Matthew 15:12 says, Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?  The disciples, I believe, asked Jesus this question because they were worried about what the Pharisees might do.  We have to acknowledge that the Pharisees were seen as some of the most righteous and powerful religious leaders, and Jesus had upset them.  No matter how powerful a religious leader or group of religious leaders may be, if they are morally wrong, we, like Jesus did, must point out their errors without fear.  Verse thirteen states, But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.  In effect, Jesus was saying that the Pharisees were not planted by God.  They had faith in their own goodness and righteous, instead of acknowledging their own unworthiness.  If our salvation is not planted by God by our faith in Jesus Christ, then in the end we will be uprooted.  If we attempt to justify ourselves by self-righteous, then we are just like the Pharisees, and that is totally lost.  In verse fourteen Jesus declares, Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.  Jesus told the disciples to just leave the Pharisees alone, that they were the spiritually blind leading the spiritually blind.  I know that the word spiritually was not stated, but that was the implication.  People who are not spiritually blind, who are followers of Christ in other words, should never be able to be led astray by someone who is spiritually blind.  Jesus said both the Pharisees and those who followed them would fall into a ditch, or be destroyed in other words.  Verse fifteen says, Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.  Now, instead of being concerned with the Pharisees, Peter was concerned with what Jesus was actually telling the disciples.  We can never allow our concern for what other people may think, even powerful people of the world, to keep us from seeking God's word for us.  We must obey God's teaching above all else.  Verse sixteen declares, And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?  Jesus wanted to know if Peter was also without understanding, as the Pharisees were.  I wonder how often Jesus may ask that of His followers today.  When we accept immorality and corruption as being okay as long as we get what we want, I believe that He is.  If morality does not matter in every aspect of life then why did Jesus live and die to establish it as the way of life.  Verse seventeen asks, Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?  Jesus asked the disciples didn't they understand that what they ate or drank simply passed through the body.  Jesus was telling us basically that we cannot be spiritually defiled by what we eat or drink.  I know this doesn't say drink in particular, but it does say what enters our mouth.  Yet, we should not allow what we eat or drink to harm our witness for Christ, as Paul would later teach.  Verse eighteen declares, But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.  Jesus tells us it is what we say that defiles us, because our words reveal what is in our heart.  We cannot just dismiss a person's words as locker room talk, because if a person's heart is right with God, then there will be no locker room talk.  Verse nineteen continues, For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:  Jesus tells us that evil actions proceed from evil thoughts.  Jesus listed several acts of evil that result from evil thoughts, and all show that a person's thoughts are not on doing the will of God.  Verse twenty says, These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.  I believe that Jesus was simply saying that eating without a ritualistic hand washing, as prescribed by additions to God's law, did not defile a person, because it had nothing to do with the spiritual condition of a person.  We cannot put rituals or traditions ahead of having the will of God determining our actions.