Jesus made a somewhat perplexing statement, “thus purifying all foods”, found in Mark 7:18-19.

Mark 7:18 Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him,
Mark 7:19 because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?

What did Jesus mean by this?  Did He mean that He abolished the law against eating unclean meats, such as swine and shellfish?  Or did Jesus mean something else?  Let’s take a closer look.

The law about clean and unclean meats is found in Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14.  They list: 

• those animals which are clean – that is, are for human consumption,
• and those animals which are unclean – that is, are not for human consumption.

There are two important points to note.

Firstly, the notion of clean and unclean animals preceded Moses.  God told Noah to take seven pairs of clean animals and one pair of unclean animals into the ark. 

Gen 7:1  Then the LORD said to Noah, “Come into the ark, you and all your household, because I have seen that you are righteous before Me in this generation.
Gen 7:2  You shall take with you seven each of every clean animal, a male and his female; two each of animals that are unclean, a male and his female;

Secondly, this law will exist in the future.  In a prophecy in the book of Isaiah about a future event, the Lord will come with fire and chariots to punish those who worship idols and eat swine and mouse (two unclean animals).

Isa 66:15 For behold, the LORD will come with fire And with His chariots, like a whirlwind, To render His anger with fury, And His rebuke with flames of fire.

Isa 66:17 Those who sanctify themselves and purify themselves, To go to the gardens After an idol in the midst, Eating swine’s flesh and the abomination and the mouse, Shall be consumed together,” says the LORD.

So, the law of clean and unclean animals:

• existed before they were given to Moses and
• will exist in the future.

From these two points, it’s clear Jesus was not abolishing any law by His comment “thus purifying all foods”.  But what then did Jesus mean?

The context of the passage holds the answer.  The context deals with the Pharisees’ notion of defilement.  The Pharisees believed a person could become defiled by eating with unwashed hands.

Mark 7:1 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.
Mark 7:2  Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.

The Pharisees found fault with Jesus’s disciples because they did not wash their hands.  The passage goes on to explain – as an aside to the reader – what the Pharisees’ tradition was in this matter.

Mark 7:3  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.
Mark 7:4  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.

The Pharisees taught that if a person ate some food with unwashed hands he became defiled.

Mark 7:5  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”

The Pharisees found fault with Jesus’s disciples, but Jesus proceeded to correct the Pharisees.

Mark 7:6  He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honours Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
Mark 7:7  And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
Mark 7:8  “For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men; the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.”

Jesus said the Pharisees were teaching their own rules and ideas about what defiles a person – not God’s.  Jesus proceeded to explain what does defile a person.

Mark 7:14  When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand:
Mark 7:15  “There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.
Mark 7:16  “If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
Mark 7:17  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.
Mark 7:18  So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him,
Mark 7:19  “because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?”
Mark 7:20  And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.
Mark 7:21  “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
Mark 7:22  “thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.
Mark 7:23  “All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”

Jesus was teaching a spiritual lesson.  The Pharisees taught that eating with unwashed hands defiles us.  Jesus taught that was not the case.  It is our evil thoughts that defile us.  Eating with unwashed hands does not defile us because any dirt we eat passes through our bodies, which is what He meant by, “Thus purifying all foods”.  

Jesus Christ’s main point in this whole passage is:  We need to keep our thoughts pure, because evil thoughts defile us in God’s sight.

Conclusion

“Thus purifying all foods” means that if we eat food with unwashed hands or from an unwashed pot it doesn’t defile us.  It is evil thoughts that defile us in God’s sight.