Jesus can afford to expose the problem because he has the solution. As John the Baptist announced: “he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit” (Mark 1:8). So, eat what you like … and sort out your heart!