Are all of us still without understanding?

My church has recently been going through a sermon series entitled, “Jesus Asked?…” It has been wonderful tackling the tough questions which Jesus asked. His questions are quite thought provoking. This morning, while translating Matthew 15.10-20, I came across a question which Jesus asked. He asked, “Are all of you still without understanding?” Here is the text in context:

And calling the crowd, Jesus said to them: “Hear & understand. That which comes into the mouth does not defile the man; rather, that which goes out from the mouth is that which defiles the man.”

Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were scandalized upon hearing this saying?”

But Jesus answered and said to them, “Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them go. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

Then Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.”

Then Jesus asked, “Are all of you still without understanding? Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth, then enters the stomach, and is pooped out into the toilet? However, that which proceeds from the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles the man. For from the heart come: evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies. These are what defile the man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”

It is interesting that Peter was the only one who asked the question, but Jesus turns around and asked all of them if they were without understanding, which they certainly were. Then Jesus proceeds to expound upon the question in a rather comical manner, you can almost picture him saying, “Seriously you guys, you don’t understand that you eat, digest, and poop it out?”

But, this is truly a serious question. Are you still without understanding? Stop worrying about what you eat, and about the ceremonial cleansing. What matters is what goes out of the mouth, because that shows what is in your heart.

Personally, I am convicted by these words. I know that evil thoughts come from my heart and leave my mouth. I need to guard my tongue. I need my soul to be cleansed by the Spirit. I pray that I will stop focusing on actions alone, but be renewed in my spirit so that pure actions will flow forth from my purified heart with joy.

We pray these things, but I ask: are all of us still without understanding? If we truly understood, would we continue to do the things we do?

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