For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man

 

 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?  For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."  He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?  For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death;'  But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" -- 'then he need not honor his father or mother.'  Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.  Hypocrites!  Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

'These people draw near to Me with their mouth,

And honor Me with their lips,

But their heart is far from Me.

And in vain they worship Me, 

Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."

When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand:  Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."  Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"  But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.  Let them alone.  They are blind leaders of the blind.  And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."  Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain this parable to us."  So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding?  Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.  These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

 

- Matthew 15:1–20 

 

On Saturday, we read that immediately following the feeding of the five thousand in the wilderness, Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away.  And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray.  Now when evening came, He was alone there.  But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary.  Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea.  And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, "It is a ghost!"  And they cried out for fear.  But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  And Peter answered Him and said, "Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water."  So He said, "Come."  And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus.  But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, "Lord, save me!"  And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, "O you of little faith, why did you doubt?"  And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased.  Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, "Truly You are the Son of God."  When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret.  And when the men of that place recognized Him, they sent out into all that surrounding region, brought to Him all who were sick, and begged Him that they might only touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.

 

 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?  For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."  He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?  For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death;'  But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God" -- 'then he need not honor his father or mother.'  Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.  Hypocrites!  Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:  'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."   The tradition of the elders is a reference to the interpretations of the Law by Jewish teachers.  My study Bible comments that Christ shows the commandment of God cannot be superseded by man's religious traditions.  Devotion to God includes both obedience to His commandments and service to others -- these two cannot be separated (see also James 2:14-18; 1 John 4:7-21).   Jesus quotes from Isaiah 29:13.   The example Jesus gives was a way in which one could declare worldly goods the product of the temple, destined for donation upon one's death.  But in His scenario, this was used as an excuse not to share with dependent parents during one's lifetime.

When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand:  Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."  Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"  But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.  Let them alone.  They are blind leaders of the blind.  And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."  Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain this parable to us."  So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding?  Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.  These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."  Jesus refutes the viewpoint of the scribes and Pharisees that ritual purity depends on outward actions (in the specific cases discussed, the following of the tradition of the elders regarding ritual washing before eating).  Rather it is the state of the heart that determines a person's purity.  

In the reading for Friday last week, we read about the feeding of the five thousand, and in our commentary remarked on the choice we have for what we consume, what we take in, what we dwell upon.  Ironically, in today's reading which concerns the specific violation of tradition regarding washing before eating, Jesus contrasts the things we eat with the state of the heart; that is, He contrasts whatever enters the mouth with the things that proceed out of the mouth which come from the heart.  But in this case as well, we are prompted to remark upon the case in today's reading, that the things which proceed out of the heart actually seem to be things over which we have some degree of control, more so even than that which enters the mouth.  We don't always know that every morsel of food we take in agrees with us, or doesn't have some germ or microbe or virus that might disturb us (moreover, our digestive system is capable of change, developing digestive problems, allergies, etc.).  These things that define purity according to the tradition are outward in their emphasis.  But that which comes out of the heart is something over which we actually have a greater degree of control.  Once again, there are choices to make over that which we will nurture in ourselves.  Christ asks us repeatedly to consider -- as do the traditions of the Church -- how we will respond to our passions, desires, emotions.  Are we simply led by them, or do we discern our own behavior in responding to them first?  The fasting traditions of the Church are not meant to declare foods pure or impure.  Rather, the whole point is to learn discipline:  that we have the power to choose what we will do regardless of impulse or emotion or passion or temptation.  Whether that temptation is to eat something we've decided we'll fast from for a period of time, or to indulge in our extreme rage or envy or contempt or covetousness, the point is the same.  Christ's discipline asks us to choose how we will express ourselves, what we nurture in the heart, the things we cherish and treasure, and the things we will decide that we would be better off without.  There seem to be many people who simply wish to declare that they are incapable of change; they are either too set in their ways, or "too old," or perhaps they feel they are simply "hard-wired" for certain behaviors.  But neither Christ's teachings, nor the tradition of the Church, seem to indicate this at all.  The whole point of Christ's teaching here is to get us to take note of our own behaviors and the things which we collect, nurture, develop, and treasure in the heart -- for it is some of these things, such as "evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies" which defile us.  And they are therefore, things which we're expected to do something about, to notice, to try to change, and to supplant with good treasure instead (see Matthew 12:34-35).  Christ asks us for discipline over the things we have the capacity to change; indeed, the Greek word for repentance literally means "change of mind."  Depending on our circumstances we might not always have control or a choice over precisely what we eat, or even how our body responds.  But when it comes to thinking about developing an awareness and discipline about the things we entertain, and the ways we will choose to act in the world -- even, as Jesus points out, the things that "proceed out of the mouth from the heart" -- these things we can begin to develop and exercise choice about.  We can make an effort to be aware of what we do and our habitual patterns of thinking and response.  Let us consider Jesus' focus and His teaching, and take it seriously when He speaks about what defiles a person.  For that is truly where a capacity for choice and control must be given to discipleship.