Defiled Hearts of Tradition

Matthew 15:1-20

1 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2 "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."

3 He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' 5 But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God"— 6 then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

8 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honor Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
9 And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"

10 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand: 11 Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."

12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"

13 But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."

15 Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain this parable to us."

16 So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

Defiled hearts and minds demonstrate that outward rules kept to look good to others or measure oneself against a religious checklist cannot please God.  What comes out of our mouths and actions reflect the true fallen nature in need of cleansing and forgiveness through confession and repentance by sincere faith.  Jesus addressed this to the Pharisees who took issue with His disciples failing to for through the ritual hand cleansing before sitting down to eat. Now the original intent of God for cleanliness according to scripture was for their health as well as to teach His people to discern the clean from the unclean which was to learn to discern right and wrong, not to establish checklists for righteousness through serving the rituals.  When the religious authorities derided Jesus like this He turned the truth back on them as He pointed out how they justified unrighteousness by their works meant to earn and display it.  Jesus exposed a particular way they explained away their responsibility to parents by claiming that what they promised to God’s temple overrode the command of God to care for them.  He called them two-faced liars in essence, for that is what a hypocrite is, an actor of pretense with sound and fury but meaning nothing as masks for show hid the true feelings and intentions behind them.  He reminded them of His word given through Isaiah 29:13 of those who offer mock worship by substituting their own teachings as command of God while leaving His commands abrogated by their own dishonoring substitutes.  By teaching these directives of themselves and overriding God’s word, they had only empty worship as a play for show instead of a life honoring and pleasing to the Lord.  He then left the Pharisees and explained to the hearers of His word how what comes out of the heart in words and actions is what is important, not what selected foods and rituals are quite ineffective at doing as their leaders had been instructing them.  Then the disciples pointed out that the Pharisees were offended by what Jesus had said and He reminded them that the blind will lead themselves to destruction and they were to listen to His word instead.  If God does not put a leader of God’s people in place,that one is doomed to failure and judgment.  He explained the parable plainly to clear up any confusion by the picture of food that is eaten ends up passing out of the body and is done away with, while what comes out of the mouth such as evil thinking, adultery, hatred and murder, sexual immorality, stealing, lying, and other blasphemes in words are the defiling moments of a sinful heart.  Contrarily, eating without ceremonial hand washing does not defile a person’s heart or mind.  Rituals do not please God but righteous hearts set on sincerely following God’s word form His righteousness in our conformity to Christ, which is our sanctification by God’s work of transforming grace in us.  May we therefore be alert to avoid making our own rules as necessary substitutes for biblical commands, principles, and practices.  Let us not add superfluous requirements to God’s people to mislead them from true worship and service as living sacrifices (Romans 12:1-2) as God pleasers and not man pleasers (1 Thessalonians 2:4) according to our own unnecessary traditions as equal to or overriding God’s instructions in the scriptures.  May we be wary of defiled hearts of tradition to avoid missing true worship of God according to His word as our authority.