Hear and understand: Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles 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 

 

Yesterday we read that, immediately after feeding 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."   My study Bible explains that the tradition of the elders is a reference to a body of interpretations of the Law by Jewish teachers.  

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."  Here Jesus cites one of the interpretations of the Law from the tradition of the elders, expressing a contradiction between the commandment of God and the tradition from oral interpretation.  He cites the fifth commandment in the Law (Exodus 20:12), which is contradicted in the practice of making a religious donation to the temple which would be realized after one's lifetime, but which meant one could use one's wealth for oneself, but not for others such as parents.  My study Bible comments that Christ shows here that the commandment of God cannot be superseded by human religious traditions.  It says that devotion to God includes both obedience to God's commandments and also service to others; in fact, these two cannot be separated (see also James 2:14-18; 1 John 4:7-21).  

"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.'"   Jesus quotes from Isaiah 29:13.

 

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."  Here my study Bible says that Christ refutes the view of the Pharisees and scribes that ritual purity depends upon outward actions such as ceremonial washing ("Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?  For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread").   Rather, my study Bible points out, Jesus expresses that it is the state of the heart that determines a person's purity.  

 

 Jesus says, in His memorable way, "Hear and understand:  Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."  As with so many of Christ's maxims, this is a simple but very effective and important saying to remember, which centers us immediately within an orientation toward what is pleasing to God.  If we are ever in doubt about where we are in the middle of some difficult circumstance or decision, a crisis involving others, this saying roots us right to the place where we're taught that we must take heed to our own condition, taking care of our own responsibility toward God.  First and foremost, we begin with the interior state of who we are and what we do by paying careful attention to our own actions, including our words.  This saying focuses right in on the acknowledgement that we can't "fix" or control what others do; but we can only take charge of ourselves.  And what Jesus makes clear is that we cannot really separate our inner self from the outward actions we do.  Sooner or later, whatever "cleanup" (such as ritual washing) we having done on the inside will take its effect on what we produce on the outside.  This is consistently reflected in many teachings of Jesus, such as in the Sermon on the Mount with its focus on the heart and our own predilections toward sinful behavior which we must deal with decisively (see, for example, Matthew 5:28-29).  We recall also Christ repeated teachings illustrating the same principle, in which He uses a tree and its condition determining what fruit it will bear:  "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit" (see Matthew 7:17-19; 12:33).  There are lots of ways we can focus on an outward appearance.  Let us first begin with ourselves and the inner life -- the sense that what comes out of our mouths is more important than what goes in.  For this is the discipline and awareness Christ asks of us in today's reading.  

What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride foolishness

 

 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together with Him, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of the disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

'This people honors Me with their lips,

But their heart is far from Me.

And in vain they worship Me,

Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'

"For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- ' (that is, a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."  

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand:  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"  When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."

 

- Mark 7:1–23 

 

Yesterday we read that when evening came, the boat was in the middle of the sea; and He was alone on the land.  Then He saw them straining at rowing, for the wind was against them.  Now about the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea, and would have passed them by.  And when they saw Him walking on the sea, they supposed it was a ghost, and cried out; for they all saw Him and were troubled.  But immediately He talked with them and said to them, "Be of good cheer!  It is I; do not be afraid."  Then He went up into the boat to them, and the wind ceased.  And they were greatly amazed in themselves beyond measure, and marveled.  For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.  When they had crossed over, they came to the land of Gennesaret and anchored there.  And when they came out of the boat, immediately the people recognized Him, ran through that whole surrounding region, and began to carry about on beds those who were sick to wherever they heard He was.  Wherever He entered, into villages, cities, or the country, they laid the sick in marketplaces, and begged Him that they might just touch the hem of His garment.  And as many as touched Him were made well.

 

Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together with Him, having come from Jerusalem.  Now when they saw some of the disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.  For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.  When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.  And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.  Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"  He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:  'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.  And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'  For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -- the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."  He said to them, "All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.  For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'  But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban" -- ' (that is, a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down.  And many such things you do."  My study bible comments here that the issue Jesus is presenting isn't simply the observation of Jewish customs or traditions (which Jesus most certainly does not prohibit -- see Matthew 5:17-19, 23:23).  The real issue Jesus brings up is the setting of human tradition which is contrary to the tradition of God.  The tradition of the elders is a body of interpretations of the Law.  For the Pharisees and the scribes this body of interpretations was as authoritative as the Law.  Frequently its enforcement superseded what was in the Law.  In accordance with this tradition, one could make offerings (called Corban) which were promised to God in a way that property or earnings could still be used for oneself.  However, they couldn't be used for anyone else, including one's parents.  My study bible calls these secondary traditions, which obscure the primary tradition of the Law -- that which is contained in God's commandments.  Jesus quotes from Isaiah 29:13, regarding the lack of spiritual hearing in a people that do not want to understand God's word even as they worship, but impose instead traditions of their own.  He takes His quotations of the Law from Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16, Exodus 21:17.

When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and understand:  There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"   Again Jesus echoes the prophecy of Isaiah regarding those who are incapable of discerning spiritual truth in the words of the Lord (see Isaiah 6:8-10).  These words often accompany His parables as well.

When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable.  So He said to them, "Are you thus without understanding also?  Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"  And He said, "What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."   My study bible explains that food cannot defile a person because it is created by God and is therefore pure.  Evil things such as Jesus names are not from God.  Those are the things that defile human beings.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches, "For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you" (Matthew 7:2).  So much of what Jesus teaches seems to come down to the question of judgment:  of what our judgment is, of how we hear and view and perceive others, and especially what kind of judgment we use to discern truth and the things that are of God.  What is discernment?  What is compassion?  What is it to practice mercy or to use good judgment?  Do we judge by appearances?  In today's reading, Jesus makes it very clear that if we are going to base our judgment on the truth of who we are and what our condition is, then we must use judgment that goes beyond appearance, and into the substance of what it is that makes up a human being.  He goes right to the heart of the matter when He tells the multitude, in much the same way that He explains the parables to the disciples (see this reading), that "from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man."   I wonder how many people in today's world are capable of taking these things to heart?  That is, of looking at themselves and understanding what evil is, rather than judging through appearances.  People are condemned for saying the wrong word in the wrong context, when their own understanding of what they say and their own intent is something quite different from the way it was heard by another.  When we begin to pick at what are essentially behavioral formalities and rules, and cease to judge or perceive with the heart, then we are on the track of bad judgment, of judging others in ways we ourselves hope never to be judged.  Most certainly, a blindness to one's own faults will follow.  The self-righteousness of the Pharisees (such as in today's reading, and on display in this one) seems to be mirrored today in a modern context by those who would condemn for use of a certain phrase, or whatever we might be able, in a stretch, to impute that phrase to mean.  It is a problem of the judgment by appearance, and not judgment through good judgment.  I heard a talk recently given by Professor Jordan Peterson on the importance of understanding and conceiving what evil is in the world.   Please note I'm not familiar enough with Peterson's work to endorse or to criticize; I refer simply to one segment I heard of a lecture he gave on the subject.  But I do find this advice to be significant in terms of Christ's naming of the evils that come out of a person, and which are the things about which we must know to be on guard, and especially about ourselves and our own behavior.  The fact that Jesus says that they come from within us is enough to direct us to examination and awareness of our own fallibility, and to place responsibility for such squarely upon ourselves.  Jesus does this on a number of occasions, and perhaps most clearly in the immediate words He uses following His statement on practicing judgment (in Matthew 7):  "And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye" (Matthew 7:3-5).  All too often, the judgment of others without understanding, without the perceptions of the heart, without practicing one's own self-regard to find that plank in our own eye, and on the basis of some form of appearance alone, become excuses not only to disregard the sad and sorry state of one's own condition, but an excuse for one's own deafness and blindness.  By deafness and blindness, I mean the failure to hear and discern the things of God (as in Isaiah 6), and the substitution of "doctrines which are the commandments of men" (Isaiah 29:13).  There is a substitution, among far too many seemingly well-meaning people, for the root and heart of Christ's teachings on our own practice of good judgment or the lack of it, by the willingness to impute meanings to others which most obviously may not even be there, in order to condemn.  If we are to go by the endless examples in history of those times when this became common, we might truly say that this practice is indulged in merely to exonerate us from doing the work Christ has taught us to do, and that is the work of dealing with those own evils within ourselves, and the plank that is in our own eye, before we can practice good judgment in criticism of others.  The Christ of the Gospels is the One who calls us to self-awareness, to a keen, calm, and even-keeled acceptance of our own fallibility and our capacity for such.  Our faith does not call us to a childish naivete, but to an adult understanding of our own potential flaws, and coming to terms with them at the Cross of Christ, and in His gaze upon us.  Let us remember it is our own Messiah and Savior who was judged with false judgment, an Innocent sentenced to die the torturous ignoble death sentence of the worst criminals of the Roman Empire.  He stands as a warning to all of us, that "with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."  A deep awareness of the flaws within and our own capacity for evil is the only way we know to avoid the judgment that Christ promises as a return for our own false judgment.  Ultimately, Christ's teachings are about making us into mature human beings, giving us the fullness of self-understanding as well as the teachings of God which are given to us to help us to grow into the fullness of what it really means to be "god-like"; that is, made in the image and likeness of God.  In an age where our own flaws and negatives are the last thing we want to see, we need to be especially careful of our humility before God, and our understanding of the blessedness of these teachings.  Now is the time to accept them as correction for where the world fails to teach us well.

Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you

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 after feeding 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 refers to the interpretations of the Law by Jewish teachers.   In today's passage, Jesus refutes their views about ritual purity and its dependence upon outward actions.  He will emphasis the state of the heart (further down, in verse 8) instead.  Here Jesus shows that the commandment of God can't be superseded by religious traditions of man.  He cites the practice of dedicating one's wealth to be given posthumously to the temple while one is still living, and then using that dedication as excuse for refusing to help elderly parents in need.  The devotion to God, my study bible tells us, includes both obedience to God's commandments and also service to others.  These two things cannot be separated (see also James 2:14-18; 1 John 4:7-21).  Jesus uses Scripture to condemn the hypocrisy of such practices, quoting from Isaiah 29:13.

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."  We recall that the passage began with the Pharisees' criticism of Jesus disciples, that they do not follow ritual washing practices.  Here, Jesus emphasizes the heart as the center of the person, and it is there that purity must be practiced in obedience and dedication to God.  He condemns the leadership, with their emphasis on outward practice -- which He says will only cause their followers also to stumble.

What constitutes hypocrisy?  Hypocrisy is a form of impurity.  That is, in the typical language of the Scriptures, to be of mixed motivation.  Hypocrisy comes from the word hypocrite, which in ancient times, meant "actor."   The word literally means "beneath the mask," as actors in the ancient Greek plays all wore masks to delineate the character they were playing.  Thus, a seemingly pious action can mask internal motives contrary to the good.  Jesus gives the example of the practice of dedicating wealth to the temple one may continue to use during one's lifetime, and the refusal to help dependent elderly parents, going against a commandment of God.  The example here is not about commandments per se -- it's about the traditions built up around the Law, that have the effect of circumventing the purposes of the Law.  Jesus, on the other hand, emphasizes the state of the heart, the internal reality of a person.  In Scriptural language, the heart is the center of being.  It includes the soul and all things that make up who we are as persons: intelligence, emotions, consciousness altogether, what makes us eat, breathe, and sleep, and defines our entire outlook on life.  Jesus cites examples of what also comes from the heart and may be nurtured there:  "evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies."  One may conform outwardly to traditions that seem good, and yet continue to harbor and cultivate these things in the heart.  It is the state of the heart, Jesus tells us, that truly determines the good or ill that we do.   As a result, Christian monastic tradition has always emphasized the need for the internal work of asceticism, the awareness of ourselves and the state of the heart.  It's also important to guard the heart against these things.  The state of the soul depends upon what we feed it.   Ascetic practice, therefore, has as its purpose the cultivation of purity of heart -- for this is what truly leads to righteousness, a relationship to all of Creation which is "God-like."  If God is love, then our devotion to God is in order to cultivate in us a likeness to the virtue of our Creator.  Our faith is actually quite a psychological faith, one that from the beginning emphasizes an awareness of our own internal condition.  Modern science teaches us that the condition of the brain quite literally depends upon social interaction.  But in the psychological model that comes from our faith, what we might call "neuroplasticity" (to borrow a modern word from science) applies to the heart and soul, and is dependent upon relationships not only with all of creation around us, but also with Creator.  We have (in the traditional ascetic and theological language of the Church) a "synergy" with Creator.  Who we are categorically depends not only upon our own choices and actions, but also most deeply on a cooperative relationship with grace at work in us.  That "the kingdom of heaven is within you" is a statement about the internal work of cooperation implied here.  Selfishness is the act of refusal of this grace, thus affecting all ways one relates to creation and to self.  In effect, hypocrisy becomes a way of life when only outward effect is considered, and not the state of the heart.  We live in a world that exceptionally values image and appearance, particularly in a media-saturated life.  We might live in a period where actions that become signifiers of moral character and identity -- a modern version of the "commandments of men" -- are as intensively emphasized as ever, and perhaps more so.  It is simple to convey one is on the "right side" with a touch of a donation button in social media, or one's expressed moral indignation at those who don't conform to a preferred image, regardless of the scale or issue involved.   The language used in social media is more scathing that than of the Pharisees when it comes to condemnation of others.  Judgment of others has become frequent and extreme.  With revelations of abusive personal and private behavior coming by the minute among those who are very careful to cultivate public image, our technology only heightens the capacity for hypocrisy.  Thus, Jesus' words about the heart become even more important, and perhaps more urgent as care for a modern world.   His love and faith -- a devotion to the praise of God rather than the praise of men as our highest moral calling -- remain the model and antidote for what ails us.