Defilement and Obsession with Ritual: Matthew 15 Through Neville Goddard’s Teachings

In Matthew 15:1-20, Jesus challenges the Pharisees' obsession with external rituals and reveals a crucial teaching about the nature of purification and defilement. When viewed through the framework of Neville Goddard's teachings, this passage becomes a powerful lesson on the creative power of assumption, imagination, and internal awareness. Let’s explore how Neville’s teachings shed light on the deeper meaning of this scripture.

External Rituals vs. Inner Transformation

The story begins with the Pharisees questioning why Jesus' disciples do not follow the tradition of washing their hands before eating. For them, these rituals were important for maintaining purity. However, Jesus redirects their attention away from outward actions and emphasizes the importance of inner transformation.

Matthew 15:2-3
"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!"
Jesus replied,
"And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?"

In Neville’s philosophy, this reflects a misunderstanding of the true source of change. Many people are fixated on external actions, believing that physical rituals can purify them. But true purification comes from an internal shift—a change in the assumptions and beliefs that govern one's consciousness. External actions are not the source of transformation; they are merely a reflection of the assumptions you hold within. When your internal world is aligned with the desired state, everything else will fall into place naturally.

Moving Beyond External Beliefs

In the next part of the passage, Jesus explains that the Pharisees' external traditions nullify the deeper commandments of God. He references Isaiah, saying that people honour God with their lips but their hearts are far from Him. Jesus points out that it is the heart—the internal state of being—that truly matters.

Matthew 15:8
"These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me."

This teaching echoes Neville’s message: it is not external beliefs or actions that shape your life, but the inner assumptions and imaginations you hold about yourself and the world. When you identify with your true nature, your assumptions will reflect that awareness, and this will create your external reality. In other words, change does not begin with rituals or rules but with an internal assumption that you are already what you seek to become.

Defilement Is a Matter of the Heart

In verses 10-11, Jesus declares that it is not what enters the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of it—what comes from the heart. This teaches us that the true nature of defilement lies not in the external environment, but in the thoughts, assumptions, and beliefs that arise from within.

Matthew 15:11
"What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them."

Neville often taught that your world is shaped by your beliefs and assumptions. If your thoughts are full of negativity, doubt, and fear, that is what you will experience in the external world. But when your thoughts align with your desired state—when you assume the feeling of already being the person you wish to become—the world will mirror that assumption. In this sense, defilement is not about what you consume or experience in the external world, but about what you imagine and assume to be true.

Awakening to the Power Within

When the disciples ask for clarification, Jesus explains that the Pharisees are blind guides. He speaks of the importance of understanding that true change comes from within and that the condition of the heart determines the external world.

Matthew 15:12-14
“Then the disciples came to him and asked, 'Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?'
He replied, 'Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.'"

The disciples' confusion represents a state of awakening—just as many of us may struggle to fully grasp the power of our thoughts and imagination. We are often caught between the external world and the internal world of assumption. But the key to transformation lies in recognising that our internal assumptions shape the world around us. When we awaken to this truth, we begin to realise that we are not victims of external circumstances but creators of our reality.

The Heart: A Reflective State of Being

Jesus goes on to say that the thoughts that come from the heart—evil thoughts, murders, thefts, lies—are what defile a person. This aligns perfectly with Neville's teachings, which assert that the subconscious mind, or the heart, is where all creation begins. Your assumptions about yourself and the world are planted in the subconscious and will inevitably express themselves in the outer world.

Matthew 15:19
"For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander."

The heart is not just an organ—it symbolizes the subconscious mind, the creative power that shapes your reality. When your assumptions are aligned with your desires, those assumptions will materialise in your life. But when your assumptions are steeped in negativity or fear, they will manifest as limiting experiences. The Pharisees’ blindness reflects a failure to see that the power to create change lies in the heart, the subconscious mind.

The Heart of the Matter: Shifting Your Assumptions

The central message of Matthew 15, when interpreted through Neville's teachings, is clear: true transformation comes from within. The external world is merely a reflection of the assumptions we hold in consciousness. To experience the change we desire, we must first change the way we perceive ourselves and the world around us.

The Pharisees, trapped in external rituals, are blind to the true power of assumption. Jesus is calling us to look inward, to recognise that our internal state—our assumptions, beliefs, and imaginations—determines our external reality. The transformation we seek does not happen through outward actions but through inner assumption.

Conclusion: The Power of Assumption and Imagination

In Neville Goddard’s framework, we are all creators, and we have the power to shape our reality by assuming the feeling of the wish fulfilled. The message in Matthew 15 aligns with this teaching: your assumptions are the creative force behind your life. The heart—the subconscious mind—holds the key to your world. To change your reality, you must change your assumptions and align them with your desired state.

As you begins realise this, remember: you are not defined by external rituals, rules, or circumstances. You are defined by the assumptions you hold about yourself and the world. By shifting those assumptions, you shift your world, for the external is merely a reflection of your internal state.