Out of the Mouths of ...

In one exchange with the Pharisees Jesus did battle with a particular error that we still see today. They were upset that His disciples didn't wash their hands before they ate. Horror of horrors! Okay, no, it wasn't today's version, where hygiene was the issue. It was a ceremonial cleansing, a traditional removal of defilement. Fine. But Jesus was having none of it. You see, their concern was "your disciples break the tradition of the elders" (Matt 15:2), but the Pharisees made a practice of breaking the commandment of God for tradition (Matt 15:3-9). (The height of hypocrisy.) The accusation of Christ (quoting Isaiah), then, was "'This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me; in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men'" (Matt 15:8-9). He went on to tell the people around, "It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person" (Matt 15:11).

The disciples didn't get it, so they asked for clarification. Here Jesus makes His famous "blind leading the blind" reference (referring to the Pharisees) (Matt 15:14). Peter wanted more clarification. Jesus gave him this:

Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person (Matt 15:17-20).

There it is. That's the particular error we still see today. We can be so concerned about what's "going in" or "going on" that we miss the fact that "what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person."

There is a perception today, even (or especially?) among Christians, that what we do is important. Jesus says that what we say and do are a product, not the important feature. We say and do what we are inside. What we say and do reflects what we are.

Are your actions evil? They reflect an evil heart. Are your words foul? They reflect an evil heart. Paul wrote, "Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear" (Eph 4:29). Later he wrote, "Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving" (Eph 5:4). How are your words, even in jest? James wrote, "If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body" (James 3:2) because he recognized that the tongue was dangerous (James 3:3-12). What proceeds from your mouth reflects what's in your heart.

I know. You think, "What's in the heart is worse than what's on the tongue." You think, "It's much worse to have an evil heart than to use curse words and foul language." You think, "That's just convention. What's in the heart is what's really evil." And you'd be wrong, at least according to Jesus. The language you use -- either filthy, unwholesome, foolish, crude, or thankful, gracious, and edifying -- displays for all to see what's in your heart. And, of course, the language you use in private displays what's deepest. Perhaps we all could use some work on our hearts.