How Can You Know Your Heart Condition? Matthew 15:10-20

10 Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 

Jesus not only addressed the Pharisees, but also wanted the crowds to understand what he was saying.

"It is evident that, in our Lord’s judgment, the whole multitude was capable of understanding those things which the Pharisees did not understand, and by which their traditions and those of the elders were overthrown." (Benson) 

11 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

Jesus' principle is clear here and it is all about direction.  Eating unclean food is not what defiles someone as it comes in from the outside, but what defiles them is what comes out of them which comes from the inside.  

"Defile means to pollute, corrupt, or render as sinful." (Barnes)

12 Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

"This is a humorous scene. The disciples came to Jesus, saying something like this: “Jesus – did you know that you offended those guys?” Of course Jesus knew that He offended them! He intended to offend them and the way they valued man’s tradition too highly."(Guzik)

Jesus never intentionally offended anyone but when he spoke the truth those who were guilty of it chose to be offended. 

13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 

"Meaning that whatever doctrine is not delivered by God, or whatever ordinance is not instituted by him; whatever is not of heaven, but of man, of man's devising, and of human imposition, as the traditions of the elders, must be opposed and rejected; and sooner or later will be utterly rooted up, and destroyed; as will all the false notions, corrupt worship, and errors, and heresies of men, in God's own time." (Gill)

"Yet this principle should make us examine ourselves to see if we imitate the Pharisees in making traditions commandments. “Here, then, we find the test of all human teaching however well-intentioned. If it be not based upon and rooted in the Word of God, or if it depart in any degree from the true intention of that Word, it is without pity to be rooted up. By this test we need ever to try our traditions, customs, habits, rules, regulations.” (Morgan)

Though some people will seem to be religious on the outside, like the Pharisees, one day each person's heart will be revealed.  Those who works flowed from a right relationship with God through Christ will remain.  Those works done in the flesh to impress others and in vainglory will not last.  

14 Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

Rather than trying to correct or change them, Jesus told the disciples to let the Pharisees continue to go in the way they had chosen.  

"In these words of Jesus, we see the guilt of those who are blind leaders of the blind. We also see the responsibility of followers to make sure their leaders are not blind." (Guzik)

This is why it is so important for each believer to be a student of God's Word.  If you are not blind, a blind man can't lead you into a pit.  Though your pastors and teachers are accountable and responsible to God, they are also responsible to you to teach sound, biblical doctrine.  If they don't, you should find a new church. 

15 Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”

Peter does not understand Jesus so he asks for an explanation.  

16 “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. 

The New Living Translation goes a little easier on the disciples, depicting a Christ eager to teach and somewhat impatient in dealing with the disciples when it translates this verse, “Don’t you understand yet?” 

While Jesus may just be expressing his disappoint here, it does show that he expects us to look deeper into the meaning of his teaching.  We need to wrestle with God's word not just expect people to "spoon feed" us like little babies. 

17 “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body?

Since they are having a hard time understanding Jesus starts by literally explaining what happens when someone eats something.  One ingests the food, digests it, and then literally it comes out of the body and goes into the sewer. 

"Doubtless Jesus said this, otherwise no one would have put it into His mouth.” (Bruce)

18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them.

On the contrary the words we speak come from within, what Jesus calls here the heart.  

"Jesus boldly said that these evil things come from our innermost nature. They aren’t accidents or mere “mistakes”; they reveal how corrupt we are in our fallen nature. “The heart is the source of man’s true character, and therefore of his purity or impurity…it is not merely the seat of emotion, but the true person as he really is, not just as he appears outwardly.” (France)

19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. 

All of our sinful actions start with sinful thoughts.  While sometimes we cannot control our thoughts, we can control what we do with them.  For instance, we might see an attractive person of the other sex and think they are attractive, but what we do after that first thought will determine how it affects our heart condition.  You may look at someone's Tesla and admire it as a nice car, but if you want steal it or are jealous of the one who owns it, this reveals your heart condition.  You may have a negative thought about another person or their behavior, but that doesn't mean you have to slander them or gossip about them.  

"Evil thoughts" These are the first things - these are the fountains of all others. Thought precedes action. Thought, or purpose, or motive, gives its character to conduct. All evil thoughts are here intended. Though we labor to suppress them, yet they defile us. They leave pollution behind them. (Barnes)

20 These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

Jesus concludes with the presenting problem raised by the Pharisees of the disciples eating with unwashed hands.  Hopefully by teaching them the meaning of the parable, they now understand why He rebuked the Pharisees.  By challenging their tradition which was not based on God's Word they were offended and this revealed the corruption of their hearts. 

What is the most important point you take away from Jesus' teaching in chapter 15?  Does this mean it doesn't matter what we put into our bodies?  How can the examples Jesus used in verse 19 re: evil thoughts help you to know what condition your heart is in?  As you read and digest God's word into your system, how do you think that affects your heart condition?  How does knowing the truth help you to fight off the evil thoughts we all have so they don't corrupt or pollute your heart?  Are you prone to be like the Pharisees, who judge others by what they see on the outside as opposed to what is really going on in someone's heart?