Create in Me a Clean Heart – Matthew 15:10-20

I came across a site called CleanHeart.Online that is part of a Catholic Church initiative to help people deal with impure usage of the internet. It is “an annual campaign that uses original Catholic resources, a step-by-step implementation guide, a constantly updated website (CleanHeart.Online), and expert consultants to help diocesan and parish leaders promote a culture of digital integrity for all.” It reminds me of BattlePlanMinistries.org, a Protestant resource for the same purpose. The access to digital impurity has revealed a problem with impure hearts.

Jesus had to address this issue in relationship to the traditions that had built up around the Law and how to attain purity. The traditions were missing the mark.

And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” (Matthew 15:10-20 ESV)

Jesus now responds to the implicit charge of the Pharisees that it is wrong for his disciples or anyone to eat without first doing ritual cleansing of the hands.  He explains that swallowing something does not defile but speaking something evil defiles because it springs from a defiled heart.  There are two responses to Jesus’ teaching:

1) The people tell Jesus that the Pharisees were offended by this teaching (poor Pharisees!), which implies that Jesus has made powerful enemies (he already knows this and is not concerned).  Of them Jesus says they are blind guides leading blind people and both are in error for it.  They have not been planted by the Father so they will be uprooted in the judgment and brought to destruction.

2) The disciples want more understanding of Jesus’ principle and he gives it to them, but with a little rebuke.  They call what he spoke a parable when in fact it is not one that needs a key to interpret.  It is a principle and reality that evil comes from our hearts and is given expression through our behaviors, including through speaking, and this is true defilement.  This shows us that the intent of the ceremonial laws of Moses about cleansing were pointing to a spiritual reality about our spiritual need for cleansing.

Jesus is not talking about the illness that might come from not washing one’s hands, but about the spiritual illness that has nothing to do with hand washing but rather with the condition of one’s heart.  That’s what needs cleansing if we are to avoid the judgment. Ask God to cleanse your heart. Then pay attention to how He goes about that.