Matthew 15:19Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

He explains that food does not stay in the stomach but is eliminated; if it did remain, it would not taint a person, but they were still struggling to grasp this. This is why the law allows food to be consumed without washing while it is still inside, but once it is expelled, the command is to cleanse oneself. The time for digestion is taken into account, but the impurity of the heart lingers inside and defiles a person, not only while it remains there but also when it emerges. He begins by listing the sinful thoughts specific to the Jews, shifting away from examples based on the nature of things to the source of these thoughts—some come from the womb, while others arise from the heart, some persist within, and others do not. What enters a person from the outside is expelled, but what comes from within taints him even after it leaves, and to an even greater extent. He presented this argument because the disciples, as I mentioned, were not yet ready to comprehend it fully.

Envy is associated with the term "evil eye," and folly primarily stems from ignorance of God: "The fool," it is stated, "says in his heart, There is no God" (Psalm 13:1). While there are numerous other forms of evil, Christ refrains from listing them here, as the examples provided are sufficient for identification. He mentioned that these actions arise from the heart, indicating their origin. The thoughts that typically emerge from the heart serve as this initial source. If they stem from the heart, they will inevitably surface through speech, as the inner turmoil of the heart, much like a contaminated liquid, must ultimately spill over.

Consequently, fasting is not solely for the restraint of the physical body; it also serves to clarify the mind, preventing it from becoming clouded by excess consumption and maintaining its mastery over our thoughts. Therefore, we should focus not only on physical fasting but also on mindfulness regarding our thoughts and spiritual education, both of which are indispensable for attaining true purity. Let us strive initially to cleanse the inner self so that our outward actions may also reflect this purity. Similarly, our Soul's Healer has provided a remedy for the very root of sin, asserting: Anyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 15:19). This statement serves not merely to correct the actions of the eyes but to safeguard the soul, which employs our God-given sight for virtuous purposes. Wisdom instructs us: keep thy eyes, and keep thy heart more than all that is kept (Proverbs 4:23). In essence, He has instilled a nurturing vigilance and strict oversight within the heart, preventing it from using the eyes according to its whims. The heart thus becomes the source of our purification. Should a memory of any woman—a mother, sister, or any pious woman—cross our minds, we must swiftly expel it from our hearts. We should not dwell on such thoughts for long, as the deceitful enemy of our souls will seize this opportunity to implant further images and shameful fantasies.

Various fathers referred to this endeavor with different terms: some called it the stillness of the heart, others referred to it as vigilance, and still others termed it sobriety and the resistance of unworthy thoughts, as well as the contemplation of one’s thoughts and the safeguarding of the mind. They all engaged in this practice intently and were able to receive divine gifts through it. The Book of Ecclesiastes also acknowledges this, saying, "Be joyful, young man, during your childhood... and follow the inclinations of your heart (Ecclesiastes 11:9)," while also advising to keep one’s heart free from evil thoughts. Similarly, it suggests in another passage that when temptation arises, one should not allow it entry into their heart (Ecclesiastes 10:4).

This encapsulates the commandment: “Be sober and vigilant. Pay attention to yourselves. Brace the loins of your mind.” Attention must be accompanied by discernment. While good and evil both flow from the heart, not every good inclination inspired there should be acted upon. What ought to be done will be decided through discernment. Reasoning serves as the gardener’s tool, capable of pruning some branches while nurturing others.

As long as divine laws regarding food persist, violating these laws will indeed corrupt an individual, for it stems from a heart that disregards the law and indulges the flesh. The other aspect of the parable indicates that the root of moral impurity resides within the human heart, hence those who seek to maintain purity before God must cleanse their hearts. The Lord did not elaborate on the food laws that were to be rendered obsolete with the end of the Old Testament system when the New Covenant was established between God and humanity, along with the spiritual law engraved in the hearts of the new Israel. Nonetheless, He made it clear to His disciples that these external laws are relatively insignificant compared to the internal principles.

11 led the Pharisees astray; they were so accustomed to the requirement of washing hands for spiritual cleanliness before meals that they perceived Christ's words as undermining the law of purification. Additionally, they may have been aggrieved because, in v. 11, Christ spoke directly to the people and challenged their authority. In response to the news of the Pharisees' stumbling, Christ referred either to the human tradition that contradicted divine command and was therefore destined for eradication, or directly to the Pharisees, who, despite being leaders and teachers, were not aligned with God's will, and thus were not considered His planted ones, the caretakers infused with divine purpose who would receive His protection; rather, they were destined for destruction (έκριζόω cf. 13:29-30). Therefore, He instructed His followers to disregard them. In the first interpretation, this urged not to adhere to their teachings lest they fall into a similar fate; in the second, it advised to leave them be and not concern themselves with their matters. Following this, the apostle Peter, speaking for all the disciples, requested clarification from the Lord regarding His puzzling remarks about the defilement related to what enters and what comes out of the mouth. The Lord then explained that what enters the mouth pertains to food, while what exits from the mouth symbolizes evil thoughts, desires, and intentions, all stemming from the heart. These negative expressions reveal the impurity and turmoil of the human soul, while food simply passes through the body, leaving the spirit untainted.

Nonetheless, many interpret these words to mean that Christ disavowed fasting, a notion with which we cannot concur. Fasting, whether through complete abstention from food or by consuming minimal sustenance, has long been viewed as a formidable tool in overcoming the desires of the flesh. Individuals striving for a life guided by reason rather than base instincts have always sought to restrain their passions and bring them under the authority of reason (spirit); understanding that excessive food intake and certain foods, like meat and wine, can ignite these passions and dull one's conscience, these individuals have turned to complete abstinence, avoided meat and wine, or adopted very modest diets. Christ Himself encouraged His followers to combat the flesh, and as an example for us, He fasted for forty days in the wilderness. Therefore, it cannot be concluded from His statement that "not that which enters into the mouth defiles a man" that He dismissed the significance and necessity of fasting. He emphasized that what truly defiles a person, rendering them unworthy of the Kingdom of Heaven, are evil thoughts and sinful actions, rather than food or its intake without adhering to the external cleanliness upheld by the Pharisees: He stated that eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person, thereby clarifying any confusion regarding the true meaning of this dialogue.

‘Murders’ can manifest in two forms: physical, by taking another's life from malice, or spiritual, by leaning towards grave sins (as outlined in the sixth commandment). ‘Adulteries’ relate to the perversion of marital fidelity (cf. Matt. 5:28, seventh commandment). ‘Thefts’ involve unlawfully taking someone else's property against their consent, violating the clear directive found in the tenth commandment (eighth commandment). ‘Perjury’ refers to speaking falsehoods with the intent to harm a neighbor, which is contrary to the ninth and tenth commandments. ‘Blasphemies’ pertain to offenses against God (third commandment) or a neighbor. The use of plural forms indicates the various instances and types of wrongful acts such as murder and theft.

Here, Jesus did not address the laws governing what is permissible and impermissible to eat (Leviticus 11), which had been misapplied by the Pharisees, as those regulations were destined to be abolished along with the entirety of the Old Testament statutes. By His remarks, the Lord anticipated that beyond the Mosaic law concerning external purity and impurity—which had been distorted by the misguided interpretations of the blind legalists—there existed a superior law of internal spiritual purity and impurity that would eventually apply universally. He did not claim that all food is morally neutral, for excessive eating and indulgent choices contrary to righteous customs and guidelines are, in themselves, reflections of self-serving desires that reside in the heart and defile a person. Earlier, addressing the confusion of John’s disciples, Jesus spoke of His followers fasting when the heavenly Bridegroom would be taken from them (Matthew 9:15). He subsequently cautioned against excess in eating and drinking and being consumed by worldly concerns, indicating the root of these sinful tendencies within the heart: “take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with gluttony and drunkenness and worldly cares” (Luke 21:34). Thus, according to the Lord’s teaching, food that enters through the mouth, when combined with the sinful inclinations of the heart, is no longer morally neutral.