INSIDE MORE THAN OUTSIDE
Matthew 15:11, 15-20 NKJV
11 Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."
15 Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain this parable to us."
16 So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."
I doubled up last week on Matthew chapter eleven, which threw off the devotionals that coincide with the Bible 365 reading. I was trying to come up with a spiritual reason as to why that happened, but so far, I have been unsuccessful. So we'll just chalk this up to my mistake, and today, we are back on track.
Jesus was making a major correction to the Pharisees' erroneous teachings. These religious leaders, who were supposed to be the most righteous, were emphasizing the importance of outward things. They were caught up with washing hands and pots, and utensils. They were ultra concerned with foods, making sure that they did not eat anything unclean. There is certainly nothing wrong with the Old Testament laws of cleanliness. It protected the nation of Israel long before anyone ever heard of the words germs or quarantine. The problem was that that was all they were concerned about. To these Pharisees, the outside things were the most important when it came to living for God.
And Jesus said y'all have got it all wrong. Well, He didn't actually say y'all. But He did say the mentality of the Pharisees was incorrect and a problem. It's not the outside that matters; it's the inside things that matter most. A man is not going to be defiled, or made unclean, by what he eats or if his hands are washed. What does matter is what comes out of a person. Jesus said what comes out of the mouth is what is most important. And what comes out of the mouth can be the real problem.
When Peter asked for clarification, Jesus doubled down on the inside being more important than the outside. Whatever goes in the mouth goes into the digestive system and does not stay. Jesus then explains that what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and that is where the focus should be. Jesus lists the things that come from the heart, and it's not a pretty list. Evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, stealing, lying, and blasphemies - these are not the traditional seven deadly sins, but they're still seven sins that will cause big problems.
APPLICATION
Besides the seven sins Jesus listed, what we can't skip over is that Jesus said these sins come from the heart. This means that before these sins show up in someone's life, the process starts in the heart first. So it is inside before outside. These defiling things don't just jump on us; they start on the inside and begin to impact our feelings and emotions and thus drive our behaviors. The place to stop adultery or stealing is when it's inside. When your thoughts go in that direction, if you don't address and resist, then you set yourself up for trouble. A car salesman approached a couple on the lot to ask if he could help them. They replied, "No, we're just looking." The salesman wisely answered, "That's how it starts." Jesus knew then, and we know now, it's the inside more than the outside. Because what is on the inside will show up on the outside. Christianity is so much more than looking pretty at church; it's looking good on the inside first.
PRAYER
Lord, cleanse me of any inside sins that I have become attached to. I want what is in my heart and mind to be pleasing to You.