IN this very fruitful passage of holy scripture, we have two hearts unfolded, namely, the heart of man, and the heart of God. We see, in the first place, man’s heart reached, notwithstanding, the thick covering of religious observances that concealed it; and, in the second place, we see the heart of God reached, notwithstanding the dispensational barriers that concealed it. In this way, the passage divides itself, very naturally, into two parts, the first including verses 1 to 20; and the second including verses 21 to 28. Let us look closely at the entire of it, and may the Spirit of God unfold its beauty, and apply its power to our souls!
In chapter 14, we see our blessed Lord engaged in His characteristic work of feeding the hungry and healing the sick — meeting all manner of human need. This was the work that suited Him. He was at home in it. He came down from heaven to do it. “And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and healed their sick.” And again we read, “They came into the land of Gennesaret. And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that, were diseased; and besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.”
Such was the work that suited the loving heart of Jesus. He ever delighted in meeting man’s need. But at the opening of chapter 15, we meet with something totally different. There is a different kind of work altogether to be wrought here. It is not meeting man’s need, but unmasking man’s hypocrisy. In a word, man’s heart is to be reached; and we here see the penetrating eye of Christ following man through all the windings, labyrinths, and specious coverings, by which he vainly seeks to hide his conscience from the light of the divine presence and judgment. Anything for man but exposure in the presence of God. And why? Because he can never feel at home there until he takes his true place as a needy one. The very moment I get a true sense of my need, I find my home in the presence of God. Precious truth!
“Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.” What a difference it makes whether man brings his religiousness or his need to Christ! The former is ever met with exposure and rebuke; the latter by unqualified grace and unlimited supply. Now, these Scribes and Pharisees bring their religiousness to Christ, and quote the decrees of the elders as their authority. How much better to have brought their necessities and their sins to Jesus, as detected and unfolded by the testimony of God! The very best thing a sinner can do is to bring his sins to Jesus, and thus get completely rid of their heavy load; and one of the very worst things a sinner can do is to hide his sins from Jesus under a cloak of religious observances, for it matters not how imposing or attractive those observances may be, or how well supported by the traditions and doctrines of men, the heart must be reached after all. Man’s conscience must be brought, sooner or later, into the light. The covering must be removed, in order that the searching beams of divine light may pour themselves in upon the human heart, and make manifest all its abominations.
This is a deeply solemn truth. It is no use to set about washing my hands, while my heart is full of uncleanness. It is utterly vain to be talking of washing cups and tables, while my ways are not right in the sight of God. All outward ordinances may be observed, man’s traditions may be attended to, his commandments and doctrines respected, and all the while, the conscience may never have been in the presence of God, as to the great question of sin. I may be most carefully attending to the traditions of the elders, and yet living in the open neglect of the commandments of God. Thus it was with the Scribes and Pharisees. “Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honor thy father and mother: and he that curseth father or mother let him die the death. But ye say, “Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, (corban) by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, and honor not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.”
Here our Lord sets up the word of God as the only standard of morality. It is that word which will judge at the last day, and it is it which must guide and govern now. Where will the traditions of the elders be when all come to be manifested before the judgment-seat of Christ? Will they form the standard of judgment, in that day? Assuredly not. Well, then, of what value are they now? Little indeed; and when they come in collision with the word of God, they are not to be heard for a moment. Indeed, we are distinctly taught, in this weighty scripture before us, that, to be governed by the commandments and doctrines of men, instead of by the commandments of God, is the principle of hypocrisy. “Ye hypocrites! Well did Esaias prophecy of you, saying, ‘This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.’”
Mark the divine complaint! “Their heart is far from me.” This was the true secret of all. The Lord Jesus is fixing His penetrating gaze upon man’s heart, and showing, very plainly, where it is, and what it is. “It is far from me,” He says. Yes; far away from Him, and buried beneath a vast mass of superstitious observances and human ordinances. The plainest precept of the law of God was openly set aside under the specious pretext of “corban,” as if God would or could accept a “gift” based upon the flagrant transgression of His eternal law. Again, they paid the most scrupulous attention to the washing of their hands before dinner, while the heart was simply a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. “What a fallacy! Hands washed, and heart polluted! Outward things attended to, and inward things totally neglected! Meats and drinks, cups and pots, dishes and tables, carefully looked after, and God’s law flung overboard, and the heart brim full of lust and vanity! Such is man! His heart far from God. His religion a mass of inconsistencies from beginning to end.
“And Jesus called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear and understand.” What holy dignity, what moral elevation, mark these words! “Hear and understand.” These are the two words which must ever stand connected with God’s word. That word is not like the. vague, misty, uncertain traditions of men. Its voice is clear, its language distinct, its lessons plain and pure. It can be heard and understood by a child or a wayfaring man. Who among the multitude could fail to understand these plain words, “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.” What an obvious, unanswerable truth! Does not the understanding bow to it? Yes, truly, if it be not darkened by the mists of human tradition. Does not the conscience feel its edge? Yes, if not stupefied by subjection to a false authority. Do not the judgment and the moral sense acquiesce? Yes, if not warped and paralyzed by prejudice and deliberate rejection of simple truth.
But the Pharisees were offended at this plain statement. Doubtless. And why? It was the death-blow to Pharisaism. It is of the very essence of Pharisaism in all ages, to give attention to outward things and leave the heart untouched. That system ever maintains that defilement comes from without; whereas, God’s truth declares that defilement cometh from within. Hence, Christ’s plain statement cut up Pharisaism by the roots and gave grave offense to its adherents. But oh! the power and beauty of Christ’s words! “He answered and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the ditch.”
Solemn words! “Every plant which my heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up.” Nothing will stand but God’s work. The most luxuriant plant of man’s planting shall wither and droop, and be rooted up. There may be a great show of blossom, and great promise of fruit; but unless the planting be by God’s own hand, it will, most assuredly, come to naught. God’s plants shall stand. They shall outlive every storm. “They that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.” (Psalm 92:13, 14.) “As the valleys are they spread forth, as gardens by the river side, as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters.” How different all this from the blind leading the blind and both falling into the ditch! Oh! the deep blessedness and holy security of being planted by the hand of God, instead of being blindly led by the hand of a blind man! The Lord in His exceeding mercy, grant that my reader may know it!
But we must remember that, in the passage of scripture which lies open before us, our blessed Lord is tracking the human heart. He has shown us where it is; and He is now going to show us what it is. “Then answered Peter, and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draft? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnesses, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man?”
Here, then, man’s heart is reached and exposed. All the false covering of outward observances is removed, all the darkening mists with which a mere religion of human ordinances ever surrounds it are rolled back; and here it is, in all its hideous deformity and appalling wickedness — the source of all these foul and demoralizing influences that have darkened this world’s horizon, for well-nigh six thousand years. We may talk of “corban;” we may quote the traditions of the elders; we may go through an imposing round of ordinances; but ah! look at the heart! What can we say to that? Only think of a human heart exposed in the light of the divine presence! How terrible! How overwhelming! Nothing could enable me to bear an insight into my heart, but an insight into the heart of Jesus — the heart of God Himself.
Now, when the heart is fully reached, when the conscience is fully convicted, there is moral preparedness for the next stage of the soul’s journey. In other words, conviction and conversion are closely connected. A convicted sinner is one who has discovered his own heart. A converted sinner is one who has discovered the heart of God. “Repent, and be converted,” says Peter. Here we have another mode of expressing the same thing. There is the moral judgment of self; and there is the blessed discovery of God. I discover self and abhor it. I discover God, in the face of Jesus Christ, and turn toward Him, with a full and confiding heart, as the One who is as able as He is willing, and as willing as He is able to save me, notwithstanding His perfect knowledge of all that is in my heart. This gives full relief —perfect liberty — settled peace. It delivers me from all my guilty fears and enables me to tread, with an elastic step, that sunny path which begins at the cross and ends in the glory. I find that the One who was alone able to measure and estimate my guilt, is the very One who has blotted it all out, through the blood of the cross. “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” Isa. 43:25.
Beloved reader, say, do you understand these things? Do you experimentally enter into them? has God discovered your heart, and have you discovered His? Solemn question! What momentous results hang upon your reply! Do not be afraid to have your heart probed and searched to its most profound depths and secret recesses. Open up every chamber of your heart. Draw aside the curtains, open the shutters, draw up the blinds, let in the full light of heaven into every corner and crevice. You cannot dig too deep. Be assured of it, God has made ample provision for it all. The gospel of the grace of God announces to you this glorious, emancipating fact, that a sin-hating God met a sin-bearing Christ, at the cross, and there fully entered into, and finally settled, the great question of sin. This is the divine foundation of a sinner’s peace. To know and believe this is to possess a peace which nothing can ever shake. God has gone down to the very bottom of the whole matter, and made a perfect settlement thereof in the cross. I want no more. I am satisfied. Can my conscience claim more than the justice of God? Surely not. A just God and a justified sinner meet in holy communion, on a blood-stained platform. “Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
In our next, if the Lord will, we shall consider our second point as illustrated in the interesting history of the Syrophenician.