Matthew 15:11

Matthew 15:11 KJV: "Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."

Context of Matthew 15:11

This profound statement by Jesus is delivered during a crucial confrontation with the Pharisees and scribes who had come from Jerusalem. They challenged Jesus' disciples for not observing the tradition of the elders regarding ceremonial handwashing before eating (see Matthew 15:1). In His response, Jesus critiques their hypocrisy, asserting that their human traditions often superseded and nullified God's divine commandments. This verse serves as a pivotal point where Jesus redefines the very nature of defilement, shifting the focus from external ritual purity to the internal state of the heart, a core theme in His teaching on true righteousness.

Key Themes and Messages

• Redefinition of Purity: Jesus radically challenges the prevailing understanding of purity in His day, which was heavily focused on dietary laws, ceremonial washings, and other external practices. He asserts that true defilement does not come from what one consumes or touches, but from the inner being and its intentions. This teaching transcends the Old Testament's ritual purity laws, pointing to a higher spiritual law.
• The Heart as the Source of Defilement: The central message is that sin originates from within a person, specifically from the heart. What "comes out of the mouth"—whether words, actions, or intentions—is merely an outward manifestation of an inner, often corrupt, condition. Jesus elaborates on this in subsequent verses (Matthew 15:18-20), listing evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies as things that proceed from the heart and truly defile a person.
• Critique of Legalism and Hypocrisy: This verse powerfully exposes the futility of focusing solely on outward religious observance while neglecting inner moral and spiritual transformation. The Pharisees were meticulous about external cleanliness but often lacked genuine love, justice, and mercy, earning Jesus' strong condemnation for their hypocrisy (Matthew 23:27-28).

Linguistic Insights

The Greek word for "defileth" is koinōi (κοινοῖ), which means "to make common," "unclean," or "pollute." In Jewish thought, something was considered "common" if it was profane or ritually impure, rendering it unfit for sacred use or consumption. Jesus' teaching here radically reinterprets what truly makes one koinōi in God's eyes, moving beyond ceremonial uncleanness to moral and spiritual impurity that originates from the heart's intentions and desires.

Practical Application

Matthew 15:11 continues to call believers to a deeper understanding of true righteousness and spiritual purity today. It reminds us that:

• True purity begins within: Our spiritual health and standing before God are not determined by external appearances, religious rituals, or dietary choices, but by the condition of our hearts. We are called to cultivate an inner purity that naturally manifests in our words and actions.
• Our words reveal our hearts: The words we speak are a direct reflection of our inner thoughts, attitudes, and character. As Jesus states elsewhere, "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (Luke 6:45). This verse encourages us to be mindful of our speech, knowing it reveals what truly resides within us.
• Focus on internal transformation: Rather than obsessing over external rules or outward conformity, this verse urges us to seek genuine heart transformation through Christ. This aligns with the New Covenant emphasis on God's law being written on the heart, leading to an inward change rather than mere outward compliance (Jeremiah 31:33, Hebrews 8:10).