On Saturday, June 22, 2002, the scheduled game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field was cancelled because of an eerie discovery. The Card’s ace pitcher was found dead in a Chicago hotel room. Thirty-three-year-old Darryl Kile, who wore num¬ber 57, had been a major league pitching sensation for 12 years and had appeared in three All-Star games.
At a recent team physical, the 6-foot 5-inch athlete seemed in excellent health. When the medical examiners conducted an autopsy later that day, they discovered that Kile had died from a massive heart attack. His main coronary artery was 90 percent blocked. Darryl Kile appeared to be healthy, but his heart was diseased.
Things are not always what they appear to be on the surface. This is the point Jesus was making on this occasion when the Pharisees came to Him with a question, "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!" (v. 2).
Their concern was not sanitation, but tradition. Their approach to things was to focus on outward modifications, not inner transformation. They felt that God was impressed by their outward expressions of piety, but Jesus made it clear that God was more concerned with the heart.
"Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." - 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV)
Jesus pointed out the failure of the Pharisee’s approach by citing an example of their hypocrisy (vs. 3-9). The Pharisees had made a secondary duty the excuse for denying a primary one. By dedicating their property to the temple, they allowed themselves to deny giving any aid or support to their parents, thus thwarting completely God’s Word concerning honoring their father and mother. The Pharisees called this "Corban" (a gift devoted to God). All their emphasis on outward tradition did not make a single difference on what God is concerned with—inner transformation (vs. 8-9)!
You see, hypocrisy is pretending to be something I am not. This is something that God detests. Therefore, it something that we should also detest! The desire of every Christian should be consistency - what you see on the outside is a true reflection of what is on the inside.
Yes, we want our outward life to honor God. But the way to achieve this is not by means of external modification, but by means of internal transformation. Jesus made this clear on another occasion when speaking to the Pharisees, when He said:
"How terrible it will be for you teachers of religious law and you Pharisees. Hypocrites! You are so careful to clean the outside of the cup and the dish, but inside you are filthy—full of greed and self-indulgence! Blind Pharisees! First wash the inside of the cup, and then the outside will become clean, too. " - Matthew 23:25-26 (NLT)
All this brings us to a consideration of what our Lord says about our mouths (v. 18). Jesus tells us that if we are going to experience internal transformation, we need to carefully note how we use our tongue!
"Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks." - Matthew 12:34 (NIV)
Just as a physician examines your tongue in the effort to diagnose your physical health, Jesus says we should examine the use of our tongue in order to diagnose our spiritual health. Any inappropriate use of the tongue - lying, gossip, slander, criticism, cursing, cussing, etc., is an indication of how our heart needs to be made more holy or more whole.
Life consists of the actions we take or the reactions we make. How we express ourselves and/or explain ourselves in the midst of our actions and reactions reveals the condition of our hearts. This is the point Jesus is making in verse 19. Every action or reaction has its beginning in the heart. Every act was first an attitude. This was the point Jesus made in the Sermon on the Mount:
"You’re familiar with the command to the ancients, "Do not murder.’ I’m telling you that anyone who is so much as angry with a brother or sister is guilty of murder." - Matthew 5:21-22 (The Message)
"You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery. But I say to you that everyone who so much as looks at a woman with evil desire for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." - Matthew 5:27-28 (Amplified)
So let’s think about how we express ourselves or explain ourselves in actions and reactions, see what that might say about the condition of our hearts, and then talk about what we can do to see true internal transfor¬mation take place in our lives.
1. The Actions We Take.
How would you explain the actions you take in life? What you have to say for yourself reveals much about the condition of your heart.
For example, if you explain your work ethic in terms of "I believe in doing just enough to get by," your words reveal an unholy way of think¬ing about your work and obligations to those who employ you. On the other hand, if you explain your work ethic in terms of "I believe in giving an honest day’s work for an honest day’s pay," your words reveal a way of thinking about your work that is more consistent with the teaching of God’s Word.
Think about other areas of life - your marriage, your friendships, your finances, your recreation, your hobbies, your use of time, your church involvement, etc. How would you "explain yourself?" What might your words reveal about the condition of your heart? Do your words reveal any unholy ways of thinking?
But how do I know if the thoughts of my heart are not holy? You can know by asking God to reveal it to you. This was the point of the prayer of David in Psalm 139:
"Search me [thoroughly], O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." - Psalm 139:23-24 (Amplified)
What’s the solution? Renewal. What do I do if I discern that there is an "wicked or hurtful way" of thinking in my heart? I need to invest in "renewing my mind" so that my heart can be filled with that which is holy, pure and good.
"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things." - Matthew 12:35 (NKJV)
Solomon expressed the same truth when he said that as a person "thinks in his heart, so is he" (Proverbs 23:7). Therefore, if I want to change the way I act, I must change the way I think, and the key to that is meditating on God’s Word. If I am to develop holy ways, I must meditate on God’s holy Word.
"How well God must like you—you don’t hang out at Sin Saloon, you don’t slink along Dead-End Road, you don’t go to Smart-Mouth College. Instead you thrill to GOD’s Word, you chew on Scripture day and night." - Psalm 1:1-2 (The Message)
2. The Reactions We Make.
If I had a cup that I couldn’t see through, how would I know what’s inside it? Well, there are two ways: A. I could tip it over and see what pours out. B. I could look inside. It’s the same with us. If you want to know what’s in your heart, see what pours out when you’re upset.
While the actions we take reveal whether or not we have a wicked way within us and indicate how we need to be made holy; the reactions we make reveal whether or not we have wounds within us and indicate how we need to be made whole.
What does your tongue reveal about the wounded ness of your heart? Is there unresolved anger? Bitterness? Resentment? Insecurity? Feelings of rejection? Like with the cup, there is another way to find out what’s inside that doesn’t involve being upset. We can look inside. Actually, we can ask God to look inside and reveal to us areas where we need healing and wholeness.
When we are wounded in some way (often through the words or actions of another person) we ask ourselves "Why me?" That’s when the evil one comes along with his lies. He tells us that this has happened because we are unlovely, unlovable, stupid, ugly, a reject, a failure, etc. When these lies are planted in our hearts, then negative emotions are triggered by various circumstances, and the hurt within comes out when we react.
What’s the solution? Replacement. I need to allow God to replace the lies the devil has told me about myself with His truth. This is part of what Jesus was referring to in verse 13 where He said, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots." The Lord wants to uproot the lies that Satan has planted in the midst of your woundedness and replace that lie with His truth.
Some of you realize the wrongfulness of your reactions, and have determined, to stop thinking in the way that causes you to react inappropriately, but you are having no success. Why? Because recognizing and resisting the false belief alone will not work. The lie must be replaced with truth.
There is a story told of the alchemist who sold villagers a special powder that he claimed would turn water into gold provided that when they mixed it, they never thought of red monkeys. Well, of course, no one ever got the gold, because you can’t tell yourself to stop thinking about red monkeys without thinking about red monkeys. It doesn’t work to say, "Well, I’m just not going to think about those things. I’m going to put all of that out of my mind." By trying to approach things that way, you only focus on the hurt all the more. No, the lie must be replaced by the truth.
God can bring you healing and wholeness. You can be set free from the "lies that bind." You do not have to be a prisoner to your past.
Conclusion: God calls us to holiness and wholeness within - in our heart. Jesus tells us that our words are indicators of the condition of our heart. What are your words saying about your heart. What is your "heart talk?"
Let the lord show you where you need to be made holy or whole within. Let Him renew your thinking and replace those lie with His truth.
"May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he’ll do it!" - 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 (The Message)
