My Evil Heart
April 13, 2022·Mario Ortiz
Hey everyone! This week we’re in the Book of Matthew. I want to focus on chapter 15, verses 10 & 18-20.
“Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. ‘Listen,’ He said, ‘and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth. The words you speak come from the heart — that’s what defiles you. For from the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander. These are what defile you…’” (Matthew 15:10, 18-20)
Have you ever said or done something that brought you shame? Or, maybe you heard of someone who did something terrible and said, “I would never do anything like that!” — but you did.
See, we tend to justify what comes out of our mouths or our actions, and the way we do that is by pointing out what others did that caused our responses. It’s always someone else’s fault.
In reality, our current circumstances do not drive our actions; they create the “perfect storm” for the sinful desires in our hearts to express themselves. Jesus says, “You are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth… From the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, all sexual immorality, theft, lying, and slander.”
In essence, what Jesus is saying is that our inner spiritual selves reflect our actions. The heart is where sin and defilement live and eventually arise. Defilement is a matter of the heart, and external practices can’t and will never change a heart. So, your workout routines, self-help declarations, new fads (while they may be physically beneficial) won’t ever change the condition of your heart. Only Jesus can do that! You and I need the power of the living God, revealed through Jesus to transform our evil hearts.
Let me end this short word with a blessing, written by the Apostle Paul in his letter to the church in Corinth.
“May the amazing grace of the Master, Jesus Christ, the extravagant love of God, the Father, and the intimate friendship of the Holy Spirit, be with you.”
(2 Corinthians 13:14, MSG)
Pastor Mario Ortiz
