Words of Mass Destruction

After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand.  It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”

Then the disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?”

But he answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted.  Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind.  And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.”

Jesus said, “Are you still lacking in understanding also?  Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated?  But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.  For out the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.  These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”

Matthew 15:10-20

I can understand why the Pharisees were offended when Jesus said, “It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.” 

I never suffer from empty mouth syndrome.  Whenever I open my mouth, words fly out.  Sometimes those words are not too carefully chosen and I end up with a mouth full of foot.  Then the wiggling that goes on is not my toes, but me as I try to apologize for words which I thought were amusing or correcting or motivating, which were callous and hurtful to the recipient.

There are times when we need to correct or motivate people, but we need to do so with constructive words.  Even a corrupt person, responds to respect and our respect is reflected how we say things.  People who behave stupidly probably have been called “stupid” all their lives, so what if we say something different like, “You are capable of doing much better.”  Then what will happen?

We are the hands and feet and mouth of Jesus and we need to try every day to minister to those around us with kindness and love.

Once words of mass destruction fly out, we cannot put them back.