The Big Shift
Matthew 15:15-20 ESV
15 But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 And he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For 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.”
Once again, we find Jesus at odds with the Pharisees. Their big issue with Jesus was the fact that the disciples were eating without washing their hands. And Jesus got right back at the Pharisees for breaking the commandments of God in order to keep their man-made traditions. The Pharisees came up with a workaround that enabled them to not provide for their parents. They could claim that whatever they were using to help their parents was a gift to God. And these guys were the ones worried about not washing their hands?
Jesus then starts explaining to His disciples that what goes into a man is not where the problem lies; it’s what comes out. The Pharisees were outward focused, what to eat, how to clean, wash your hands. Jesus made the big shift by declaring it’s what is on the inside in the heart that matters most. It may be more difficult for us to understand just how radical and groundbreaking that kind of thinking was. We are not nearly as outward focused today? Or are we?
The challenge with believers today is that we can still look at outward things to determine spiritual things. People get very caught up in what they eat. Some people think smoking is a major sin. Still today, what someone wears can be used to discern spiritual condition. But the big shift is that outward things do not determine inward conditions. I grew up around people who were appalled at the idea of smoking or drinking but had no problem with gossip and slander. I once had to back off some ladies in the church who were very upset with how one of our volunteers dressed. The sad thing was this volunteer had just come to the Lord and had such a sweet spirit. I couldn’t say the same for the ladies criticizing her.
Jesus did and still does place an emphasis on what is in the heart. Someone may not have all their Biblical theology completely straight, but they have a heart for God. All of us are in different stages of spiritual growth and understanding. And as we see a younger generation turning to God, let’s make sure we give them room to come in, say the wrong things, make mistakes, express a lot of things that don’t line up with Scripture. If they have a heart for God, let’s nurture that. Let’s create an environment where people can grow. Outward things can change if we focus on the right heart. Let’s make the big shift.