They chastised those who merely appeared righteous externally yet were corrupt on the inside; they condemned those whose virtue existed solely in the sight of men. However, the Lord sought our inner goodness; if that exists, outward goodness must follow. He said, Cleanse what is within, and the outside will also be clean (Matt. 23:26). The Lord further instructed: Offer better alms, and behold, everything will be clean for you (Luke 11:41). Where do these alms originate? From the heart. If you extend your hand in charity without genuine remorse in your heart, your act is empty; however, if your heart feels sorrow even when you have nothing to give, the Lord accepts your offering. Yet those unrighteous individuals pursued external cleanliness. Among them was a Pharisee who invited the Lord to a meal. During this gathering, a notorious sinful woman approached Him, washing His feet with her tears, drying them with her hair, and anointing them with oil. The Pharisee, who had only an outward appearance of righteousness but a heart filled with corruption, thought to himself, If He were a prophet, He would know what kind of woman was at His feet. Why did he question whether He truly knew? Because he presumed that the Lord was unaware, believing that the Lord would reject her. Had such a woman approached the Pharisee, he would have been outraged, pushing her away, fearing the defilement of his supposed purity. Since the Lord did not turn her away, the Pharisee concluded that He lacked knowledge of her character. Yet, the Lord understood her completely and discerned his thoughts. If physical contact bears any significance, O unclean Pharisee, would the woman's touch sully the Lord's flesh, or would it purify the woman instead? The Healer permitted the sick woman to reach out to the remedy. Recognizing the Healer, she, who was lost in her sin, became even bolder in her pursuit of salvation. She entered a house uninvited, bringing her wounds to where the Healer was reclined. The one who invited the Healer believed himself to be whole and thus in no need of healing. You are aware of what transpired next in the Gospel: how the Pharisee faltered when the Lord confirmed His knowledge of the woman and her thoughts. Now, let us return to the passage from the Gospel that ties directly to our verse about how our mouths were filled with joy and our tongues with gladness. We must consider, what mouth and what tongue are we discussing? Pay attention, beloved brethren. The Lord was questioned over His disciples eating with unwashed hands. In response, He declared to the crowd: Listen, everyone, and take heed! What enters the mouth does not defile a man, but what comes out of it does. What is the implication of this? When He spoke of what enters the mouth, He was referencing the physical mouth alone. Food passes into the mouth, and it does not make one unclean because all things are pure for those who are clean, and God’s creations are good; nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude (1 Tim. 4:4). The Jews were given figurative references that were labeled unclean (Lev. 11:1 ff.). Yet now that the True Light has arrived, these shadows are dispelled; we no longer abide by the letter of the law but instead live in spirit. The burden of the law that weighed heavily on the Jews does not apply to Christians, for the Lord declared, My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matt. 11:30). The Apostle states as well that to the pure, all things are pure; but to the impure and disobedient, nothing is pure, as their minds and consciences are corrupted (Titus 1:15). What does this clarify? To the pure, both bread and pork are considered clean; to the impure, neither is clean. To the impure and disobedient, nothing is pure. Why is this? Because their thoughts and consciences are tainted; if the inner self is unclean, the outer cannot be pure. Therefore, since those whose inner lives are unclean cannot have clean outer actions, to purify the outward, one must first cleanse the inward. Within, you harbor a mouth filled with joy even in silence; when your heart rejoices and you maintain silence, your very spirit cries out to God. However, consider why you rejoice. If your joy stems from worldly pursuits, you cry out to God with tainted joy; but if your joy is rooted in redemption as articulated in this Psalm, When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we rejoiced, your mouth is truly filled with joy and your tongue with gladness. It is evident that you rejoice in hope, and your joy is welcomed by God. With this joy, or these inner mouths, we partake and are nourished: just as the physical mouth sustains the body, the inner mouth nourishes the spirit. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied (Matt. 5:6). If only what emerges from the mouth can defile, and the Lord’s teaching clarifies that He speaks of the physical mouth, it becomes ludicrous to suggest that a person is rendered unclean, not by eating, but by expelling it. For the Lord teaches: It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes out of it (Matt. 15:1-20; Mk. 7:5-23). Therefore, while you consume food, you remain clean; it is in the act of expelling that one becomes defiled. Similarly, when you drink, you are not made unclean, but if you were to spit, you become unclean. Indeed, in spitting, something exits the mouth; in drinking, something enters. What did the Lord mean when He stated: What enters the mouth does not defile a man, but what comes out does? Another Evangelist elaborated, explaining precisely what proceeds from the mouth, underscoring that He is addressing the heart and not the visible mouth. He said, For out of the heart come evil thoughts, fornication, murder, slander; these are the things that defile a man, while eating with unwashed hands does not (Matt. 15:1-20; Mk. 7:5-23). And how do all these things emerge from the mouth, my brethren, if not because they originate from the heart, as the Lord notes? It is therefore not the words spoken that defile us. Let no one claim that when we articulate our thoughts, we release all these things, for words originate from the mouth, and when we speak ill, we become impure. What if another remains silent but harbors evil thoughts? Is that person clean simply because they do not vocalize their thoughts? No, God hears the inner conversations of the heart. Now, dear brethren, heed my words carefully. I mention ‘theft,’ and by naming it, does it taint me? Realize, it has emerged from my mouth without making me unclean. Conversely, the thief who prowls at night says nothing, choosing silence to hide his misdeeds. Is he considered pure just because he doesn't speak? I assert further, even if he lies in bed, he has not yet committed the act, waits for others to slumber, yet he is already guilty before God; the criminal spirit has already manifested in his heart. When does an action emerge? It arises from a heart intent on wrongdoing. You decide, express, and then act. If you outwardly refrain from theft, it may well be that the one you contemplated stealing from is undeserving; they lose nothing, but you are nonetheless guilty of theft. If one secretly intends to murder, they have already enacted murder in their heart; that person may remain unpunished in human terms, but they stand condemned before God. The essence lies in who you truly are before the Lord, not merely in how you appear to others. Hence, we must acknowledge the existence of both a heart's mouth and a heart's tongue. It is through these inner faculties that we are filled with joy, and we pray to God inwardly even when our lips are sealed; our conscience remains open. In stillness, we cry out, but for whom? Not for human ears, but for God's. Be assured—you are heard by Him who hears your innermost thoughts. Conversely, just because no human hears the evil from your mouth, do not presume silence grants you peace; the Judge hears all. The unjust judges ignored Susanna; she remained silent and prayed. Her lips did not convey her plight to men, yet her heart beseeched God (Dan. 13:35). Was she not deserving of being heard because her voice did not escape her physical mouth? She was heard; when she prayed, no one among the people knew. So, beloved, reflect upon what resides in your inner mouths. Ensure you harbor no evil sentiments inwardly and that your outward actions are devoid of wrongdoing, for it is only through one’s actions that one can communicate outwardly. Guard your heart’s mouth from iniquity, and you will stand blameless; your physical tongue will remain pure, as will your hands, eyes, and ears. All your members will engage in righteous endeavors, guided by the righteous Commander reigning in your heart.
THEOSIS