The source of defilement

And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the 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 unwashen hands defileth not a man. – Matthew 15.16-20

The things that come out of our mouths, or from our pens, or from our keyboards today, Jesus says, and the things that really defile a man. The things that come into our lives from the outside can pass out and go away with the waste.

But the stuff that comes out of us is truly defiled because it comes a defiled source, our hearts. The heart produces all things of evil things. Look at the list - evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:’

It is not a question of whether or not the disciples washed their hands or how we observe some kind of rituals. What matters is our hearts.

The problem for us is that whatever is in our hearts eventually comes out in our words. That’s why James writes that no man can tame the tongue. If our words are wrong we need to fix our hearts.

That’s a really challenging concept. It gives me a lot to consider when words ‘slip’ out of my mouth or on to my screen because there is a lot more to it than just what I say.

‘Guard your hearts.’ The scriptures tell us, ‘for out of it are the issues of life.’