That Which Defiles | Matthew 15:1-20

The Tradition of the Elders

15 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say that whoever tells father or mother, ‘Whatever support you might have had from me is given to God,’ then that person need not honor the father. 6 So, for the sake of your tradition, you nullify the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said:

8 ‘This people honors me with their lips,

but their hearts are far from me;

9 in vain do they worship me,

teaching human precepts as doctrines.’ ”

Things That Defile

10 Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” 12 Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” 13 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” 16 Then he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach and goes out into the sewer? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. 19 For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”

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I’ve often read this passage, when I was growing up, as a warning about how we speak to one another. Taken out of context, it can certainly be read in such a way that supports one of the most harmful Christian pseudo teachings- niceness. I’ve often been taught that if we are to be Christian we should be nice. While there is nothing wrong with niceness, in fact I like being a nice person, but niceness isn’t always truthful to the Gospel. Niceness ensures there is a status quo because we don’t want to ever dare speak out, lest we hurt someone’s feelings. As Christians though, we aren’t always called to be nice and in fact, right here in this passage, Jesus isn’t being nice at all, but is being truthful.

There were hungry people and when sitting down to eat, they didn’t do a ritual cleaning of their hands and started eating instead. It is at this point, the keepers of the law decide to criticize Jesus for not ordering his disciples to follow the law of handwashing, rather than noticing that hungry people are eating. If Jesus was being nice at this point, he would apologize on behalf of his disciples and try to make everything right. We often confuse the call of the Gospel, with Christian niceness.

Instead, Jesus reminds the keepers of the law that they have lost their focus. They are so focused on the minuteness of the law that they are ignoring people. They are completely ignoring hungry people and want to scold hungry people instead of recognizing hunger and loving first.

“This, THIS is what defiles you!” Jesus declares. The judgment placed upon others because one found a tiny law in Scripture, instead of seeing the plight of humankind.

How often do we hear this from our Christian siblings? How often do we hear judgment instead of care for our fellow humans? How often will Leviticus be quoted over the words of Jesus, for example? No, this passage isn’t about being nice and using our words correctly, but rather about judging others and seeing human beings as human beings. Responding to people in love to them first and foremost over and above judgment. Love should be the first thing off of our tongues.

Let us pray. Creator God, you have made us in your image and we recognize you in our neighbors. May we respond to hunger with love and care. May we act out of love. May we hold off on judgment and see a person first and foremost. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Rev Dr Justin Johnson

Our Saviour Croton on Hudson

Faculty 2019+2023