Matthew 15:1-20 Defilement Comes from Within
“Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother;’ and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus, you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”
Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”
But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”
So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”
Jesus and the disciples are about to break bread when the Pharisees swoop in, anxious to attack. As an observant Jew, Jesus would naturally wash his hands before eating, so is it possible that this time, Jesus has specifically commanded his disciples not to wash their hands to see the reaction of the Pharisees? Jesus knows that the Pharisees always have informers poised to carry stories back to them, and sure enough! As soon as Jesus’ group begins to eat with unwashed hands, here come the Pharisees as a group.
“Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” Oh boy! Jesus has just been waiting for this question. The poor Pharisee who has asked is about to be thoroughly embarrassed, and it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy!
“He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother;’ and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— then he need not honor his father or mother.’
OUCH! Jesus has hit on a well-known fact. Everyone in the crowd can name a destitute relative of some hyper-observant Pharisee who has suffered because that Pharisee has donated to the temple to enhance his reputation rather than supporting the aged as God has intended. But Jesus has barely gotten started.
“Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” Now the Pharisees are boiling with anger. What has happened to the Law of Moses? Between the time God gave the Law to Moses and now, a huge body of teaching has sprung up in attempts to interpret that law. There are rabbis whose sole purpose in life is to discuss these teachings, parsing them and creating even more minute regulations to observe if one is to please God. The Pharisees have become so obsessed with being R*I*G*H*T that they have forgotten to be merciful.
Now Jesus engages the crowd even further, calling them to come to him and saying, “Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”
The disciples can see that the Pharisees are really boiling, and they are frantic. These men can have the disciples put out of the synagogues so they can never worship God there again. Jesus is really on shaky ground here. But Jesus isn’t worried; instead, he tells the disciples, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
The disciples aren’t sure they understand Jesus. Surely, Jesus can’t be criticizing the major teachers of Israel. “Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”
So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”
Suddenly, Jesus has moved the conversation from the purely physical to the spiritual, and now the disciples are slowly getting it. Jesus is not demanding that his disciples fail to wash their hands before eating, for they might fall sick if they do so. But Jesus wants his disciples to be aware that heart issues truly defile while physical dirt only requires soap and water for cleansing.
The temptation to behave like a Pharisee is a common one for disciples, for it is far simpler to follow a set of rules than it is to confess our sins to God and allow Him to deal with them. In this story, the Pharisees are busy creating new rules and then observing them; however, they have forgotten God’s fundamental nature as a merciful God. Overall, the Pharisaical attitude is one of harsh criticism and judgement. Charity has become a competition, particularly charity to the temple, causing Jesus to warn his disciples to give secretly without publicity.
Those of us who aspire to be disciples must also check our hearts. Are we following Jesus’ example and exhibiting the fruits of the Holy Spirit in our lives-love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control? (Galatians 5:22-23) If we correct, do we correct gently or harshly? Galatians 6:1 tells us, “Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” If the Pharisees were to follow this command, they would have asked gently, not attempting to expose or criticize.
True disciples of Jesus check their own hearts before attempting to correct anybody else. If we fail to examine ourselves, others will notice the discrepancy and refuse to accept Jesus because of our poor example. Let us remain humble, gentle, and honest!
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help us to examine ourselves before we criticize anyone else. Help us to act guided by your Holy Spirit, not by any other spirit. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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