Passage
Matthew 15:1-20 (ESV)
Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch
Acts 8:26-40
Key Verse: 8:35
What Truly Defiles a Person
Date: Jul. 26, 2015
Daily Bread
Key Verse: 15:19b-20
First, hearts far from God (1-9). Religious leaders complained to Jesus about his disciples who did not wash their hands before eating. They ceremonially defiled themselves. To the religious officials, breaking human tradition was a terrible offense. But Jesus pointed out that breaking God's command is even worse. To keep the appearance of piety based on human teaching, the religious leaders even broke the fifth commandment. This hypocrisy revealed hearts that were far from God and vain worship.
Second, what comes out of your heart defiles (10-20). Eating with unwashed hands neither draws us closer nor pushes us farther from God. The evil that comes out of our sinful hearts is what really defiles us. The disciples were afraid of what the Pharisees thought about them. But God would judge those hypocrites. The disciples should be more concerned about what God thought of them. They ought to pray for a pure heart and to honor God by obeying his word.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for Jesus who can cleanse my heart. Help me to obey your word and honor you.
One Word: A heart close to God
