Matthew 15 caught me this morning.
The religious leaders were complaining that Jesus' disciples didn't wash their hands before they ate.
Oh my goodness! They are so unclean! Or atleast that is the declared offense.
Jesus points out it is not what goes in your mouth but what comes out.
As if to make Jesus' point clear, Matthew writes about two stories with bread to prove Jesus' point.
The first was a gentile woman begging for her daughter to be healed of a demon. Jesus at first didn’t listen because He was trying to reach the religious leaders. Jesus said, "It's not right to toss bread to dogs." She responded and said, "Even dogs eat crumbs from their master's table."
She knew where she needed to be fed even if it was a mere crumb. She recognized His power and authority. Her words revealed her faith in Him.
The second story to follow was Jesus feeding 4,000 at the Sea of Galilee. With an offering of 7 loaves and a few fish, Jesus enabled the disciples to feed 4,000 until they were satisfied.
I had to laugh. Crumbs on the floor and bread on the seashore would not lend to cleanliness of the hands! Ironically, the two stories that followed the religious leaders complaint of cleanliness almost embarrassingly showed that washing your hands was not the key.
The point is hunger for truth. The woman was willing to take crumbs if it meant her daughter was healed. She knew where the source of power and healing came from, the spoken words of Jesus. She was willing to seek Him and even beg Him for her daughter's healing.
The crowds hungered to hear Jesus teach. They gathered and listened even when it meant not physically eating for a long time. They knew the nourishment of listening and learning in order to understand. They knew where healing came from and wanted to take in more. Or if I dare say it, they wanted to "digest" Jesus' healing power and provision while listening.
The religious leaders weren't drawing near to Jesus to listen or understand. They were drawing near to condemn, complain, judge, etc.
What comes out of our mouths reveal what is inside! What we speak reveals if we are clean or unclean. It is pretty convicting for sure.
The LORD cares more about our heart condition than anything else. He desires us to know the freedom of a heart washed clean and satisfied in Him.
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