Matthew 15:10-20 - Defilement From Within

¹⁰ Then Jesus called the people to him, and said: "Listen, and mark my words. ¹¹ It is not what enters a man's mouth that 'defiles' him, but what comes out from his mouth--that does defile him!"

¹² On this his disciples came up to him, and said: "Do you know that the Pharisees were shocked on hearing what you said?"

¹³ "Every plant," Jesus replied, "that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up. ¹⁴ Let them be; they are but blind guides; and, if one blind man guides another, both of them will fall into a ditch."

¹⁵ Upon this, Peter said to Jesus: "Explain this saying to us."

¹⁶ "What, do even you understand nothing yet?" Jesus exclaimed. ¹⁷ "Do not you see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is afterwards expelled? ¹⁸ But the things that come out from the mouth proceed from the heart, and it is these that defile a man; ¹⁹ For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts--murder, adultery, unchastity, theft, perjury, slander. ²⁰ These are the things that defile a man; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a man."

¹⁴ Then Jesus called the people to him again, and said: "Listen to me, all of you, and mark my words. ¹⁵ There is nothing external to a man, which by going into him can 'defile' him; but the things that come out from a man are the things that defile him." ¹⁶ OMITTED TEXT

¹⁷ When Jesus went indoors, away from the crowd, his disciples began questioning him about this saying. ¹⁸ "What, do even you understand so little?" exclaimed Jesus. "Do not you see that there is nothing external to a man, which by going into a man, can 'defile' him, ¹⁹ Because it does not pass into his heart, but into his stomach, and is afterwards got rid of?--in saying this Jesus pronounced all food 'clean.' ²⁰ "It is what comes out from a man," he added, "that defiles him, ²¹ For it is from within, out of the hearts of men, that there come evil thoughts--unchastity, theft, murder, adultery, ²² Greed, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, haughtiness, folly; ²³ All these wicked things come from within, and do defile a man."