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HEART.--The way in which the Lord uses the word "heart" is full of deep teaching.
In the Beatitudes He had said, "Blessed are the pure in heart," the word "pure" being the
Greek word katharos. The next time the Lord uses the word in Matthew it is in direct
continuance of this passage in Matt. 5::--
"Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first that which is within the cup and platter, that the
outside of them may be clean also" (Matt. 23: 26).
The clean in heart, not the ceremonially and externally clean, not as the whitewashed
sepulchres, these and these alone should see the kingdom. So superficial had become the
ideas of men at the time of Christ, that He early disturbed the self-righteous complacency
of those who thought that they were safe:--
"Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery, but
I say unto you, that whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed
adultery with her already in his heart" (Matt. 5: 28).
"The tree is known by his fruit. O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak
good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh" (Matt. 12: 32, 34).
Thus the Lord would teach that just as the fruit of a tree indicates the nature of the tree
itself, so the fruit of the lips will show the nature of the heart which gives that fruit origin.
Once again, in answer to the lawyer's question, the Lord puts the heart in the first place:--
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all
thy mind" (Mat.. 22: 37).
Heart first, mind last. The mere intellectuallism which always accompanies a
pharisaical spirit is placed by its advocates foremost, while the heart is placed last. Not
so, in the Lord's estimate. He does not call upon us to quibble over the petty details
which occupied the little minds of these formalists, but urges love of heart first and
foremost.
The word of the R.V. of Mark 7: 19, "This He said, making all meats clean," should
be noted. These words are the trend of His teaching and the effect of His work. It lifted
the one who believed Him above the sphere wherein such observances were of service. It
entirely discountenanced the teaching of the Pharisees. The spirit of the lesson is echoed
in an apocryphal addition to Luke 6: 5 found in the Codez Bezae:--
"On the same day, seeing one working on the Sabbath, He said to him, O man, if
indeed thou knowest what thou doest, thou art blessed, but if thou knowest not, thou art
accursed, and a transgressor of the Law."
Let us now examine the list of sins which the Lord said did defile a man, coming as
they did out of the heart.
EVIL THOUGHTS.--The word "thought" is dialogismos:--
"When Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answering said unto them, What reason ye in
your hearts?" (Luke 5: 22).
"The Scribes and Pharisees watched Him, whether He would heal on the Sabbath day,
that they might find an accusation against Him, but He knew their thoughts" (Luke 6: 7, 8).