Audio Download

Matthew 15:1–20 Defilement Comes from Within

[Study Aired July 14, 2025]

The study focuses on Jesus’s interactions with religious leaders, highlighting the contrast between outward rituals and inward purity, and demonstrating Christ’s compassion and power. The study involves Jesus’s rebuke of the Pharisees’ traditions and His teaching on what truly defiles a person. 

Traditions and Commandments

Mat 15:1  Then some Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to Jesus. They asked, 
Mat 15:2 “Why do your disciples break the traditions of our ancestors? They do not wash their hands before they eat.” 

The Pharisees and the Scribes represent the leaders of our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world, of which we were part at a certain stage of our walk with Christ. Coming from Jerusalem means that these Pharisees and Scribes or our brethren in Babylon worship another Jesus, and are therefore in bondage with their children.

2Ch 21:13  Instead, you have followed the ways of the kings of Israel. You, like Ahab’s family, have caused Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to chase after foreign gods as if they were prostitutes. You have killed your brothers, your father’s family. Your brothers were better than you.

Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 
Gal 4:26 But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 

Instead of worshiping the Lord, these Pharisees and Scribes focus on the traditions of their ancestors. 

Mar 7:3  For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. 
Mar 7:4  And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. 
Mar 7:5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? 

When our worship is based on the traditions of our fathers, we make of no effect the word of the Lord. In other words, when we cherish the false doctrines of our fathers more than the truth of the word of the Lord, the word of God becomes ineffective in our lives.

Mar 7:13  Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. 

In the word of the Lord, there are many instances where the traditions of the fathers blocked the people from seeing the truth of the word of the Lord. For examples, when Jesus had a chat with the Samaritan woman at the well, the woman was initially focused on the traditions of their fathers as follows:

Joh 4:7  There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.
Joh 4:8  (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) 
Joh 4:9  Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. 
Joh 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. 

Joh 4:19  The woman saith unto him, Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet. 
Joh 4:20 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.  

When Jesus asked for water, the woman’s response was to remind Jesus of the traditions of her Samaritan fathers who had no dealing with Jews. In addition, she being a woman means that Jesus shouldn’t have asked her for a drink. Later, the woman also told Jesus that their fathers worshiped on a mountain when she raised the issue that the place to worship was Jerusalem.  As we know, a woman represents a church, and therefore this woman initially signifies the elect when we were in captivity in Babylon or the churches of this world. At that time, we were focused on the traditions of our fathers, and therefore we did not want to have anything to do with the Lord’s elect, just as the Samaritans had no dealings with the Jews.

The question is, “What are these traditions of our fathers?” In the Bible, “the traditions of our fathers” refers to the oral and written laws, customs, and interpretations passed down through generations. These traditions include Christmas and birthday celebrations, physical baptism, Nicolaitan practices of having pastors lording over God’s people, adherence to the law of Moses, etc. 

In the book of Galatians, Paul reflects on his past life as a devout Jew, highlighting his zealous adherence to the “traditions of my fathers” before becoming the Lord’s elect.

Gal 1:13  For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews’ religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it: 
Gal 1:14 And profited in the Jews’ religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. 

Now, let’s turn our attention to the issue of washing of hands before eating which the Pharisees and the Scribes accused Jesus’ disciples of not doing. Our hands represent our works, and to eat signifies knowing the Lord through His word. Therefore, spiritually, washing our hands before eating means that we must purify our works before we can know Christ. In other words, it is our works which pave the way for us to know Christ. That is what those who live according to the law of Moses do. They think it is our works that save us. 

The disciples eating without washing their hands implies that it is not about works. It is rather through the Lord’s mercy that we are given faith to know Him. In other words, salvation is received through faith in Jesus Christ, not earned by good works, though works are seen as a natural outcome of faith. 

Gal 2:16  Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified. 

Rom 3:28  Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. 

When our worship is based on what we can do and not what the Lord will do through us, we end up obeying sets of rules which are in accordance with the law of Moses or the traditions of our fathers. That was what happened to us while we were in the churches of this world. The Pharisees and the Scribes accusing the Lord’s disciples of not washing their hands points to our brothers and sisters in the churches of this world accusing us of not having any physical works to show that we are serving the Lord. The multitude of Christians in the churches of this world attest to their good works while we, His elect, do not have anything to show. However, they forget that in the fullness of time, we shall have more children than them.

Gal 4:25  For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children. 
Gal 4:26  But Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of us all. 
Gal 4:27 For it is written, Rejoice, thou barren that bearest not; break forth and cry, thou that travailest not: for the desolate hath many more children than she which hath an husband.

Mat 15:3  But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? 
Mat 15:4  For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 
Mat 15:5  But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
Mat 15:6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. 

The traditions of our fathers go contrary to the word of the Lord. This is because while the Lord is seeking His people to worship Him in spirit and truth, because He is spirit, our traditions focus on physical worship which portrays itself in physical praise and worship, physical baptism, reciting of Bible verses, physical speaking of tongues, adherence to set rules and regulation, etc. 

Joh 4:23  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. 
Joh 4:24 God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.  

In verses 4-6, the Lord gave us an example of how we had perverted the word of the Lord regarding honoring our father or mother. This is because we had come to believe that if we give to the Lord what is due our fathers and mothers, then we do not have to honor them, although the word of the Lord says clearly that we should honor our fathers and mothers, so that we shall live long.

Exo 20:12  Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.  

Outwardly, it may sound like we want to please the Lord by giving to Him and not our fathers and mothers. However, the Bible teaches that love is a defining characteristic of a true follower of Christ. If we claim to love God but fail to show love and compassion to those around us, our claim is questionable. In other words, serving the Lord and caring for others are intertwined. 

Mat 25:34  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:35  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 
Mat 25:36  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 
Mat 25:37  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 
Mat 25:38  When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 
Mat 25:39  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 
Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

The churches of this world are endowed with physical wealth while the individual worshipers are struggling financially. This attest that the tradition of our fathers in giving to God and not having any obligation to our brothers and sisters undermine the word of the Lord. It is not surprising therefore that the whore shall be judged in the fullness of time.

Rev 18:15  The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her (the whore), shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, 
Rev 18:16  And saying, Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!
Rev 18:17 For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off,

Mat 15:7  Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 
Mat 15:8  This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 
Mat 15:9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 

At a certain stage of our walk with Christ, when we were in the churches of this world, we lived as hypocrites, which is defined in verse 8 as having the form of godliness in our worship of the Lord, but denying His power to transform us to become like Him. 

2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 
2Ti 3:6  For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 
2Ti 3:7  Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 
2Ti 3:8  Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 
2Ti 3:9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.

The question is, “Why do we draw near to the Lord with our mouth and honor Him with our lips, but our hearts are far away from Him?” The answer is given in verse 9 which shows us that it is because of the teachings of doctrines of men which are perversive in the corridors of the churches of this world or Babylon, which had kept us in bondage to serving the Lord without transforming us into His image. In other words, at that stage of our walk with Christ, we could not serve the Lord in truth and in spirit.

The question is, “What are the doctrines of men?” The following is the Lord’s definition of what the doctrines of men are:

Col 2:18  Let no man rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he hath seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 
Col 2:19  and not holding fast the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, increaseth with the increase of God.
Col 2:20  If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances, 
Col 2:21  Handle not, nor taste, nor touch 
Col 2:22  (all which things are to perish with the using), after the precepts and doctrines of men? 
Col 2:23 Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh. (ASV)

From these verses, we can see that doctrines of men show up in will-worship, the humility and severity of the body. In other words, these doctrines of men subtly promote what we think we can do. However, they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. Any teaching that promotes what we can do by ourselves, and not what the Lord will do through us, is a doctrine of men. Our walk with Christ is a walk of faith, and faith is not what we produce by ourselves, but the faith of Christ given to us as a gift. We therefore bring nothing to the table. Everything is of the Lord. 

Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ liveth in me: and that life which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, the faith which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.  

Let’s take a look at the Levitical priesthood of the Old Testament. To become a priest, one has to be part of Aaron’s linage. It has nothing to do with what one can do. It is determined by the Lord before one is born. In a similar vein, our status as the Lord’s elect is given and not attained by will-worship, humility and severity to our bodies. 

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ: 
Eph 1:4  even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blemish before him in love: 
Eph 1:5 having foreordained us unto adoption as sons through Jesus Christ unto himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

What Defiles a Person

Mat 15:10  And he called to him the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 
Mat 15:11 Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth the man; but that which proceedeth out of the mouth, this defileth the man. 

Remember that on most occasions, it is the multitudes who seek the Lord. However, in verse 10, it is the Lord that called the multitude. The multitude in this case therefore represents the elect, which is a positive application of multitude. It represents the period when Christ comes to us when we are still under the sway of Babylon, when our eyes of understanding are being enlightened to know that we are defiled by what is within us and not anything external which comes through our mouth. 

The source of our defilement is the man of sin or our flesh, when he is sitting on the throne of our hearts and minds. 

2Th 2:3  Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 
2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 

As we shall see later in this study, it is out of our hearts that all kinds of sins of the flesh come from.

Mat 15:19  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 

The sins mentioned here in Matthew 15:19 are the manifestation of the works of the flesh which are described as follows:

Gal 5:19  Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 
Gal 5:20  Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 

What strengthens the man of sin in our heavens or hearts and minds is false doctrines which serves as the blockage to the truth of the Lord’s words which sanctify us within.

Joh 17:17  Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth. 

As indicated in the case of the elders of Israel coming to enquire of the Lord from Ezekiel, the idol of their hearts, which is the same as the stumbling block of their iniquity, is what strengthens the flesh or the man of sin to defile the elders within and not what enters them through the mouth.

Eze 14:1  Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. 
Eze 14:2  And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 
Eze 14:3  Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them? 
Eze 14:4  Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; 
Eze 14:5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.  

On the contrary, it is the truth of the Lord’s words which dethrones the man of sin or our flesh.

2Th 2:7  For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 
2Th 2:8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:

Mat 15:12  Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? 

The Lord’s reformative teaching caused the Pharisees to be offended. According to Strong’s Dictionary, to be offended means to stumble. This shows us the double-edged sword nature of the word of the Lord. While to the elect, the Lord’s words lead to salvation, to our brothers and sisters in Babylon, represented by the Pharisees, the truth of the word of the Lord causes them to stumble and fall. 

1Pe 2:7  Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 
1Pe 2:8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

1Co 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1Co 1:19  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. 
1Co 1:20  Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 
1Co 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 

Mat 15:13  But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. 
Mat 15:14  Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. 

Here in verse 13, the Lord is showing us that to the elect, every false doctrine which is planted in our hearts and minds by the evil one shall be uprooted. 

2Pe 3:11  Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 
2Pe 3:12  Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 
2Pe 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.   

In verse 14, the Lord saying that the Pharisees should be left alone is another way of saying the following:

Rev 22:11  He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. 
Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 

The blind leaders refer to the Pharisees who in this case represent the leaders of the church system of this world. The blind leaders of the blind means that the leaders of the church system of this world are blind spiritually and are therefore leading the blind who signifies our brothers and sisters in the church system of this world. The end result of the blind leading the blind is that both will eventually fall in a pit. To fall into a pit means to become spiritually dead as shown in the following verses:

Eze 32:22  Asshur is there and all her company: his graves are about him: all of them slain, fallen by the sword: 
Eze 32:23 Whose graves are set in the sides of the pit, and her company is round about her grave: all of them slain, fallen by the sword, which caused terror in the land of the living.

Eze 32:29  There is Edom, her kings, and all her princes, which with their might are laid by them that were slain by the sword: they shall lie with the uncircumcised, and with them that go down to the pit.

Mat 15:15  Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. 
Mat 15:16  And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
Mat 15:17  Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
Mat 15:18  But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 
Mat 15:19  For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 
Mat 15:20  These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. 

Peter asking the Lord to explain the parable of what defiles us in verse 15 and Jesus asking Peter whether he also did not understand, means that at that time, the disciples were not given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven even though they were walking with Christ. This indicates that at a certain stage of our walk with Christ, we did not know Him through His words. 

Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 

Jesus explaining what defiles us to Peter in verses 17 to 20 show us that if we are called and chosen, just like Peter, we shall surely come to understand the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven. 

Mat 13:11  He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. 
Mat 13:12 For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. 

It is when the man of sin or our flesh sits in the throne of our hearts that out of it proceeds evil thoughts and all kinds of evil. On the other hands, eating with unwashed hands, which signifies knowing Christ through faith, even as we come to Him as we are. However, over time, His judgment of our old man shall result in our works (washed hands) being a sweet smelling offering to the Lord. 

May His Name be Praised for Choosing us in Him Before the Foundation of the World. Amen!!!