Eating Without Washing Your Hands

Jesus then said:
“Don’t any of you know what I am talking about by now? Don’t you know that the food you put into your mouth goes into your stomach and then out of your body? But the words that come out of your mouth come from your heart. And they are what make you unfit to worship God. Out of your heart come evil thoughts, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, vulgar deeds, stealing, telling lies, and insulting others. These are what make you unclean. Eating without washing your hands will not make you unfit to worship God.”

That passage is from Matthew 15: 16-20 (the entire story is v. 10-20). I sit and laugh to myself, for, I think of all the people I come across in life and how this pertains to each and everyone of us, myself included (I’m no angel and I know it). We all look at others and tell them what makes them unacceptable to God and why they don’t have the right to worship Him, then we turn around and insult people, do things that are not ethical in business, steal, and tell lies.

I mean some of us believe that white lies are harmless and not bad, but isn’t a “little white lie” still a lie. We should sit back and really analyze our position in life. If we claim to love God and worship God then shouldn’t we take into account that the small things in life like: not taking communion on a regular basis or not going to confession is small potatoes compared to the people that do make communion every week, but are shady in their business practices or lie and gossip about others.

How can we look at people straight in the face and be “nicey, nice” to them but once their back is turned we talk mean things of them and insult them, but yet we claim to worship God and that we are good. How can we claim to be “good” when the words that come out of our mouths are so bad, evil, malicious, and insulting?

So in essence, “Eating without washing your hands will not make you unfit to worship God,” but the bad words that come out of your mouth are what make you unclean and unfit. Let’s put an end to the gossip. Let’s put an end to the lying and stealing. Let’s cleanse our hearts and souls and think positive and feel good. Then the words that come out of our mouths will reflect our love for God.