This chapter continues Jesus’ ministry and His outreach including accounts of feeding another large crowd (4000+), healing unnumbered people, and rebuking Pharisees.
” ‘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.’ … 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…’ ” (v10-11,17-20 abr)
When questioned on a ritual of physical cleanliness, Jesus teaches on a critical point – external, amoral practices (eg. eating with dirty hands) do not make someone’s heart unclean; it’s the underlying sin within our human nature (flesh) that makes us unclean if we act / speak in accordance with that sinful tendency.
James (Jesus’ brother) speaks to this as well, how our sinful nature can get out of control: “but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.” (Jas 1:8-9)
The burning question is, how do we ‘tame’ the sinful nature / tongue, and filter our behavior / speech, so we do not defile ourselves? Jesus and James have some thoughts on that: ” ‘Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, “Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” ‘ ” (Jn 7:38) “Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls.” (Jas 1:21)
By following Jesus’ teachings and dwelling upon God’s word we increase our propensity for behavior and speech that honor and glorify God. The more time we spend dwelling in the Light, the more righteousness will become our first nature. The more we think about sin, dwelling on what is evil (living in darkness), the more it subconsciously affects us. Whatever occupies the majority of our thought life is what becomes dominant in our lives. I suggest we pay conscious attention to where our thoughts dwell – in the Light, or the darkness.
Father God, our Glorious Lord and Sovereign King we thank you for sending Your radiant Light upon this world. May we dwell in the Light / Son of God consistently, ruminating in His ways and orienting our thoughts upward. May our words and actions continue to be shaped by Your Spirit in our lives, and may those around us see the Light shining through. For Your honor, praise and glory, forever and ever, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training