Jesus said to them, "You are still no more intelligent than the others. Don’t you understand? Anything that goes into a person’s mouth goes into his stomach and then on out of his body. But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these are the things that make a person ritually unclean. For from his heart come the evil ideas which lead him to kill, commit adultery, and do other immoral things; to rob, lie, and slander others. These are the things that make a person unclean. But to eat without washing your hands as they say you should – this doesn’t make a person unclean."

Matthew 15:16-20

The bold statements Jesus made about the Pharisees hurt their feelings. They were great at appearing righteous on the outside, but they had no concern for the hypocrisy in their hearts. As disciples of Christ, our focus should be on keeping our hearts clean so that our words will reflect genuine righteousness.

It is wise to think about the words you use throughout the day, wherever you go. What you say reflects the condition of your heart.

To rule your tongue, let Christ reign in your heart.

Our Daily Bread – Matthew 15:10-12