IT IS NOT WHAT WE EAT THAT DEFILES US

PROCLAMATION

“And He called the multitude, and said unto them, ‘Hear, and understand;  Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.’ ”   Matthew 15:10-11 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

These words are from the gospel, the good news regarding Jesus, The Christ, which were spoken by Christ according to the Apostle Matthew.  Some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law came from Jerusalem and questioned Jesus regarding His disciples breaking tradition and not washing their hands before they ate. (Matthew 15:1-2)  Jesus asked them why they broke the commandments of God in order to keep their traditions, then He called them hypocrites. (Matthew 15:3-9)  Then He spoke to the crowd and said what they eat does not defile them.  What defiles them is the words which come out of their mouth. (Matthew 15:10-20)  For out of the mouth come the issues of the heart including evil sinful thoughts. (Matthew 12:34)  Then Jesus left there and went  along the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. (Matthew 15:21)  There a Canaanite woman asked Him to heal her demon-possessed daughter.  Jesus told her that He was sent for the house of Israel.  Her response to Him was that the dogs can benefit from the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.  Jesus was impressed by her faith and He healed her daughter that very hour. (Matthew 15:22-28)  He left there and went up into a mountain and a great crowd came to Him bringing their lame, blind, mute, crippled, and people with other disorders and He healed them all, and they glorified God. (Matthew 15:29-31)  Jesus had compassion on the crowd which had been with Him for three days with nothing to eat.  With seven loaves of bread and a few small fish, He fed the crowd of four thousand men plus their women and children. (Matthew 15:32-39)

 

APPLICATION

Many people will not eat certain foods because they think that eating it will defile them.  The words which people speak reflect the beliefs of the heart and mind.  Therefore, it is that which comes out the mouth that defiles a person, not that which they eat. (Matthew 15:17-18)  Our problem is not the foods that we eat, our problem is the wickedness of our heart and the words that we speak.  Every sin which we commit begins in the heart or mind as a thought.  So, when we pray, we should also ask for a clean heart and mind. (Psalm 51:10)  “We may not be all that we think we are, but what we think, we are.” (Author Unknown)