S – ¹⁸ 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, ¹⁹ since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 

Mark 7:18–19 ESV

O – Commentary:

Jesus amplified the negative truth that nothing … from the outside of a person can defile him morally (cf. v. 15a). The reason is that food (or any other item) does not enter his heart, the control center of the human personality, and thereby affect his moral nature. Rather, it enters his stomach (a nonmoral agent).

The concluding sentence of verse 19 is an editorial comment by Mark (cf. 2:10, 28; 3:30; 13:14), to emphasize the significance of Jesus’ statement for his Christian readers in Rome, some of whom may have been confused over Jewish food laws (cf. Rom. 14:14; Gal. 2:11–17; Col. 2:20–22). He simply pointed out that Jesus declared all foods “clean” for Christians. The early church was slow to grasp this truth

 John D. Grassmick, “Mark,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 134.

A- Unclean foods were a big topic of dissension among the disciples and early believers.  Jesus is sharing the foundational understanding of how God works in our hearts.  People got stuck on foods.  What do we get stuck on that is not foundational to our walk with God.  There are some topics that divide people about God that are not as important as keeping our hearts in a healthy posture with God.

R – Heavenly Father, you are compassionate and gracious.  Help us to focus on the main thing – our relationship with you.  Don’t let us be distracted by things that are not relevant to growing closer to you today.