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Words, Self-righteousness, and Violence
Unless you have been living under a rock, you know that in recent days, words have spilled over into violence in America(again). After the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump and the murder and mayhem associated with it, the words have not stopped. In some ways, they have intensified as the blame is assigned, then shifted and assigned again, breeding suspicion and more blame. And it’s not a matter of which “side” you’re on. The hatred seems almost universal on all sides. So today, I want to talk about words and the dark places in our hearts that give birth to them.
And he called the people to him and said to them,
“Hear and understand:
it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person,
but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”
Then the disciples came and said to him,
“Do you know that the Pharisees were offended
when they heard this saying?”
He answered,
“Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted
will be rooted up.
Let them alone; they are blind guides.
And if the blind lead the blind,
both will fall into a pit.”
But Peter said to him,
“Explain the parable to us.”
And he said,
“Are you also still without understanding?
Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth
passes into the stomach and is expelled?
But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart,
and this defiles a person.
For out of the heart come evil thoughts,
murder, adultery, sexual immorality,
theft, false witness, slander.
These are what defile a person.
But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”
Matt 15:10-20 ESV
What is going on here?
There were many food and cleansing laws in Israel at the time of Jesus, and the Pharisees strictly enforced them. Remaining ceremonially clean was a high priority with them. By saying this, Jesus was not trying to abolish the practice of washing your hands before you eat. He wanted to draw attention to an uncleanness that water can not remove.
To be clean in God’s eyes requires more than washing your hands and abstaining from certain foods. Jesus wanted to talk about their hearts. His blunt dismissal of the Pharisees, who could not see the difference between outward observance and inward change, is sobering. Jesus had no time for pretense.
But disciples, then and now, want to know more. So, he answered their question and explained his parable to them. This is always the way with God. Seek, and you will find. The Pharisees never heard the answer because they never asked. They never asked because they thought they already knew.
The Deeper Problem
The deeper problem with evil is that it does not come from dirty hands or improperly prepared food. Food quite literally goes in one end and out the other, as Jesus somewhat drily explains. The source of evil is much more disturbing. Evil comes from deep within all of us. It comes from our hearts.
But the darkness of our hearts does not stay in our hearts. It finds its way into the world through our words, and our words grow into evil and violence of all sorts. Jesus explained that evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, and slander all flow from our hearts and are released through our words. Words based on this inner evil defile us.
Words are not harmless. They release all kinds of evil into this world and destroy our own lives in the process. Words grow into actions, and actions have consequences. Whether we are talking to ourselves or others, our words have power. James says it this way:
James 1:26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. [ESV]
And again:
James 3:3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. [ESV]
We live in a connected world which in effect means we all live in a small town. Where words whispered among friends on social media can affect people on the other side of the country or the world. The words we hear are a toxic mix of truth, lies, and ignorance. They corrupt us as we receive them into our hearts and release them into the world.
What are we to do?
The short answer is we need to love with our actions. We need to do more and talk less. I think Peter said it best, so I will end with his advice.
For the culmination of all things is near.
So be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of prayer.
Above all keep your love for one another fervent,
because love covers a multitude of sins.
Show hospitality to one another without complaining.
Just as each one has received a gift,
use it to serve one another as good stewards
of the varied grace of God.
Whoever speaks, let it be with God’s words.
Whoever serves, do so with the strength that God supplies,
so that in everything
God will be glorified through Jesus Christ.
To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever.
Amen.
I Peter 4:7-11 [NET Bible]
Get full access to On walking the Way at tompossin.substack.com/subscribe
Have a great week!
Get full access to On walking the Way at tompossin.substack.com/subscribe
View all episodes
By Tom PossinUnless you have been living under a rock, you know that in recent days, words have spilled over into violence in America(again). After the attempted assassination of former president Donald Trump and the murder and mayhem associated with it, the words have not stopped. In some ways, they have intensified as the blame is assigned, then shifted and assigned again, breeding suspicion and more blame. And it’s not a matter of which “side” you’re on. The hatred seems almost universal on all sides. So today, I want to talk about words and the dark places in our hearts that give birth to them.
And he called the people to him and said to them,
“Hear and understand:
it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person,
but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”
Then the disciples came and said to him,
“Do you know that the Pharisees were offended
when they heard this saying?”
He answered,
“Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted
will be rooted up.
Let them alone; they are blind guides.
And if the blind lead the blind,
both will fall into a pit.”
But Peter said to him,
“Explain the parable to us.”
And he said,
“Are you also still without understanding?
Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth
passes into the stomach and is expelled?
But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart,
and this defiles a person.
For out of the heart come evil thoughts,
murder, adultery, sexual immorality,
theft, false witness, slander.
These are what defile a person.
But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”
Matt 15:10-20 ESV
What is going on here?
There were many food and cleansing laws in Israel at the time of Jesus, and the Pharisees strictly enforced them. Remaining ceremonially clean was a high priority with them. By saying this, Jesus was not trying to abolish the practice of washing your hands before you eat. He wanted to draw attention to an uncleanness that water can not remove.
To be clean in God’s eyes requires more than washing your hands and abstaining from certain foods. Jesus wanted to talk about their hearts. His blunt dismissal of the Pharisees, who could not see the difference between outward observance and inward change, is sobering. Jesus had no time for pretense.
But disciples, then and now, want to know more. So, he answered their question and explained his parable to them. This is always the way with God. Seek, and you will find. The Pharisees never heard the answer because they never asked. They never asked because they thought they already knew.
The Deeper Problem
The deeper problem with evil is that it does not come from dirty hands or improperly prepared food. Food quite literally goes in one end and out the other, as Jesus somewhat drily explains. The source of evil is much more disturbing. Evil comes from deep within all of us. It comes from our hearts.
But the darkness of our hearts does not stay in our hearts. It finds its way into the world through our words, and our words grow into evil and violence of all sorts. Jesus explained that evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, and slander all flow from our hearts and are released through our words. Words based on this inner evil defile us.
Words are not harmless. They release all kinds of evil into this world and destroy our own lives in the process. Words grow into actions, and actions have consequences. Whether we are talking to ourselves or others, our words have power. James says it this way:
James 1:26 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. 27 Religion that is pure and undefiled before God the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world. [ESV]
And again:
James 3:3 If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. 4 Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. 5 So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. [ESV]
We live in a connected world which in effect means we all live in a small town. Where words whispered among friends on social media can affect people on the other side of the country or the world. The words we hear are a toxic mix of truth, lies, and ignorance. They corrupt us as we receive them into our hearts and release them into the world.
What are we to do?
The short answer is we need to love with our actions. We need to do more and talk less. I think Peter said it best, so I will end with his advice.
For the culmination of all things is near.
So be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of prayer.
Above all keep your love for one another fervent,
because love covers a multitude of sins.
Show hospitality to one another without complaining.
Just as each one has received a gift,
use it to serve one another as good stewards
of the varied grace of God.
Whoever speaks, let it be with God’s words.
Whoever serves, do so with the strength that God supplies,
so that in everything
God will be glorified through Jesus Christ.
To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever.
Amen.
I Peter 4:7-11 [NET Bible]
Get full access to On walking the Way at tompossin.substack.com/subscribe
Have a great week!
Get full access to On walking the Way at tompossin.substack.com/subscribe