Matthew 15:1-20
That Which Defiles
1 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”
3 Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ 5 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ 6 they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8 “‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’”
10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”
12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”
13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14 Leave them; they are blind guides.[d] If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”
16 “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. 17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? 18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 20 These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”
Meditation has as one of their teachings and assertions that "thoughts are just thoughts."...This is a common mindfulness technique...But thoughts can be and are a powerful part of internal mental process happening our thought streams...Thoughts are with us and are like waves they keep coming and coming...Meditation suggests that we should not be and become overly attached to our thoughts, as they are fleeting and often irrational...And while meditation is trying to help us to better learn to disassociate from our thoughts, so we might learn from this technique and through it have less stress and less anxiety in our lives...Let us remember that most all of our thoughts do pass on after some time...But I want to add that we also have Spiritual Thoughts...While spiritual thoughts are with us because of the indwelt Holy Spirit, we can learn from them also...
While this meditative perspective can be helpful in managing anxiety and stress, it's important to consider the biblical perspective on thoughts...The Bible teaches that our thoughts have significant consequences...Jesus, in Matthew 15:18-19, emphasizes the connection between thoughts and our acting on our thoughts...Jesus states that evil actions originate from evil thoughts...This implies that our thoughts can lead to sinful actions and harmful behaviors...
Jesus directly connects our thoughts to our actions, highlighting the importance of purifying our hearts...James said "Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?...You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did...And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend...You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone."...
Jesus emphasizes that evil actions stem from evil thoughts...So we can see that our thoughts can lead to actions...This underscores the significance of guarding our minds and cultivating righteous Spiritual Thoughts...Our thoughts on Jesus' teachings and what they are telling us speak out against injustice and standing up for what is right is prevalent throughout the Bible...Jesus Himself was a powerful example of this, challenging the religious and political authorities of His time...He encouraged His followers to be "salt and light" in the world, influencing society for the good and positive and for God...The Book of Proverbs is another key source of wisdom that emphasizes the power of thoughts and words...Proverbs teaches us to guard our hearts and to speak words that build up rather than tear down...By aligning our thoughts with God's Word and seeking the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we can cultivate a mindset that promotes righteousness and compassion, and positive actions...Even James, in his epistle, who is sometimes called a Man of Action -speaks of righteousness...And actions come from our thoughts and ideas...Our words and deeds are a reflection of our thoughts and hearts, and show how our actions flow from our thoughts...James takes a lesson from what Jesus taught, in seeing that our Spiritual thoughts can lead to either righteous or sinful actions...By guarding our hearts and filling our minds with God's Word, we can ensure that our words and then our actions align with His will...
So, while it's true that thoughts are not necessarily facts and may of our constant thoughts are just thoughts, they can still shape our attitudes, beliefs, moods, and actions...Negative thoughts can lead to negative emotions and destructive behaviors...Conversely, positive and godly thoughts can lead to positive actions and a more fulfilling life...To reconcile these two perspectives, we can consider the role of the Holy Spirit in transforming our minds...The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit can renew our minds and help us to think more about God...By submitting our thoughts to the influence of the Holy Spirit, we can learn to think biblically and to resist sinful thoughts...
In conclusion, while it's important to recognize that thoughts are not always reliable and many come and go like the clouds in the sky, we must also acknowledge the power that thoughts have in shaping our lives...By seeking God's wisdom and Jesus' teachings, we can learn better to have positive more God-like thoughts and live a life that honors the Father and His Son...