Freedom from Spiritual Stubbornness

Pastor Scott Brenner Matthew 15:1-20
[15:1] Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying,
[15:2] "Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."
[15:3] He answered and said to them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?
[15:4] "For God commanded, saying, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'
[15:5] "But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God"--
[15:6] 'then he need not honor his father or mother.' Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.
[15:7] "Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
[15:8] 'These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.
[15:9] And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.'"
[15:10] When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear and understand:
[15:11] "Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."
[15:12] Then His disciples came and said to Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?"
[15:13] But He answered and said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.
[15:14] "Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."
[15:15] Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain this parable to us."
[15:16] So Jesus said, "Are you also still without understanding?
[15:17] "Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?
[15:18] "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.
[15:19] "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
[15:20] "These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man."