“WHAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH!”

Matthew 15:10-20                                                         (ESV)

“10 And HE (JESUS ) called the people to HIM and said to them, "Hear and understand:

11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but “WHAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH”; this defiles a person."

12 Then the disciples came and said to HIM, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"

13 HE answered, "Every plant that my heavenly FATHER has NOT planted will be rooted up.

14 Let them (Pharisees) alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit."

15 But Peter said to HIM, "Explain the parable to us."

16 And HE said, "Are you also still without understanding?

17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled?

18 But “WHAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH” proceeds from the heart, and THIS defiles a person.

19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.

20 These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone."”

The ministry of JESUS was built around rescuing the SOULS of people who couldn’t SPIRITUALLY SEE!  HE performed many miracles (actions outside of the natural), therefore people would take notice that HE was different from the “natural man”.  However, EVERY ONE of the people who the miraculous deeds were performed on eventually physically died. The condition of your SPIRIT is the thing that matters most!  

As I write this devotional, a post that I shared last night about gun control has received a tremendous response.  SPIRITUAL people need to be concerned about the SPIRITUAL needs of “this world”.  This is not to say that the physical needs should be ignored, but we MUST begin prioritizing our lives to prepare for LIFE after physical death visits us.  The miracles JESUS performed were very important to HIS mInistry.  Why else would HE have done them?   Getting the attention of people is one thing, but until we give them “manna” to change their lives we will never succeed in changing the world we live in!

“A tongue’s like a knife, the sharper it is the deeper it cuts!” was in a message shared  this morning from a friend.  Formerly, my tongue was extremely “sharp” AND “quick”!  GOD changed that in 2007, and it wasn’t as if it was my idea!  HE placed me in a three week COMA, and when I was brought out of it, my mentality (and ability to be so sharp tongued) was gone!  Why did HE remove what some people thought was a good thing?  Maybe because I was not focused enough on the SPIRITUAL and was too concerned with the physical???

The Pharisees were almost solely concerned with the physical side of life.  Conversely JESUS was almost solely concerned with the SPIRITUAL aspects of life!  We need to look more closely at the SPIRITUAL things that are springing up in our lives and stop letting “this world” convince us that our earthly needs are more important.  “WHAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH” needs to be LIFE, not life!  I pray that makes sense to some?!?!?