David Bahn – Reflections

Motives matter. Why we do a thing is as important as the thing we do. Motives are subtle and can easily be hidden. You cannot see into someone else’s heart. But God searches the heart and judges the imaginations of our minds.

Matthew 15:10-20

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

There are those who do a great job of cleaning the outside of their lives. They smile at the right times and at the right people. They have all the externals in place. They do the right things. They may even criticize others for their failure to follow their traditions.

But God weighs in on a deeper level. He “does not receive the face of man” (this is the literal translation of Galatians 2:6, which in the ESV reads, “God shows no partiality”). He cares about what comes from the heart, not what we eat or drink.

This passage should never be used as a passage to justify poor eating habits or a lack of concern for outward actions. It is helpful to remember our on-going need for the Holy Spirit to sanctify our hearts, to keep our thoughts pure, and to ask for God’s forgiveness for every wayward deed and word. Our hearts have been defiled and we show our need for the Savior too readily and often. Thank God for his forgiveness and for his “inside job” of purifying our hearts by the presence of the Holy Spirit within us.