Holy Living - Transforming the Polluted Heart
Notes
Transcript
10 Jesus called the crowd near and said to them, “Listen and understand.
11 It’s not what goes into the mouth that contaminates a person in God’s sight. It’s what comes out of the mouth that contaminates the person.”
12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended by what you just said?”
13 Jesus replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be pulled up.
14 Leave the Pharisees alone. They are blind people who are guides to blind people. But if a blind person leads another blind person, they will both fall into a ditch.”
15 Then Peter spoke up, “Explain this riddle to us.”
16 Jesus said, “Don’t you understand yet?
17 Don’t you know that everything that goes into the mouth enters the stomach and goes out into the sewer?
18 But what goes out of the mouth comes from the heart. And that’s what contaminates a person in God’s sight.
19 Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adultery, sexual sins, thefts, false testimonies, and insults.
20 These contaminate a person in God’s sight. But eating without washing hands doesn’t contaminate in God’s sight.”
Holy Living - Transforming the Polluted Heart
Holy Living - Transforming the Polluted Heart
Just for a moment, try to picture a gorgeously designed cake, but deep inside there is hidden a sour and bitter center. The outside may have a pleasant appearance, but as soon as you take a bite, the real character of what is contained inside is revealed. In much the same way, the Pharisees who lived at the time of Jesus were preoccupied with outward appearances, adhering to religious rites and customs with exacting precision, but ignoring the most important factor: the state of their hearts.
The earlier part of this chapter is about the rules that were passed down about external purity and ritual.
In today's passage, Jesus skillfully moves the focus away from basic rituals and onto the heart, which is where our goals, desires, and thoughts come from. He shows us that living a holy life isn't just about what we do or say in public. Instead, it comes from a heart that has been transformed by His divine truth.
As we realize the basic reality that impurity originates from within the heart rather than from outside causes, we begin to understand the transforming journey that Jesus encourages us to take. Just as a hidden spring affects the quality of the water it produces, our hearts influence the attitudes, intentions, and acts that flow from us.
As we delve more into this concept, we will discover how the state of our hearts affects our perceptions, reactions, and relationships. By investigating the heart's function as the wellspring of our thoughts and attitudes, we can better appreciate how Jesus' teaching pushes us to seek a genuine inner transformation that goes beyond surface-level religiosity. Let us now our focus to the first point from this passage, the heart as the source of life.
10 Jesus called the crowd near and said to them, “Listen and understand.
11 It’s not what goes into the mouth that contaminates a person in God’s sight. It’s what comes out of the mouth that contaminates the person.”
The heart as the source of life.
The heart as the source of life.
Jesus contradicts traditional thinking by claiming that contamination does not begin from what enters a person through external means, such as food or drink. Instead, He draws our attention to a vital truth: defilement comes from the heart. The heart is more than just a biological organ; it is the seat of our emotions, intentions, and basic identity. Proverbs 4:23 tells us to "guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it."
Consider the analogy of a spring or well. Just like spring water transmits the qualities of its source, the acts and attitudes that flow from our hearts reveal the essence of our innermost being. Jesus' message highlights the need of focusing on the source—the heart—rather than being consumed with outward appearances.
The Pharisees where concerned about what a person did to keep the rituals and rules. They said to Jesus in verse 2:
2 “Why are your disciples breaking the elders’ rules handed down to us? They don’t ritually purify their hands by washing before they eat.”
We all know that we should wash our hands before we eat. We might have dirt on them which could contaminate the food. We teach kids to wash their hands after they go to the bathroom. Jesus isn’t concerned about whether a person washes or doesn’t wash their hands. There in that verse is two words that I think Jesus was pointing to the Pharisees accused Jesus’ disciples of not “ritually purifying” their hands.
Jesus though says there in verse 10 Matthew 15:11 “11 It’s not what goes into the mouth that contaminates a person in God’s sight. It’s what comes out of the mouth that contaminates the person.””
In their society, the Pharisees were regarded as the supreme example of religious devotion. They diligently followed food requirements, cleaned their hands ritually, and followed a slew of other rules. Yet, underlying this façade of purity, there was a key flaw: the state of their hearts. In His infinite wisdom, Jesus realized that true holiness could not be evaluated merely by outward behaviors. He noticed the disparity between their external piety and the condition of their hearts, and He urges us to do the same in our lives.
As we delve deeper into the implications of Jesus' teaching, we come to see something even more profound: the dangers of superficial religion. While the heart is the root of our thoughts and aspirations, it is easy to become fixated on external observances. As we'll see, this inclination can blind us to the actual core of holiness and stymie the transformation that Jesus intends to ignite inside us. So, let us now go on to Point 2: uncovering the heart's effect and the dangers of superficial religion.
17 Don’t you know that everything that goes into the mouth enters the stomach and goes out into the sewer?
18 But what goes out of the mouth comes from the heart. And that’s what contaminates a person in God’s sight.
19 Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adultery, sexual sins, thefts, false testimonies, and insults.
20 These contaminate a person in God’s sight. But eating without washing hands doesn’t contaminate in God’s sight.”
The Danger of Superficial Religion
The Danger of Superficial Religion
The Pharisees meticulously followed religious ceremonies and rituals. They were passionate about following food regulations, washing their hands ritually, and following a rigid code of conduct. However, Jesus looked through their external religion and demonstrated the dangers of superficial faith. He recognized that, while exterior behaviors are important they can conceal an unchanged heart. This is also an important lesson for us now.
Superficial religion can lead to hypocrisy, which occurs when one's behaviors do not correspond to their true character. A person may appear to be righteous on the exterior, but if their heart is not transformed by God's mercy, their acts become hollow and devoid of true holiness.
Isaiah wrote Isaiah 29:13
13 The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is based on merely human rules they have been taught.
That is a great explanation of a superficial religion. There is a vast difference between what they say and what they do.
Superficial religion is like a mask that hides our inner character. Outward actions of piety and ritualistic observances, like a mask, can obscure the condition of the heart. The problem is that we place too much attention on outward appearances while ignoring the deep development that God seeks. This imbalance can result in hypocrisy, in which our behaviors reflect a righteousness that our souls do not truly embrace.
The Pharisees of Jesus' day are a prime example of the dangers of superficial religion. Their religious norms and traditions were rigorously maintained, displaying their piety for all to see. However, Jesus looked past the outward appearance and chastised them for their hypocrisy. He compared them to whitewashed tombs, which are attractive on the surface but are filled with spiritual deadness on the inside when he said in Matthew 23:27 “27 “How terrible it will be for you legal experts and Pharisees! Hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs. They look beautiful on the outside. But inside they are full of dead bones and all kinds of filth.” .
Religion loses its significance and authority when it becomes a series of hollow rituals isolated from a transformed heart. Going through the motions without actual faith is analogous to watering a plant without nourishing its roots—it may appear alive for a short period, but its vitality fades over time. This hollow religion may result in spiritual exhaustion, disillusionment, or even loss of faith.
A sense of comparison and judgment can also be fostered by superficial religion. When we focus on outer appearances, we are more prone to compare ourselves to others and assess them by the same standards. This not only breeds arrogance, but it also ignores the fact that true righteousness is a matter of the heart—a heart that recognizes its need for God's changing grace.
The dangers of shallow religion underline the importance of genuine heart transformation. The gospel of Jesus calls us to develop a faith that extends beyond rituals and ceremonies. He hopes that we become like the good soil in the parable of the sower, where the Word takes root firmly in our hearts and bears fruit in our lives.
True faith entails personal and intimate contact with God. It asks us to surrender our hearts and enable His Spirit to transform our wants, ideas, and attitudes. This inner transformation naturally spills over into our behaviors, resulting in genuine demonstrations of love, compassion, humility, and sincere devotion.
Jesus is pointing out the The Universal Nature of the Heart's Condition.
18 But what goes out of the mouth comes from the heart. And that’s what contaminates a person in God’s sight.
19 Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adultery, sexual sins, thefts, false testimonies, and insults.
20 These contaminate a person in God’s sight. But eating without washing hands doesn’t contaminate in God’s sight.”
The Universal Nature of the Heart's Condition.
The Universal Nature of the Heart's Condition.
Jesus unveils a basic reality that transcends time and cultural borders in this passage and that is the universal fallenness of the human heart. He lists a number of sinful characteristics that arise from the heart, including evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander. By mentioning these characteristics, Jesus alludes to the intrinsic propensity for sin that exists within every human heart.
The Bible consistently teaches that everyone has sinned and fallen short of God's glory (Romans 3:23).
20 Remember: there’s no one on earth so righteous as to do good only and never make a mistake.
2 The Lord looks down from heaven on humans to see if anyone is wise, to see if anyone seeks God,
3 but all of them have turned bad. Everyone is corrupt. No one does good— not even one person!
6 Like sheep we had all wandered away, each going its own way, but the Lord let fall on him all our crimes.
46 When they sin against you (for there is no one who doesn’t sin) and you become angry with them and hand them over to an enemy who takes them away as prisoners to enemy territory, whether distant or nearby,
This means that every person, regardless of background, society, or upbringing, is born with a sinful nature—a heart prone to rebellion against God's norms. This biblical reality is reinforced by Jesus' teaching here, which reminds us that the struggle with sin is not limited to a specific demographic or time period.
Throughout history, the universal aspect of the heart's condition has been reflected. We see the effects of sin from the beginning of Scripture, when Adam and Eve's sin brought brokenness into the world. Sin's consequences can be seen in relationships, societies, and individual lives. It has an effect on everyone.
The list of sinful attributes mentioned by Jesus demonstrates how sin manifests itself in a variety of ways. The underlying reality remains: sin emerges from the human heart, whether through overt behaviors like murder or theft or subtler sins like bad thoughts and slander. It serves as a stark reminder that we are all in desperate need of redemption and transformation.
Recognizing the universality of the state of the heart should instill humility in us. It serves as a reminder that none of us have the authority to judge or condemn others. We are all members of the sinful human race who require God's mercy and grace. This insight should also promote compassion and empathy in our interactions with people who suffer with sin, as we recognize that we share a shared human experience.
While Jesus' teaching reveals the truth of sin inside us, it also provides hope. Jesus came to save, not to condemn. He said in John 3:17 “God didn’t send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through him.” He gives a means for our hearts to be transformed via His life, death, and resurrection. Through Christ's sacrifice, the universal condition of sin is addressed with the universal offer of salvation and redemption.
Understanding the universal nature of the heart's condition reveals a common tie that binds us all together as humans. We all need a Savior who can heal our hearts and change our lives. This reality should motivate us to be humble in our own holiness path, to show grace and compassion to others, and to seek the transformative work of Jesus within our hearts as we strive for holy living.
We have reached a critical point in our understanding of Jesus' teaching after exploring the universal nature of the heart's state and the shared struggle with sin that binds all of humanity. We see that our desire for transformation is not unique to ourselves; rather, this universal need serves as a starting point for a deeper journey—a journey that brings us to the call to heart transformation.
We progress from admitting the reality of our fallenness to embracing the hope of renewal as we explore this transforming aspect. We are invited to go beyond simply identifying our brokenness and to actively participate in a process that reshapes our desires, attitudes, and behaviors via heart transformation.
The Call to Heart Transformation
The Call to Heart Transformation
The teaching of Jesus in Matthew 15:10-20 confronts us with the realization that true holiness extends beyond superficial rituals. It's an invitation to acknowledge the need for profound inner transformation—transformation that begins with the heart. The heart, which is frequently portrayed as the hub of our emotions and goals, is the absolute center of our being. As such, it is crucial in influencing our attitudes, behaviors, and reactions to the environment around us.
Heart transformation is more than just changing one's behavior or employing self-improvement techniques. It is about enabling the power of God's grace and truth to reach the deepest parts of our hearts. This process entails a conscious surrender to God's will, a readiness to own our flaws, and a willingness to be shaped by His Spirit. It's a sanctification journey—an continuous work in progress.
The transforming character of heart regeneration is highlighted in Romans 12:2 where Paul wrote: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind." This rejuvenation is a collaborative effort between us and God. We allow God to transform our thought patterns via Scripture study, prayer, and contemplation, replacing worldly perspectives with Kingdom-centered ones.
During heart transformation our old wants, which are rooted in selfishness and sin, are replaced with new desires that are aligned with God's will. Our once-overpowering cravings for earthly pleasures are replaced with a thirst for righteousness, love, and the things of the Spirit when we submit to Him.
God's grace and kindness underlie heart transformation. We cannot achieve it alone via our own efforts. According to Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV), "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast." Our transformation is a cooperative endeavor in which we react to God's initiative with an open heart.
A transformed heart gives fruit. The fruits of the Spirit are described in Galatians 5:22-23 (NIV): "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." As we allow God's Spirit to guide us, these virtues emerge in our interactions, relationships, and decisions.
Finally, Jesus' deep words in Matthew 15:10-20 reverberate through the ages, reaching straight to the center of our beings. As we consider His message of heart transformation, keep in mind that His teachings were never intended to be confined to the pages of Scripture. They are living, breathing truths that invite us to a closer relationship with God and a more real way of life.
Jesus urges us today to embark on a transforming journey, just as He encouraged the Pharisees to look past the surface and into the depths of their souls. He invites us to investigate the attitudes, thoughts, and intentions that come from our hearts—the sources of our true selves.
In our ongoing pursuit of holy living, let us heed the call to honesty. Let us not be content with a superficial religion, but rather open our hearts to the divine transformational process. Let us humbly acknowledge our universal need for a Savior who can cleanse and renew us from inside.
When we surrender to God's transformative power, we become agents of change in a world desperate for genuine compassion, love, and hope. Our lives become living proof of the grace that pours from a heart dedicated to the Author of life. Allowing His light to shine through us and asking others to join us on this transformative journey, let us take Jesus' message beyond this sanctuary and into our homes, workplaces, and communities.
May our lives reflect the psalmist's words from Psalm 51:10 (NIV): "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." Let the transformation that Jesus gives be more than words—it is a divine invitation to experience the beauty of a pure heart, steady spirit, and whole life through His love. May this reality lead us as we attempt to live out the call to holy life, embracing our Savior's transformative power in all aspects of our lives.