Genesis 43 & 44, Matthew 15: 10-39, Psalm 17: 6-12
Matthew 15: 10-11 (ESV)
“And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and
understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what
comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”
In verses 10 and 11 from Matthew 15, we see Jesus’ response
to the Pharisees who questioned him about why his disciples did not wash their
hands before they ate food. Jesus tells the people that eating with unclean
hands is not what defiles. Jesus says what defiles a person is what comes out
of their mouth. In this specific context where the Pharisees were asking about ceremonial
cleanliness with food, Jesus said ceremonial cleanliness does not matter if a
person has unclean heart. We have seen examples in our society about people who
profess to be religious and strong people of faith, only to find out later that
they were doing evil things and hiding behind the façade of their belief and
religion. I think these verses also show that God truly knows what is in our
hearts. We cannot hide from him. We might pretend to be good, and other people will
believe us but we cannot hide what is in our hearts from God. And with God’s
justice, the truth about our unclear hearts will eventually come out and we
will be judged by the world and by God.
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