Matthew 15:20Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The fathers referred to this essential practice in various ways: some called it heart stillness, others attention, some sobriety and resistance to thoughts, and still others contemplation of thoughts and mindfulness. They dedicated themselves to this discipline and through it were able to receive divine gifts. Ecclesiastes supports this understanding, instructing, "Be happy, young man, in your youth... and walk in the ways of your heart with purity" (Ecclesiastes 11:9), further advising to guard one's heart from wicked thoughts. He elaborates elsewhere, warning that when the enemy’s temptations approach, one should not allow them entry into the heart (Ecclesiastes 10:4).

Saint Philaret of Moscow pointed out that in this single image, not only does Christ reject visible impurities, but He also reveals hidden defilements. When wicked thoughts arise from the heart and manifest in actions, they corrupt the entire person—his inner being and his outer expressions, affecting the heart and the physical body. However, if evil thoughts linger in the heart without translating into actions, they still taint the inner man, the soul. This internal impurity might go unnoticed by others observing one's outward demeanor; yet before God, who examines the heart, it holds the same severity as external immoral acts and is equally repugnant. Thus, the Lord categorizes malevolent thoughts with the same abhorrent labels we apply to sinful actions: evil thoughts, murder, adultery, insurrection, false testimony, and blasphemy. You may not have taken a life physically, yet the wish for another's demise arises in your heart: remember, such a thought is regarded as murder by the Lord. Your lips may not have uttered blasphemies against God, yet your heart may harbor ungracious and rebellious thoughts about His providence: take heed, for it is likely that your heart has already whispered blasphemy.

From this, it is evident that true heart purification, which enables one to behold God, requires the renunciation of not merely unlawful and sinful actions, but also each wicked thought, within which the potential for sinful behavior lies dormant like a seed. Saint John Chrysostom teaches us to discern what truly defiles a person and to avoid it. We observe many within the church meticulously adhering to the practice of entering with clean garments and washed hands, yet they give little thought to approaching God with a pure soul. In saying this, I do not discourage the washing of hands or face, but I encourage that this cleansing be thorough—not just with water, but with the virtues themselves. The tongue of the devoted is the hand by which we grasp the knees of God; hence, do not tarnish it, lest the Lord respond to you with, "And when you multiply your prayers, I will not hear" (Isaiah 1:15).

As long as divine statutes remain in effect, consuming food that contradicts the law can defile a person, as it stems from a heart that disregards the law and seeks to gratify the flesh. The other aspect of the parable indicates that the root of moral impurity resides within a person's heart, thus highlighting that those who seek to maintain purity before God must cleanse their hearts. The Lord did not delve into the regulations concerning clean and unclean foods, which were to be rendered obsolete with the cessation of the Old Testament system and the establishment of the New Covenant between God and humanity, along with the advent of the spiritual law in the hearts of the new Israel. Nevertheless, He disclosed to His disciples that these external regulations are, even now, vastly inferior to the internal laws.

11), prompting them to inform Jesus of the Pharisees' disturbance, hoping He might elucidate the previous statement (v. 11, 12, and 15).

The statement in verse 11 had clearly vexed the Pharisees, who had grown accustomed to the practice of ritual handwashing for spiritual cleanliness, interpreting Christ’s words as a challenge to this traditional law. They were likely offended, as in verse 11, Christ publicly addressed the people, undermining their authority with His teaching. In response to the disciples’ report regarding the Pharisees’ offense, Jesus referred either to the Pharisaic traditions, which were human inventions rather than divine mandates and thus should be discarded, or to the Pharisees themselves, who, although they were supposed to lead and teach the people, were not truly acting according to God's will and therefore lacked His special favor. They were destined to be uprooted (cf. 13:29-30). Therefore, He instructed not to follow them, lest they fall into the same pit of destruction, and to leave them to their own devices.

Subsequently, Peter, speaking for the disciples, requested clarification on the teachings about the defilement that enters through the mouth versus that which comes out. The Lord then explicitly stated that the food entering the mouth was not what defiled, but the evil thoughts, desires, and intentions that arise from the heart were what truly demonstrated the impurity of the human soul. While food passes through the body without affecting the spirit, the evil that emerges from the heart unveils the true condition of one's inner self.

Nevertheless, based on these sayings, some believe that Christ dismissed the practice of fasting. We must disagree with this interpretation. Fasting, whether through complete abstention from food or by consuming minimal amounts required for survival, has long been seen as a potent method for mastering the desires of the flesh. Individuals aiming to live a rational and moral life have consistently sought to restrain their passions and bring them under the governance of reason (spirit). They recognize that an abundant diet and certain types of food, such as meat and wine, tend to inflame passions and dull the conscience; hence, they have chosen either total abstinence from all meals for a period or limited their intake of meat and wine, or maintained a very modest diet overall. Christ Himself encouraged His disciples to combat the urges of the flesh and, as a model for us, He fasted for forty days in the wilderness. Thus, from His statement, "Not that which enters the mouth defiles a person," one cannot conclude that He dismissed the significance and necessity of fasting. He merely pointed out that it is not food consumption, disregarding the external purity valued by the Pharisees, that renders a person unworthy of the Kingdom of Heaven; rather, it is the evil thoughts and wrongful actions that do so. He emphasized that eating with unwashed hands does not render a person impure, and with these concluding remarks, He clarified the true essence of this discourse.

‘Murders’ can be understood as either physical, taking another’s life out of malice, or spiritual, which inclines one towards serious sins as noted in the sixth commandment. ‘Adulteries’ refer to desires and actions against the sanctity of marriage, as illustrated in Matt. 5:28 (seventh commandment). ‘Thefts’ involve seizing a neighbor’s possessions without consent, constituting an offense against the clear directive of God found in the tenth commandment (eighth commandment).

‘Perjury’ involves deceit motivated by a desire to harm another, violating the ninth commandment as part of the tenth commandment. ‘Blasphemies’ can refer to offenses against God (third commandment) or others. The pluralization suggests varied occurrences and forms of murder, theft, and similar wrongdoings.

The root of this uncleanness lies within the heart, encompassing the soul and its various faculties, particularly the mind and will. In His teachings, Jesus did not address the regulations concerning pure and impure foods (Leviticus 11), which had been misinterpreted by the Pharisees; these statutes were meant to become obsolete with the end of Old Testament laws. Through His statements, the Lord indicated that there existed a higher principle of spiritual purity and impurity, beyond the Mosaic laws of external cleanliness that had been contorted by the misguided interpretations of legalists, and this principle would later apply to all.

Moreover, He did not assert that all types of food are neutral for humanity, as excessive indulgence and a selfish desire in the selection of food, which contradicts pious traditions and guidelines, are manifestations of gluttony that reside in the heart and contaminate a person. Earlier, addressing the confusion faced by John's disciples, Christ mentioned that His followers would fast when the heavenly Bridegroom was no longer with them (Matthew 9:15). He subsequently cautioned against overindulgence and becoming ensnared by life’s distractions, emphasizing that these wicked tendencies stem from the heart: “take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with gluttony and drunkenness and worldly sorrows” (Luke 21:34). Therefore, according to the Lord's perspective, food that is ingested, when combined with the immoral desires of the heart, ceases to be morally neutral.