What Proceeds From The Mouth

In Matthews gospel, chapter 15, Jesus speaks of what defiles a person. Why is it that we say that “no one is perfect,” without argument we can assume that its because no one is. For who can say, “I am perfect.” It is impossible to justify one self as being perfect. And the reason for no one being perfect is because what Jesus says in Matthew 15:11, “what comes out of the mouth defiles a person.” In order for Jesus’ words to be true and for there to be no one perfect must mean that every person has said some article of speech that is defiling. I would propose for each person, whether Christian or not that there be some ground of ill-refutable acknowledgement of Jesus’ admonition. A person, defiled or not, is regarded either way by what they choose to say or what they don’t choose to say. But can a person be redeemed of such defilement? Are there such things that can absolve what comes out of ones mouth and tarnishes the whole person? And what are the implications of Jesus’ admonishment and what we find to be unscrupulously true.

For starters Jesus called a group of people to himself in Matthew 15 and implored them to “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” (Matthew 15:11 ESV). What we know is that what goes into the mouth does not defile the words that come from our mouth, besides of course if we put something too hot in our mouth and choose to express some form profanity, than perhaps, but still it is the words coming from our mouth that defile. Growing up you probably heard the saying, “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I have never met anyone who admitted that that phrase held any such truth. 

Think. Has anyone defiled you? Wronged you? Cheated you? Manipulated you? Said something that caused you to respond negatively, either with words or bitterness in your heart? I know people who have held on to hurtful words for 40 - 50 years. I still have bitterness in my heart for some of the things that have been done to me and I have chosen to speak bitterly to others. The things I have said have not improved my circumstances, they’ve made them worse and made me worse as well. We have all said and done things that would defile us. So its not what goes into our mouths that defiles us, but what comes out our mouths that defiles us. 

So what are we to do? We are defiled human beings, what is left? What would Jesus have us to do? Is there a way to absolve the words that we have spoken and the tarnishing effects of our actions? The truth is there is nothing we can do to remove or erase what we’ve said. We can’t wish upon a star, say a little prayer or confess our sins to a hundred priest. What is done is done. What Jesus commands from us now is that we lay down ourselves for our friends. We die to self, repent of sin and ask for forgiveness from those we’ve wronged. First we go to Jesus and repent for the bitterness in our hearts. Then we go to the people or person that we have committed the evil against and ask for their forgiveness, naming our sin for what it is and reconciling what we can to what has been previously severed. All of a Christian’s life is a life of repentance. Not until we die to self will we ever find ourselves.  

Indeed in calling you to repent there will be those of you who are offended and who will choose to oppose. But listen, every Christian before they became a Christian was offended by the gospel. We are not to be offensive, but we will offend. The Christian life will offend. After all they killed Jesus because he offended people. So be true to the Word, knowing that you will offend, but do all that you can to not be offensive. Love your neighbor as yourself and be willing to offend that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Be willing to offend that they may see Jesus and choose to follow after him. Jesus’ disciples came to him and told him that the Pharisees were offended by what he was 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’” (Matt. 15:13-14). Be willing to offend so that no one may fall into a pit.

Hear and understand. What goes into the mouth passes through the stomach and is expelled, but what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart and this defiles a person (v18). Repentance is more than watching what we say. Repentance and humble obedience is a turning a way from sin and its effects. Jesus says, “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person” (v19-20). So the issue is a heart condition, because what proceeds from the mouth comes from the heart. All that the Father has planted will not be up rooted and repentance comes from being planted in good soil. Repentance is then an active change of heart and an up rooting of sin. Therefore to absolve sin requires that we turn to Jesus and turn a way from sin and its effects.