Day 202, Year 1

Discerning the Filth in the Heart

Jesus said, “But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.” (Matthew 15:18-19 NASB)

Jesus pinpoints that evil thoughts, which come from people’s hearts and proceed out of their mouths, can in turn defile them. This echoes the devotionals from previous days—some fools who love to express their thoughts and, in consequence, can make them even more misunderstood in various things. In other words, people should do their best to refrain from speaking evil words to avoid contaminating people. Otherwise, they might fall into a downward cycle of defiling with no end. Therefore, we should refrain from speaking evil thoughts and strive instead for opportunities to understand the evil and filthiness within ourselves, along with their sources. We should ask Jesus to eliminate the evil in us from its roots and replace them with His goodness. Meanwhile, we also need to understand the various things that come from our hearts, including our chaotic or conflicting thoughts or thinking patterns.

The several sins mentioned in today’s verse appear to be examples given by Jesus. First, we need to enhance our discernment of purity and filthiness. For instance, the word “fornication” (porneia in Greek) can be interpreted as “idolatry.” At that time, various forms of sexual sins occurred concurrently in many places where foreigners were worshiping idols. In this situation, one way to achieve spiritual awakening is to criticize the customs of idolatry and fornication while familiarizing ourselves with the Bible, purifying our hearts by seeing the reality of idols and fornication from God’s perspective, such that the filth can be extinguished.

Second, we should pay attention to the breeding ground of filthiness. For example, “theft” mentioned in today’s verse might result from inadequacy or greed. Of course, people who grow up in abundance can also develop a poverty mentality, characterized by the fear of lack that stems from dependence on material things, along with associated greed. Yet, stealing food should not be regarded as a sin for those who are actually starving.

Finally, some Christians think that evil usually brings chaos, while God’s grace brings order and peace. Thus, people who sin exceedingly would often feel that their thoughts are chaotic and even contradictory. These people need to rely on God’s help to sort out the chaos and contradictions within, align their minds with His words with all their hearts, and completely eradicate their filthiness from within so as to be saved.

Reflection questions:

1) Would you pay attention to the filthiness in your heart and rely on the Lord Jesus Christ to remove it from its roots?

2) Are there any chaotic or contradictory thoughts or thinking patterns within you? If so, how would you rely on the Lord to effectively sort them out and then eradicate them?