THAT IS WHAT MAKES HIM ‘UNCLEAN’ / MATTHEW 15:11

START YOUR DAY RIGHT DAILY DEVOTION

(KJV) Matthew 15:11

 What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

The Heart of the Matter: What Truly Makes Us Unclean?

We live in a culture obsessed with curated externals. From pristine filters on social media to carefully managed public reputations, we pour an immense amount of energy into looking “clean” on the outside. But thousands of years ago, Jesus cut through this exact human tendency with a single, sharp truth.

In Matthew 15:11, Jesus turned the religious expectations of His day upside down when He declared: “It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”

To understand the weight of this statement, we have to look at the context. The Pharisees and teachers of the law had just confronted Jesus because His disciples didn’t perform the rigorous, traditional ritual of hand-washing before eating. This wasn’t about modern hygiene; it was about ceremonial purity. For the religious elite, holiness was a checklist of external behaviors, boundaries, and man-made traditions.

Jesus completely flipped the script. He explained that food simply passes through the body, but our words originate from a much deeper source: the human heart.

When we gossip, criticize, lie, or let anger dictate our speech, we aren’t just having a “bad day.” We are offering a diagnostic report of our inner state. The external rituals we perform cannot scrub away the internal reality. As Jesus elaborated moments later, out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, slanders, and pride. That is what truly defiles a person.

This truth is both convicting and liberating. It convicts us because it forces us to stop hiding behind religious routines or polished appearances. It demands that we look into the mirror of our own speech and examine what our words say about our character.

But it is also deeply liberating. It reminds us that true righteousness isn’t a exhausting performance of flawless external rules. God isn’t looking at how perfectly we maintain outward appearances; He is looking at the state of our hearts.

Real cleansing doesn’t come from a ritual washing of hands or a desperate attempt to follow man-made traditions. It comes from the grace of God, who promises to give us a new heart and a renewed spirit. When we allow Him to transform us from the inside out, our words naturally begin to reflect His love, truth, and life.

A Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father,

Forgive us for the times we focus so heavily on our outward appearances while neglecting the secret places of our hearts. It is so easy to hide behind routines and look righteous to the world, while letting bitterness, pride, or judgment fester within us.

Lord, search our hearts today. Cleanse us from the inside out. We ask that You set a guard over our mouths and keep watch over the door of our lips. May the words we speak build others up, bring healing, and reflect Your grace. Let the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.

Amen.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Some of our Post That Might Interest You, All Out of the Current Book / Chapter

1. THEIR HEARTS ARE FAR FROM ME / MATTHEW 15:8
2. FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR TRADITION / MATTHEW 15:5-6
3. DON’T BE AFRAID / MATTHEW 14:27
4. PRAY ALONE / MATTHEW 14:23-24
5. LOAVES AND FISH / MATTHEW 14:19
6. DANCED FOR THEM / MATTHEW 14:6-7
7. SEEING PAST THE FAMILIAR / MATTHEW 13:55
8. SEPARATE THE WICKED FROM THE RIGHTEOUS / MATTHEW 13:49
9. KINGDOM … A NET / MATTHEW 13:47
10. KINGDOM … TREASURE / MATTHEW 13:44-46
11. THE FIERY FURNACE / MATTHEW 13:42
12. WEED OUT … EVERYTHING THAT CAUSES SIN / MATTHEW 13:41
13. YEAST / MATTHEW 13:33
14. A MUSTARD SEED / MATTHEW 13:31
15. LET BOTH GROW TOGETHER / MATTHEW 13:30
16. GOOD SEED … WEEDS / MATTHEW 13:24-25
17. EVIL ONE SNATCHES AWAY / MATTHEW 13:19
18. WHOEVER HAS WILL BE GIVEN MORE / MATTHEW 13:12
19. LET BOTH GROW TOGETHER / MATTHEW 13:30
20. AN EVIL SPIRIT / MATTHEW 12:43
21. JONAH / MATTHEW 12:40
22. BY YOUR WORDS / MATTHEW 12:37
23. THE DAY OF JUDGMENT /MATTHEW 12:36
24. BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE SPIRIT / MATTHEW 12:31
25. TIES UP THE STRONG MAN / MATTHEW 12:29
26. THE KINGDOM OF GOD / MATTHEW 12:28
27. SABBATH / MATTHEW 12:1
28. COME TO ME / MATTHEW 11:28
29. GLUTTON AND A DRUNKARD / MATTHEW 11:19
30. FORCEFUL MEN LAY HOLD OF IT / MATTHEW 11:12
31. GREATER THAN HE / MATTHEW 11:11
32. JOHN / MATTHEW 11:7
33. PROPHET RIGHTEOUS MAN / MATTHEW 10:41
34. TAKE HIS CROSS / Matthew 10:38
35. I DID NOT COME TO BRING PEACE / MATTHEW 10:34
36. ACKNOWLEDGES ME BEFORE MEN / MATTHEW 10:32
37. YOU ARE WORTH MORE / MATTHEW 10:31
38. HELL / MATTHEW 10:28
39. DO NOT BE AFRAID OF THEM / MATTHEW 10:26
40. CITIES OF ISRAEL / MATTHEW 10:23
41. GIVEN WHAT TO SAY / MATTHEW 10:19-20
42. PREACH THE KINGDOM / MATTHEW 10:7
43. AUTHORITY TO DRIVE OUT EVIL SPIRITS / MATTHEW 10:1
44. ASK THE LORD TO SEND / MATTHEW 9:38
45. THE HARVEST IS PLENTIFUL / MATTHEW 9:37
46. NEW WINE INTO OLD WINESKINS / NEW WINE PRESERVED / MATTHEW 9:17
47. THEN THEY WILL FAST / MATTHEW 9:15
48. EAT WITH ‘SINNERS’ / MATTHEW 9:11
49. THEY PLEADED WITH HIM TO LEAVE / MATTHEW 8:34
50. DEMON-POSSESSED MEN /MATTHEW 8:28
51. LET THE DEAD BURY THEIR OWN DEAD / MATTHEW 8:22
52. HEALED ALL THE SICK / MATTHEW 8:16-17
53. GREAT FAITH / MATTHEW 8:10
54. DON’T TELL ANYONE / MATTHEW 8:4
55. JESUS TOUCHED THE MAN / MATTHEW 8:3
56. I NEVER KNEW YOU / MATTHEW 7:23
57. MANY WILL SAY LORD, LORD / MATTHEW 7:22
58. DOES THE WILL OF MY FATHER / MATTHEW 7:21
59. BY THEIR FRUIT YOU WILL RECOGNIZE THEM / MATTHEW 7:16
60. WATCH OUT FOR FALSE PROPHETS / MATTHEW 7:15
61. SMALL IS THE GATE … AND ONLY A FEW FIND IT / MATTHEW 7:14
62. YOUR FATHER … GIVE GOOD GIFTS / MATTHEW 7:11
63. ASK … SEEK … KNOCK / MATTHEW 7:7-8
64. DO NOT JUDGE / MATTHEW 7:1
65. SEEK … KINGDOM … RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 6:33
66. IF THAT IS HOW GOD CLOTHES / MATTHEW 6:30
67. DO NOT WORRY / MATTHEW 6:25
68. MONEY / MATTHEW 6:24
69. EYE IS THE LAMP OF THE BODY / MATTHEW 6:22
70. WHEN YOU FAST / MATTHEW 6:16
71. IF YOU DO NOT FORGIVE / MATTHEW 6:15
72. IF YOU FORGIVE / MATTHEW 6:14
73. DELIVER US FROM THE EVIL ONE / MATTHEW 6:13
74. FORGIVE AS WE ALSO HAVE FORGIVEN / MATTHEW 6:12
75. DAILY BREAD / MATTHEW 6:11
76. YOUR KINGDOM COME – YOUR WILL BE DONE / MATTHEW 6:10
77. THIS THEN IS HOW YOU SHOULD PRAY / MATTHEW 6:9
78. PRAY IN SECRET / MATTHEW 6:6
79. ‘ACTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS’ BEFORE MEN / MATTHEW 6:1
80. DO NOT RESIST AN EVIL PERSON / MATTHEW 5:39
81. EXCEPT FOR MARITAL UNFAITHFULNESS / MATTHEW 5:32
82. HELL / MATTHEW 5:29
83. LOOKS LUSTFULLY / MATTHEW 5:28
84. ANGRY … RACA … FOOL / MATTHEW 5:22
85. UNLESS YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 5:20
86. GREAT IN THE KINGDOM / MATTHEW 5:19
87. THE LAW TO FULFILL / MATTHEW 5:17
88. LET YOUR LIGHT SHINE THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD DEEDS / MATTHEW 5:14-16
89. SALT OF THE EARTH / MATTHEW 5:13
90. PERSECUTED BECAUSE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 5:10
91. THE PEACEMAKERS / MATTHEW 5:9
92. THE PURE IN HEART / MATTHEW 5:8
93. THE MERCIFUL / MATTHEW 5:7
94. HUNGER AND THIRST FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS / MATTHEW 5:6
95. THE MEEK / MATTHEW 5:5
96. THOSE WHO MOURN / MATTHEW 5:4
97. BLESSED POOR IN SPIRIT / MATTHEW 5:3
98. SERMON ON THE MOUNT / MATTHEW 5-7
99. THE KINGDOM AND HEALING / MATTHEW 4:23
100. FISHERS OF MEN / MATTHEW 4:19
101. SATAN / MATTHEW 4:10
102. ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD / MATTHEW 4:8
103. IT IS WRITTEN / MATTHEW 4:6-7
104. FASTING FORTY DAYS / MATTHEW 4:2
105. JESUS … TEMPTED / MATTHEW 4:1-11
106. THE TRINITY IN EXAMPLE / MATTHEW 3:17
107. SPIRIT … ON HIM / MATTHEW 3:16
108. JESUS … BAPTIZED / MATTHEW 3:13
109. WILL BAPTIZE YOU WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT / MATTHEW 3:11
110. FRUIT IN KEEPING WITH REPENTANCE / MATTHEW 3:8
111. PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES / MATTHEW 3:7
112. KINGDOM OF HEAVEN – REPENT / MATTHEW 3:2
113. WARNED IN A DREAM / MATTHEW 2:22-23
114. KILL ALL THE BOYS / MATTHEW 2:16
115. ESCAPE TO EGYPT / MATTHEW 2:13
116. CHIEF PRIESTS AND TEACHERS OF THE LAW / MATTHEW 2:4
117. HEROD – MAGI / MATTHEW 2:1-2
118. NO UNION WITH HER UNTIL / MATTHEW 1:25
119. VIRGIN … GIVE BIRTH TO A SON / MATTHEW 1:23
120. JESUS / MATTHEW 1:21
121. MARY … JESUS / MATTHEW 1:16
122. CHRIST – SON OF DAVID /MATTHEW 1:1
123. GENEALOGY OF JESUS CHRIST / MATTHEW 1:1-16
124. CREWS N AWAY: ANCHORED IN GRACE

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Blessings, Margarita & Stace