July 29

What Defileth?

A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it. — Matt 15:11 BSB

There are many applications of this principle. The food we eat doesn’t affect our moral character. External ceremonies don’t really touch our souls. Nothing in this world can defile a heart as long as it remains outside and isn’t allowed to enter. A person may work as a coal miner, always covered in dirt and grime, but still have a soul that is pure and spotless. The same is true for living amid temptations—so long as we keep them outside, they have no power to harm us.

Martin Luther once said that we can’t prevent birds from flying over our heads, but we can keep them from building nests in our hair. In the same way, we can’t stop the many evil things that surround us, but we can prevent them from entering our hearts and taking root there. As long as we do this, even the worst influences in the world cannot leave a stain on our souls.

Jesus goes on to say that it’s what comes out of a person’s mouth that defiles them. In other words, even if evil exists in the heart, it doesn’t defile us unless it’s allowed to take form in thoughts, words, or actions. The suggestion of wrongdoing isn’t sin until we accept and entertain it. Temptation to sin isn’t itself sin—Jesus was tempted. Satan made suggestions of evil to Him, but Jesus never sinned because those suggestions never found a place in His heart. They never took shape in His words, actions, or even thoughts. Temptations come to us from the outside. These are not our fault, and there’s no sin in simply being tempted. But the moment we open the door to a sinful suggestion, that’s when sin begins. What "comes out" is what defiles us.