Matthew 15:12-20 Meaning: When Religious Leaders Are Offended
12Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”
13But he answered, “Every plant which my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted.
14Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
15Peter answered him, “Explain the parable to us.”
16So Jesus said, “Do you also still not understand?
17Don’t you understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly and then out of the body?
18But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man.
19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies.
20These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands doesn’t defile the man.”
12Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
13But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
14Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.
15Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
16And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
17Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
12Then came the disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying?
13But he answered and said, Every plant which my heavenly Father planted not, shall be rooted up.
14Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit.
15And Peter answered and said unto him, Declare unto us the parable.
16And he said, Are ye also even yet without understanding?
17Perceive ye not, that whatsoever goeth into the mouth passeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the man.
19For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, railings:
20these are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not the man.
12Then his disciples having come near, said to him, `Hast thou known that the Pharisees, having heard the word, were stumbled?'
13And he answering said, `Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant shall be rooted up;
14let them alone, guides they are--blind of blind; and if blind may guide blind, both into a ditch shall fall.'
15And Peter answering said to him, `Explain to us this simile.'
16And Jesus said, `Are ye also yet without understanding?
17do ye not understand that all that is going into the mouth doth pass into the belly, and into the drain is cast forth?
18but the things coming forth from the mouth from the heart do come forth, and these defile the man;
19for out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, whoredoms, thefts, false witnessings, evil speakings:
20these are the things defiling the man; but to eat with unwashen hands doth not defile the man.'
12Then his disciples, coming up, said to him, Dost thou know that the Pharisees, having heard this word, have been offended?
13But he answering said, Every plant which my heavenly Father has not planted shall be rooted up.
14Leave them alone; they are blind leaders of blind: but if blind lead blind, both will fall into a ditch.
15And Peter answering said to him, Expound to us this parable.
16But he said, Are ye also still without intelligence?
17Do ye not yet apprehend, that everything that enters into the mouth finds its way into the belly, and is cast forth into the draught?
18but the things which go forth out of the mouth come out of the heart, and those defile man.
19For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witnessings, blasphemies;
20these are the things which defile man; but the eating with unwashen hands does not defile man.
Meaning in one sentence
Worried about offending religious people? Jesus shows what really defiles us and how to handle opposition in Matthew 15:12-20.
Context
This passage sits in the middle of a heated dispute. The Pharisees had just challenged Jesus because his disciples ignored the traditional hand-washing ceremony. Jesus responded by calling them hypocrites, quoting Isaiah about people who honor God with their lips while their hearts are far from him.
Then he turned to the crowd with a bold claim: nothing that goes into the mouth defiles a person; only what comes out does. The Pharisees were furious. The disciples, alarmed at the rising tension, pulled Jesus aside to warn him. But Jesus did not back down. Instead, he dismissed the Pharisees as blind guides heading for a pit and taught his followers what genuine defilement looks like. This whole exchange becomes a lesson about where true corruption begins, and what freedom from human tradition actually means.
Key Words
The Greek word behind “offended” is skandalizō, it means to trip over a stone or catch someone’s foot. The Pharisees didn’t just disagree; they stumbled violently at Jesus’ words. And Jesus tells his disciples not to worry about that kind of fall.
The more important word is “defile” (koinoō). In the Old Testament, certain things were “common” or unclean, so you had to keep them separate. Jesus flips that: real uncleanness doesn’t come from unwashed hands or ordinary food. It comes from the heart (kardia), the center of your thoughts, desires, and will. From there come evil thoughts (dialogismoi), which are inner reasonings, the schemes and arguments we rehearse. That is where defilement is born.
This changes everything. You cannot fix the inside by polishing the outside, and you cannot measure your standing with God by how well you keep religious rules. The work must go deeper, to the heart only the Father can plant anew.
How Christians Read This Verse
Commentators from different Protestant traditions all locate the heart of the passage in the same place. Adam Clarke (Methodist) writes that in the unregenerate heart “the principles and seeds of all sin are found.” John Calvin (Reformed) sees Jesus’ answer as comforting the disciples by showing that the indifference of the gospel to some should not trouble them. Matthew Henry (Reformed) emphasizes that Jesus overthrows not just the tradition but the whole reasoning that upholds it, while the Cambridge Bible (Anglican) notes that the list of sins in verse 19 follows the order of the Ten Commandments.
Although the supplied commentaries are all from historically Protestant voices, this passage has been treasured across every Christian tradition. Catholics, reading the Douay-Rheims translation in which the Pharisees “were scandalized,” have always understood that true impurity is moral, not ceremonial. Throughout the centuries, believers have agreed: outward religion cannot substitute for a heart transformed by God.
A common misunderstanding
The mistake: Some readers think Jesus is saying we should never care about offending others, that the Pharisees’ feelings don’t matter at all. In fact, elsewhere Jesus warns against causing weak believers to stumble (Matthew 17:27, 1 Corinthians 10:32). The difference is that the Pharisees were not weak; they were hardened religious leaders defending their own traditions. Jesus calls them blind guides. The lesson is not carelessness about offense but discernment: when opposition comes from entrenched pride, you can move on without guilt.
Living This Out
This week, pay attention to what offends you. When someone’s words or actions make you angry, ask yourself: is my reaction about defending God’s honor or protecting my own system?
Then look at the list in verse 19, evil thoughts, sexual sin, theft, slander, and the rest. These aren’t just for Pharisees. They start in every heart. The point isn’t to try harder; it’s to ask the Father to plant good seed inside you. And if you are a teacher, parent, or leader, ask whether you are guiding people toward a clean heart or only toward polished behavior.
You cannot control how others respond to the gospel. You can only tend the ground of your own heart.
Main takeaway: True defilement starts in the heart, not on the hands; only the Father can plant and purify what is within.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jesus said what matters isn’t whether your hands are clean on the outside. What’s inside your heart is what counts. Even if you follow all the rules, if your heart isn’t kind and loving, that’s the real problem.
For ages 9, 12
The Pharisees were angry because Jesus said their hand-washing rules didn’t make them clean. Jesus said real dirt isn’t on your hands, it’s in your heart. Things like jealousy, lying, and mean words come from inside you. You can’t fix that by washing your hands or following extra rules. You need God to clean your heart. When you feel angry or hurt, ask yourself: is that coming from something wrong inside me? Then ask Jesus to help you change from the inside out.
Questions People Ask
Why were the Pharisees offended by what Jesus said?
Jesus told the crowd that eating with unwashed hands doesn’t defile a person, only what comes out of the heart does. The Pharisees had built their identity around external purity rules, so Jesus’ teaching undermined their authority and made their traditions look empty. They were not just hurt; they were threatened.
What does “every plant my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted” mean?
Jesus uses a farming picture to say that any teaching or tradition that does not come from God will eventually be destroyed. The Pharisees’ traditions were not planted by God; they were human inventions. So their offense doesn’t matter in the long run. God will remove what is false.
Who are the blind guides in verse 14?
Jesus calls the Pharisees blind guides. They were supposed to lead people to God, but they were spiritually blind, unable to see what truly matters. And if a blind person leads another blind person, both end up in a pit. It is a warning about following teachers who miss the heart of God’s commands.
Does Jesus mean that nothing we eat or touch can hurt us spiritually?
Jesus is speaking specifically about a man-made tradition of hand-washing, not about the Old Testament food laws. His point is that ceremonial cleanliness cannot make a person right with God. Evil thoughts, words, and actions, these come from the heart and are what truly defile. Christians have held different views about dietary laws, but all agree that inner purity is far more important than external ritual.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study