Scripture

Matthew 15:10-11,18-19 GNT

Then Jesus called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand! It is not what goes into your mouth that makes you ritually unclean; rather, what comes out of it makes you unclean.…the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these are the things that make you ritually unclean. For from your heart come the evil ideas which lead you to kill, commit adultery, and do other immoral things: to rob, lie, and slander others.”

Consider

As in so many of his discourses, Jesus is teaching that the state of the heart is more important to God than outward appearances. Among his listeners are Pharisees who are complaining that Jesus lets his disciples eat with unwashed hands. It is not what goes into your mouth, Jesus says, but what comes out that reveals the inclinations of your heart, whether you are clean or unclean. How well you treat your neighbor is more important than whether you eat kosher food with clean hands.

This message that the external does not determine one’s internal purity is especially important for victims of abusive acts. Children are particularly vulnerable to absorbing the guilt and shame of evil acts perpetrated against them. Many of us have grown up believing we were somehow damaged or sullied by what we were forced to experience in our younger years.

On the other hand, we would be less than honest if we could not admit to our acts of shameful and hurtful behaviors against others at different times in our lives. We can’t always know the damage we do by harsh words and selfish behaviors to those around us, perhaps inflicting a sense of shame and uncleanness in them they do not deserve.

Disciples of Jesus are committed to being changed from the inside out. To be clean, in the sense that Jesus suggests, requires the work of the Spirit in us. First, we must identify and discard the unwarranted shame we carry around because of someone else’s hurtful act against us. Old wounds can distort our self-concept and block our ability to seek and receive the love and acceptance God longs to give us.

Second, we must examine our words and deeds that expose the unlovely inclinations of our own hearts. Ask yourself, which relationships seem to bring out the worst in me? With whom am I most likely to retaliate with angry words or violence or stubborn silence? Who is my favorite subject for gossip or mean descriptions? Who have I crossed off my list as someone I could never accept or forgive? Then consider how your responses might change if you surrendered that unwashed corner of your heart to God’s merciful care and cleansing.

Pray

Holy Spirit of God, help me to discard false notions about what makes me clean or unclean. Give me wisdom and courage to cast off the clouds of shame left over from evil acts perpetrated against me. Then show me where I am guilty of mistreating others and cleanse my heart until all my words and deeds are the pure and fragrant offerings you desire from me.

Reflect

Psalm 51; John 16:33; Romans 12:17,21

Ponder

How might God use a difficult relationship to teach me about the condition of my heart?