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. 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.”
Jesus in His teaching that which defiles comes from a specific cultural and religious context, where ritual purity played a significant role in daily life...The Pharisees and teachers of the law held strict traditions regarding handwashing and other purity practices...
Jesus, however, challenged these interpretations by emphasizing the importance of internal purity over external rituals...He argued that what truly defiles a person is not their physical state but what they are thinking and the deeds they do each day...
Jesus told the Pharisees that His Disciples could not eat without washing their hands first...Simply stated that the Pharisees observed Jesus' Disciples eating while adhering to their own customs and not what was written in Scripture...Jesus is the correct Interpreter, because He fulfills Scripture...
The question from the Pharisees is: "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders?"...This opens a conversation for discussing the difference between tradition and true Spiritual significance...
Instead of dwelling on the Pharisees' concerns, we must shift the focus to Jesus' response...We read how Jesus explains internal purity, stating that "it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth that defiles a person."...
We must emphasize Jesus' message of compassion and acceptance...We need to highlight His teaching that tells us that outward rituals alone hold no true value compared to genuine kindness and integrity and authority of His message...
We should avoid judging or criticizing any specific cultural practices or beliefs...So, do not judge...Instead, present the situation objectively and encourage what Scripture says about the underlying ideas of love, forgiveness, and the purity of God's Word...We should follow on the universal message of Jesus' Teachings regarding the importance of inner integrity and compassion over rigid adherence to external customs...
Jesus Teachings are the utmost Teachings in life and are what is important in one's journey through life...Jesus Teachings here is about focusing on inner goodness and ethical behavior rather than getting caught up in specific old outdated outward practices and old traditions and rituals...
Out of the heart comes our evil thoughts as well as our good thoughts...Let us focus on love, forgiveness, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control...These good things are in perfect agreement with the laws of God, which are holy, just, and good...These good things are intertwined with Jesus' Teachings...