What Defiles People?

[10] After rebuking the Pharisees in verses 1-9 for their mishandling of God’s law, Jesus now addressed the multitudes on the real cause of defilement, “Hear (akoúete, the present imperative of akoúō [191], to hear, listen) and understand (suníete, the present imperative of suníēmi [4920], to comprehend; from sún [4862], together; and híēmi [n.f.], to send, put).”

[11] The key is that the heart is self-defiling. It requires nothing from the outside—neither physical (like food) nor moral temptation. It is from these teachings of Christ that James concluded, “Every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust” (James 1:14). That lust is within the heart.

“Absolutely not (ou [3756], the absolute “not”) that which enters (eiserchómenon, the present middle deponent participle of eisérchomai [1525] from eis [1519], into from without; and érchomai [2064], to come) into the mouth defiles (koinoí, the present tense of koinóō [2840], to make common, pollute, defile) the person, but that which comes out (ekporeuómenon, the present middle deponent participle of ekporeúomai [1607], to eject, to put out) of the mouth, this defiles a person” (a.t.).

The verb “defile” is associated with the adjective koinós ([2839], common, defiled, unclean). Thus, koinóō etymologically means “to make common or unclean.” The strict theological point here is that people are not defiled by something external. The root of sin is the human heart, and this condition is common among humankind, especially the unregenerate. However, this low estate is not the ideal and not the way God originally created people.

[12] Amazingly oblivious to Jesus’ supernatural knowledge and ethics, the disciples asked, “Knowest thou (oídas, the perfect tense of horáō [3708], to perceive) that the Pharisees were offended (eskandalísthēsan [4624], to cause to stumble or fall, to scandalize), after they heard this saying?”

Think about this two-edged sword a moment! First, the disciples asked Jesus if He had perceived the Pharisees’ reaction. Secondly, as if this were not enough, they questioned Jesus’ sensitivity and ethical propriety. They came very close to siding with the Pharisees. After all, if the disciples were convinced that the Lord’s teaching was right, why would they care whether He was sensitive to the Pharisees’ false teachings?

[13] Jesus’ answer reveals His detachment from any sensitivity to false teaching. He implied that the disciples should not concern themselves with Satan’s tares (Matt. 13:25–38), since tares are destined for uprooting, “Every (pása, the feminine of pás [3956], each within the total) plant (phuteía [5451]) that My heavenly Father did not plant (ephúteusen, the aorist tense of phuteúō [5452], to plant) shall be rooted up (ekrizōthēsetai, the future passive tense of ekrizóō [1610] from ek [1537], out of from within; and rhizóō [4492], to root, from which we get our English “rhizome”)” (a.t.).

Phuteúō, to plant, carries a stronger connotation of careful planning and managing than the arbitrary scattering reflected in the verb speírō ([4687], to sow [seed]). We say this because the parable of the sower presents a farmer randomly throwing seed without a great deal of care since some falls within range of scavengers, some on rocky ground, some on soil with no depth, some before a blazing, destructive sun (Matt. 13). It is clearly accidental that any seed falls on good earth at all, within deep, fertile soil and near water. The accidental growth arising from scattering (speírō) is contrasted here with the careful planting (phuteúō) of a loving heavenly Father who selects the good soil, nutrients, and water to secure growth (see Mark 4:26–29).

The corresponding nouns compare like the verbs. Phuteía, used only here, is actually a plant (seeds are not uprooted), whereas spérma ([4690], that which is sowed) is ungerminated seed. In the parable of the sower, the seed falling on good ground bears fruit, phuteía. Neither thorns, birds, bad ground, nor lack of water have been able to stop the increase (aúxēsis [838]) of the life of the seed.

From verse 13, we can deduce that God has not planted some plants. He does not “plant” tares; the devil does (Matt. 13:25–40). These tares will be rooted up, bound in bundles, and cast into the fire to be burned.

[14] This verse concluded what Jesus had just said. Since the Pharisees were not planted by the Father, Jesus said, “Leave (áphete, the aorist imperative of aphíēmi [863], to leave; from apó [575], from; and híēmi) them” (a.t.).

The aorist tense leaves open the possibility that they might be evangelized later—“leave them [for now].” As long as they were in this crisis stage of resistance, leave them be. Let them remain in their current condition of being offended by what Jesus had just said. In other words, don’t do anything to offset the offense. Since truth offended them, let them stay offended.

In their current condition, Jesus continued, “They are blind leaders of the blind” (a.t.). The scribes and Pharisees were indeed self-made leaders of the Jewish people. They could not see or hear spiritual truth. They saw Jesus Christ standing before them, but they could not understand who He was.

The principle that followed is applicable to everyone who gives or receives false teaching, “And if the blind lead (hodēgē, the present subjunctive of hodēgéō [3594], to lead) the blind, both shall fall (pesoúntai, the future middle deponent indicative of píptō [4098], to fall) into the ditch (bóthunon [999], a pit, a symbol of destruction).” The middle voice of píptō indicates a responsible but reflexive action. The blind should not be leading; they should be seeking eyes from the Lord.

[15] Although the teaching seems quite simple, Peter wanted further elucidation, saying, “Declare (phráson, the aorist tense of phrázō [5419], to expound, explain; from which the English word “phrase” is derived) unto us this parable (parabolēn, the accusative of parabolē [3850] from pará [3844], near; and bállō [906], to cast or put).”

[16] Since Peter asked Jesus to clarify the parable to them, the Lord asked the disciples, “Are you also yet (akmēn [188], at this point in time) without understanding (asúnetoi [801], from a [1], without; and súnesis [4907])?” (a.t.). The “also” (kaí [2532]) grouped the disciples with the scribes and the Pharisees, and the predicate stated that they, too, were unable to “put together” what Christ said.

[17] Jesus repeated the teaching, appealing to a generally understood truth, “Do you not yet understand that all (pán, the neuter of pás, everything) that enters the mouth goes into (chōreí, the present tense of choréō [5562], to give space to, find room in) the belly and is cast out (ekbálletai [1544]) into the draught (aphedrōna [856] from apó [575], from; and hédra [n.f.], a seat, toilet]?” (a.t.).

Food does not defile because it does not reach human hearts or spirits. If people do not wash their hands, residual bacteria passes through their bodies into the sewer, leaving their hearts untouched. Jesus’ point was that clean hands do not produce moral purity; conversely, unwashed hands do not defile the soul.

[18] Now Jesus touched the heart of the matter (literally), “But those things which proceed out (ekporeuómena, the present middle neuter plural participle of ekporeúomai [1607]) of the mouth come forth (exérchetai, the present middle singular of exérchomai [1831]) from the heart; and they defile (koinoí) the man.” Jesus said that the things (the participle is plural, the referent obviously the words) that leave the mouth are viewed as a collection (the verb is singular, the referent probably is the thought) that comes from the heart and defiles. So the heart itself is self-defiling.

Jesus made it clear that this is human nature apart from the grace of God. People’s hearts are already hard. What evil thoughts erupt and pass into the world in the form of evil words only reinforce (defile) the evil already present within. Defiling, therefore, is not the creation of evil ex nihilo, that is, out of nothing, or turning good hearts into bad ones. It begins with the evil that comes forth from hearts in the first place. Any subsequent defiling, therefore, is merely reinforcement. So human hearts are not only self-defiling but self-destructive.

Although the middle voice is used with reference to “things which proceed out of the mouth,” it is evident that words are passive, and the mouth is the cause. Words do not move themselves (reflexive) out of the mouth. Likewise, the heart causes the thoughts that form words. Neither words nor thoughts act; they are produced, respectively, by the mouth and heart.

[19] Here, Jesus clearly defined human hearts as thinking, choosing, and, self-defiling faculties.

The heart’s productions include, “Evil (ponēroí, the plural of ponērós [4190], malevolent, harmful) thoughts (dialogismoí, the plural of dialogismós [1261], reasoning, thought).” God is not responsible for the iniquity that circulates in the hidden recesses of humankind. The Bible teaches that we have malevolent natures that correspond to that of the devil (cf. Matt. 13:19, 38; Eph. 6:16; etc.). We, therefore, “being evil” (Matt. 7:11), without the overpowering work of the Holy Spirit, can manufacture only evil thoughts. Salvation, specifically, enlightenment based on the Word of God, infuses new thoughts into us. This is called the renewal of the mind in Romans 12:12 and elsewhere.

 “Murders (phónoi, the plural of phónos [5408], murder).” Phónos is not the killing (apokteínō [615], to kill) endorsed by God in capital punishment and just wars. Phoneúō (5407) is killing the innocent, those not worthy of death, for some malevolent purpose. Murder has no place in the heart of the believer, and a murderous heart is another one of those hideous states from which we are delivered.

“Adulteries” and “fornications.” At the beginning of human history, God ordained the bond of marriage between one woman and one man for reasons other than reproduction since He also commanded plants and animals to reproduce according to their kind. Human rebellion extended to this institution, substituting for marriage “adulteries” (moicheíai [3430], physical unions beyond that with spouses) and “fornications” (porneía [4202], physical unions between unmarried persons). Jesus said these specific rebellions begin in the heart, the thinking and choosing—and therefore planning—faculty before they reach physical expression. Our first guard, therefore, should be on what we think. If we allow God to regulate our thought lives, we can restrain our bodies.

“Thefts” (klopaí [2829] from the verb kléptō [2813], to steal). The kléptēs (2812) is more of a stealthy thief as opposed to the lēstēs (3027), one who robs out in the open, the common mugger. The kleptomaniac is a clandestine operator who ingeniously hides articles on the way out of a building. Again the Lord’s emphasis is on the mental and volitional planning stages of sin.

 “False Witnesses.” This is actually one compound plural Greek word (pseudomarturíai, the plural of pseudomarturía [5577] from pseudēs [5571], false; and marturía [3141], a witness). Lying was strictly forbidden in the Old Testament (Lev. 6:2, 3).

“Blasphemies.” The English word “blasphemies” derives from the Greek noun bláx ([n.f]; sluggish, stupid; in Modern Greek, idiot or fool) or the verb bláptō ([984], to harm) and phēmí ([5346], to speak). To include the ideas resident in the noun and verb, then, “blasphemy” is foolish and harmful content that pours out of the mouth. Once again, a lock on the mind and will stops the mouth. Believers should carefully plan their words.

[20] Jesus concluded His argument, “These are the (tá, the plural neuter definite article) defiling things (koinoúnta, the present neuter plural participle of koinóō [2840]) to people, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them” (a.t.). To summarize, these “things” defile people, but the list is a set of silent, hidden, internal thoughts and choices before they become actions. This natural state of unregenerate persons is seen in the use of the present participle which underscores the uninterrupted process of evil.

Whatever impact unwashed hands have on bodily hygiene, there is no connection with moral purity. This was a false Jewish tradition. No external, bodily actions can clean up evil hearts. They may eliminate some filth, but they can neither sanitize nor sanctify the individuals before God. However, such “washings,” the writer of Hebrews tells us, prophetically typify the internal cleansing of the conscience “until [i.e., they were temporary] the time of reformation” (Heb. 9:10). God will then fulfill His promises to regenerate hearts, put a new Spirit within (Jer. 32:39-40, et. al.), and cleanse the wicked from all iniquity (Jer. 33:8). The Jews took the typology as an end in itself.

The only hope for unregenerate people is to experience the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ shed on Calvary’s cross. This alone is the power that victoriously overcomes the power of sin (1 John 1:7).

Dr. Spiros Zodhiates (1922-2009) served as president of AMG International in Chattanooga, Tenn. for over 30 years, was the founding editor of Pulpit Helps Magazine, and authored dozens of exegetical books.