1 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” 6 he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:
8 “‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
9 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
10 And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” 12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” 13 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. 14 Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Some of the Scribes and Pharisees had travelled from Jerusalem to follow and accuse Jesus. They questioned why His disciples didn’t follow the tradition the elders had of washing their hands before they ate. This was not a hygiene issue as it might be today but rather a ritual intended to remove any defilement they might have inadvertently brought about (such as brushing against a Gentile in the market). This was not required by the law of Moses but was a tradition that had been elevated to the same level as God’s law.
Jesus levels three charges against them to show that their traditions were unbiblical.
Their tradition was used to violate God’s command that they honour their father and mother. They had come up with a system to avoid supporting their parents in need. They would dedicate their money as a gift to God in temple use. But this was just a ruse to allow them to continue to use their money to make more money for themselves.
They were hypocrites because they honoured God outwardly but their hearts were far from Him (Isa 29:13).
Their worship was in vain because they did not worship in truth but based on “the commandments of men.”
Jesus then tells the people that “it is not what goes into one’s mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth.”
The disciples came to him concerned that He had offended the Pharisees. They made the same mistake many Christians do today in being more concerned about the offence of those in Christian “authority” than they are about the truth. Jesus says to leave them alone. These leaders were failing to lead people in truth and even worse, were leading them astray, like blind guides leading the blind.
Jesus explained that what goes into the mouth does nothing to defile a person but simply passes through the digestive system and comes out the other end. But what comes out of the mouth is based on what has taken root in the heart and that shows if a person is defiled. From the heart come all manner of evil thoughts of murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, and slander. These things are what defile a person (and they are evidenced by what comes out of our mouths).
Are you more concerned with tradition than the truth? Perhaps you’re anti-tradition, but then are you more concerned with being anti-tradition than the truth?
Are you more concerned about what others think, like if you’ve offended them, than the truth?
And what do the things coming out of your mouth reveal about your heart?