Matthew 15:16
“So Jesus said, “Do you also still not understand?”
What does Matthew 15:16 mean?
Jesus speaks these words after his disciples have failed to grasp a spiritual lesson he just taught about what truly makes a person unclean. They're stuck thinking physically (about unwashed hands and food rules) when he's trying to redirect them toward what matters most (the attitudes and intentions that come from the heart). His question isn't harsh—it's more like a gentle wake-up call, the kind a teacher gives when someone's bright students suddenly seem to have missed the whole point. Even those closest to Jesus struggled to shift their thinking, which might comfort us when we find ourselves slow to understand spiritual truths too.