Defiling words

When the Pharisees criticize Jesus’ disciples for not washing their hands before eating, Jesus responds by quoting from Isaiah 29:13: “this people draws near with their words and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” He immediately goes on to teach His disciples that defilement does not come from consuming food but from the words that come through the mouth from the heart: “what proceeds from the mouth, this defiles a man” (Matthew 15:11).

In context, the words that are coming from the mouth are the words of hypocritical worship, the mouth-service and lip-worship that the Pharisees offer. They have everything backwards: They are not defiled by eating food with unwashed hands; they are defiled by the very thing that they think sanctifies them – their worship.