What makes us sick is not so much what we put into our mouths, but what comes out of them -WORDS
In Matthew 15:1 to 20, the scribes and Pharisees were once again finding fault with Jesus and accusing Him of law breaking. Why, they asked did He allow His disciples to eat bread without washing their hands first?
We notice Jesus doesn’t directly answer their question at first but poses one for them.
According to their law, it made people ceremonially “unclean”. It was not in the original Mosaic law. It was added by the ancient sages and Pharisees as part of the Oral Law (which later became the Mishnah).
Onlt the priests, however, had to wash their hands before performing the sacrifice. This was a type or shadow of the spiritual cleansing that Jesus would bring. Our hands are a hebraic symbol of one’s work.
Jesus responsive question was, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”— then he need not honour his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And honour Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
9 And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”
As He so often does, Jesus is pointing to the heart attitude of these “law-keepers.” He points out that the rules they have added to God’s real law undo the power of God’s Word in the lives of the people.
These men were supposed to be carers of the people, servant leaders. Instead, they lorded it over the people and failed to teach them God’s true law of the heart. Jesus’ phrase, “You have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition,” sums up their lives and purposes which are 180 degrees away from His.
Thus we see that the birds who rob God’s word in the parable of the sower, are the religious legalists, driven by evil. Matthew 13:19
Jesus then explains about what does make one “unclean” – and we know that Jesus is speaking about the soul here because humanity was still spiritually unregenerate. And we in the twenty-first century know that the health of the soul (mind, will and emotions) works its way into our bodies.
We see in ministry that unforgiveness, so often hidden in our past, and judgments of others as well as self-deprecation and plain sin, these things keep people in ill health until they are renounced with words.
So, says Jesus, it’s not what goes into the mouth that makes one unclean, and suffer for it, but what comes out of the mouth – words. Words of falsehood, selfishness, sexual impurity, judgments and vows so often against other people, particularly parents.
Jesus even alludes to defaecation in the processes of the alimentary canal. He spares no punches in spelling it out. This is a great practical help to those of us who have had decades of “gut” issues.
We can read a more precise account of the inability of food as a primary source of uncleanness in Mark 7:18 to 23, where Jesus gives a full explanation to the disciples, “Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him, because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?” And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man. For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
It is interesting to notice that Jesus’ ministry of going “about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil,” is interspersed with the adversarial scribes and Pharisees receiving a good telling off.
So too we should “tell off” all legalism, including judgment of wrong-doers, from our minds and walk in faith as we repent of all the evil that has come out of our hearts and mouths over the years of our lives. That, in my experience, and in the Word of God, is when healing begins in the soul and on into the body.
We don’t say the ill done against us was right. It is not that. But we renounce our judgments and trust that to God. That’s faith for healing. He heals with words, and in His image, so can we.
So does it matter what we eat? Yes and no. Jesus’ words are not a license for greed. And wisdom builds her house. But all fear, fear talk and food legalism does not belong to a follower of Jesus.
Do we eat clean in this house? Certainly, whenever we can. But we don’t worry about it if we cannot. We support sustainable regenerative farming and care of the earth as well as our own bodies. But clearly, healing comes with repentance especially of things spoken and done against oneself and others.
“Life and death are in the power of the tongue.” Proverbs 18:21
And this is the promise:
“I have set before you, life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.” Deuteronomy 30:19
Ref: Prayer of Freedom by Beatty Carmichael on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRiy04tR8aI&list=PLgwrtbAyBDI-AXAp02aFMJZOdgyNrLti4
