I am a Jesus pusher!!! There is a contrast between the focus of purity and the focus on honor and justice. Honor is supreme in the minds of the world. If a daughter of the world is molested, it is not a matter of immorality or sin but the violation of honor. This dishonor can only be rectified by revenge, such as murder, but that is a violation of moral purity. Justice and honor are the high priority in our world, not purity. The Roman culture spoke of four cardinal virtues: wisdom, justice, temperance, and courage. Purity of heart was not found in their most valued assets.
In the Old Covenant, Judaism has an abundance of external laws to govern their moral purity. Jesus did not disagree with the laws given by God demonstrating purity. His cry was for “purity” to go to the depth of man’s being. Pharisees from Jerusalem approached Jesus concerning His disciples; “For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread” (Matthew 15:2). Jesus answer was, “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man” (Matthew 15:11). In one bold statement, Jesus clearly defined purity as coming from the inner being of man. Purity is never from the external to the internal; it is always from the internal to the external. Purity is never to be claimed because of our outward activities. We can only embrace purity with our hearts. We must experience Jesus; I am a Jesus pusher!!!