Unclean!Unclean! Religious people often worry about keeping the right rules lest they become unclean. Don't touch that... Don't eat this… Stay away from 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.” Matthew 15:10-11 Jesus tells his disciples that it's not what they put in their mouths that makes them unclean but rather what comes out of the heart. (I'm pretty sure that most children would love to quote Matthew 15:20 to their parents: “…But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”) I understand why people are anxious about keeping the rules. Rules and laws come in pretty handy in the ordering of our daily lives. But sometimes we focus on the letter of the law rather than its spirit. But Jesus cuts right to the heart of the matter... literally. He gives his disciples a short list of some of the things that proceed from our hearts. Evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander…just to name a few. Even rule abiding people can carry these things in their hearts. So, it can't just be about keeping the rules. Jesus wants us to keep our hearts clean. And that is beyond our human ability. It's not surprising that the Old Testament prophets spoke of a day when God would write his law in our heart, that he would put a new spirit within us. And that’s just what he does at our baptism. And the work of growing in Christ is the lifelong practice of surrendering to the Spirit and allowing God to wash our hearts clean.
Blessings,
Matthew+ Almighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (BCP p. 232) | 
