Mark 7:18-19 states: "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.)"
This passage is often understood to mean that Jesus is saying that the laws of clean and unclean meats in the Old Testament no longer apply. However, the context of this passage is important to understand.
In this passage, Jesus is responding to the Pharisees and scribes who were criticizing him for eating with sinners and tax collectors. They were accusing him of not keeping the laws of ritual purity, which included the laws of clean and unclean meats. Jesus is not necessarily saying that the laws of clean and unclean meats are no longer valid, but rather that they are not the most important aspect of being pure. He is emphasizing that what truly makes a person unclean is not what they eat, but what is in their heart (Mark 7:20-23).
It is also important to note that in the Old Testament, the laws of clean and unclean meats were not just about physical purity, but also about spiritual purity and separation from idolatrous practices. Thus, it is unlikely that Jesus is completely abolishing the laws of clean and unclean meats, but rather refocusing the emphasis on the spiritual aspect of them.
It is also worth noting that later in the New Testament, the apostle Peter has a vision from God in which he is told to eat unclean animals, and he is told that what God has made clean, he should not call unclean (Acts 10:9-16). This can be understood as a further indication that the laws of clean and unclean meats are not to be applied in the same way as they were in the Old Testament, and that God is showing a new understanding of purity and holiness through Jesus.
In conclusion, Jesus' statement in Mark 7:18-19 should be understood in the context of his response to the criticism of the Pharisees and scribes. He is emphasizing that what truly defiles a person is not what they eat, but what is in their heart, rather than completely abolishing the laws of clean and unclean meats. The New Testament, particularly the book of Acts, provides further insight into the changes in understanding of the laws of clean and unclean meats in the light of Jesus' teachings.
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