Summoning the crowd, He told them, “Listen and understand: It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”     Matthew 15:10 LSB

Jesus is saying this in response to an accusation made by the Pharisees in Matthew 15:2. They accused Jesus’ disciples of breaking tradition by not washing their hands when they eat.

Jesus went on to explain that the Pharisees broke tradition by not taking care of their elderly parents and using the excuse that they had given too much money to the temple. They thought this excuse would get them out of taking care of their parents, but Jesus pointed out the commandment which says, “Honor your father and your mother.”

Jesus further explained this to the disciples by saying that what goes into the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated, but what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a man. Why? Because of the things that come from the heart. Jesus listed these things, evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies.

The term defile means to sully, mar or spoil. It can also mean to desecrate or profane something considered sacred.

In Revelation 1:14 John described Jesus as having eyes like a fiery flame. Jesus eyes pierce through to our hearts. He knows what’s in our hearts. Jesus sees what’s in your heart and mine.

He quotes Isaiah’s prophecy in Matthew 15:7-9 by calling them hypocrites and saying, “These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. They worship Me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commands of men.” Jesus saw through the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, just as He sees through to what’s in our hearts.

If you believe you are truly saved, are you talking like you are saved? Have you removed things from your heart that will defile you?

Colossians 3:8 tells us we must put away all the following: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and filthy language. Verse 9 tells us we must not lie to each other. And in Colossians 3:12-13 we are told, “Therefore, as God’s chosen ones, holy and loved, put on heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, accepting one another and forgiving one another, Just as the Lord has forgiven you, you must also forgive. We are then told to put on love and let the peace of the Messiah control our hearts.

In Matthew 12 Jesus had been accused of not keeping the Sabbath holy because He and his disciples had picked some grain and eaten it as they were walking in a field. They even went so far as to accuse Jesus of being aligned with Satan.

Jesus responded in verse 34 by saying, “Brood of vipers! How can you speak good things when you are evil? For the mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart. A good man produces good things from his storeroom of good, and an evil man produces evil things from his storeroom of evil. This is where Jesus tells them we will be judged for every word we speak (Matthew 12:36). He goes on to say, “For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Examine your heart and examine your mouth. Whatever is in your heart you may try to keep hidden but believe me it flows from your mouth. And even if we think we are really good at hiding how we truly feel, God sees through to our hearts. He knows what we believe and how we feel and what we think.  Don’t let your heart and your mouth defile you. God will be glad to help you clean it up, you need only ask.

Have a great day!