3 September | Youth
«Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.» Matthew 15:11
A tragic example of contamination occurred in the city of Goiania, Brazil, in 1987, when several people came into contact with a highly radioactive substance. The incident began after two collectors of recyclable material opened an abandoned radiotherapy machine. Inside was a capsule containing Cesium-137, a powder that releases a blue glow in the dark. From the first contact, both started to feel sick. However, they associated the discomfort with food.
One of the fatal victims was Leide das Neves, just six years old, daughter of one of the collectors. She was fascinated by the shine of the powder and, in addition to playing with it, even ate some. Leide and hundreds of other people died in what is considered the biggest radioactive accident in Brazil. The substance became popularly known as “the glow of death.”
If you observe, you will see that all contamination happens from the outside to the inside. However, in today's verse, Jesus reverses this logic, stating that what contaminates man is not what goes in, but what comes out. In other words, it is from the human heart that the “toxic radiation” of sin originates, which tends to contaminate the environment and make the host itself ill. Jesus said that “out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies” (Matt 15:19).
In this controversy, the scribes and Pharisees accused Jesus and the disciples of eating with dirty hands. The rite of washing hands was not motivated by hygiene issues, but to avoid ceremonial contamination. For the Pharisees, the ritual of purifying the hands was as normative as the Mosaic law itself. However, Jesus stated that the contamination of human beings has nothing to do with traditions, but with the dirt of the heart.
How is your heart today? Contaminated by impure thoughts, feelings of revenge or the desire to do something wrong? Ask Jesus to eliminate this “Cesium-137” from your chest. Do not play with sin, as it will erase the glow of your life.