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.”
I believe that there is this often-subtle and gradual nature of temptation and the process by which it can lead to sin...Eve's experience, coupled with Jesus' teachings on the origin of evil thoughts, highlights a significant aspect of the spiritual battle we face...It's true that temptation doesn't always arrive with a neon sign screaming "SIN!" Often, it disguises itself as something appealing, beneficial, or even seemingly harmless...Eve's initial encounter with the fruit illustrates this perfectly: it looked good, desirable for wisdom, and offered a promise of enhancement...At that moment, with her limited knowledge of the full consequences of disobedience – because it ended up being a "HUGE, HUGE mistake", as man fell from God's Grace, a fall that ushered in sin, suffering, and death for all of humanity...The allure of the fruit overshadowed the potential for the great harm it caused man...
When Jesus directly challenged the Pharisees' concerning the external purity (washing hands) by stating that true defilement comes from within the heart is what we learn...He lists specific evil thoughts and actions that originate in the heart and defile a person...This mirrors the underlying issue in Eve's sin...While the external act was eating the forbidden fruit, the motivation and the root of her disobedience lay in her internal desires and thoughts..."She saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes." (Genesis 3:6)...The desire for the immediate gratification of eating the fruit..."And that the tree was to be desired to make one wise" – a desire for elevated status and knowledge apart from God's provision...Jesus highlights how evil thoughts come from the heart...Similarly, the serpent's temptation worked by planting deceptive thoughts and desires in Eve's heart...He made the forbidden fruit seem appealing and beneficial, twisting God's good command...Eve's internal desire for what the serpent offered ultimately led to her outward act of disobedience...The Pharisees were concerned with outward adherence to tradition, while their hearts were far from God (as Jesus quotes Isaiah)...In the Garden, the outward act of not eating the fruit was the command, but Eve's internal state – her wavering trust in God, her desire for what was forbidden – was the real battleground. Just as Jesus emphasized the heart over ritual washing, the core of Eve's sin was her heart turning away from God's Word and towards a deceptive promise...Jesus' teaching in Matthew 15 pinpoints the heart as the origin of various sins...While Eve's sin was the first major act of disobedience, it stemmed from desires and thoughts that took root in her mind...The serpent's words acted as a catalyst, but the receptiveness in Eve's heart – her desire for something God had withheld – was the fertile ground where sin could grow...
In essence: Jesus' lesson on defilement in Matthew 15 reveals the timeless truth that sin is not merely about outward actions but originates in the inner desires and thoughts of the heart...Eve's temptation perfectly illustrates this principle...Her outward act of eating the fruit was a consequence of the inward desires that were stirred by the serpent's deception and his temptation of the beauty of the fruit...Therefore, understanding the heart's role in defilement, as taught by Jesus, provides a crucial lens through which to understand the root and nature of Eve's sin...
There is an idea that "we are not always sure that it is a temptation" resonates deeply with the human experience...Temptation can be insidious, playing on our vulnerabilities and desires in ways that blur the lines between what seems right and what God has commanded...It can whisper justifications, minimize potential harm, and inflate perceived benefits...Jesus' words in Matthew 15:19, "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander," are foundational to understanding this process...He reveals that sin originates not just in outward actions but in the inner landscape of our hearts – our thoughts, intentions, ideas, and desires...This suggests that the battle against sin is often waged internally long before it manifests in our behavior...
Jesus says in Matthew 5:28, "But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."...Consider the example of "looking and lusting.", which extends the commandment against adultery from outward actions to inward desires and thoughts...The initial glance might not be consciously intended as a sin...It could be a fleeting observation...However, if that glance is indulged and kept alive and going, and the mind begins to dwell on impure thoughts and desires, then a process is set in motion within the heart...The temptation to lust, which Jesus identifies as adultery in the heart (Matthew 5:28), takes root and grows from these unchecked inner stirrings...At this stage, the "not knowing at first of the sin" gives way to a conscious engagement with desires that contradict God's Will...
Some temptations then are unknown, while others become known...We might encounter a situation or a thought that doesn't immediately register as a temptation...Perhaps it's a seemingly harmless shortcut, a flattering comment that subtly inflates our ego, or a desire for something that isn't inherently wrong but could become so if pursued at the expense of our relationship with God or others...
It's in the process of considering, dwelling on, and entertaining these initial thoughts and desires that the temptation often reveals its true nature...As we engage with them, we might begin to feel a pull away from God's principles, a stirring of selfish ambition, or a justification for actions we instinctively know are wrong...This is where discernment, guided by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God, becomes crucial...The conscience, though fallible and needing to be informed by Scripture, can also play a role in alerting us to potential temptation...A sense of unease, a nagging feeling that something just isn't quite right, can be the Spirit's gentle warning...
Our battle against temptation, therefore, involves awareness...We can cultivate sensitivity to the subtle ways temptation can enter our thoughts and desires...This requires self-examination and a willingness to be honest about our inner life...Then learning to distinguish between healthy desires and those that could lead us astray is important...Scripture provides the ultimate standard for this discernment...Actively choosing to reject tempting thoughts and desires before they take root and lead to sinful actions...This might involve prayer, redirecting our thoughts, and avoiding situations that are likely to trigger temptation...Having humility is very helpful...When we recognize our own vulnerability to temptation and relying on God's strength and grace for victory it helps very much..."No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man...God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it" (1 Corinthians 10:13)...
In Romans 7, Paul echoes the struggle with sin we see in Eve's temptation...The law, though holy, reveals sin's nature, igniting coveting within him...Apart from the law, sin seemed dormant, but the commandment gave it life, leading to death...Paul finds himself doing what he hates, a slave to the sin dwelling in him, despite his desire to be good and to help and serve others...He experiences an internal war, his mind delighting in God's law while his sinful nature is captive to sin...This "wretched" state finds its only rescue in Jesus Christ, highlighting the power of sin and the necessity of Divine Deliverance...
Ultimately, as we navigate the often-subtle pathways of temptation, Jesus' Words to His disciples offer a crucial perspective...When questioned about outward traditions, He redirected their focus inward, declaring, "But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them...For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander...These are what defile a person..." (Matthew 15:18-20)...This reminds us that the true battle against sin is waged within the depths of our hearts, the wellspring of our thoughts, intentions, ideas, and desires...Vigilance, discernment, and a reliance on God's Grace are essential in guarding this inner sanctuary, striving to keep it pure so that our lives reflect His Will and resist the deceptive allure of temptation that led to the Fall of humanity...