The Pharisees were top dogs in Jesus’ day. But Jesus had a way of showing them where their worship was off. This daily devotional explores the time when the Pharisees tried to slam the disciples for not washing their hands when they ate, but Jesus turned it around to show how their worship was not measuring up to God’s standard.
Nuggets
- We need to make sure we are following God’s laws, not the world’s traditions.
- We need to make sure we are worshiping to honor God, not to show off.
- We need to make sure we are not only worshiping from the heart, but also through changed lives.
- God wants us to truly worship Him.
It is easy to give lip service these days. We are asked a question or to explain our beliefs, and we automatically give an answer that is designed to not offend anyone.
As believers, we need to make sure that our worship for the One true God is real. We can’t sugar-coat it as the Pharisees did. You see, they gave lip service to God but didn’t truly worship Him.
Let’s look at a time when they tried to “catch” Jesus’ disciples doing something they didn’t like. Jesus turned it around and showed where their worship lacking.
Let's Put This into Context
"These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God" (Mt. 15: 8-9 NLT)
The Pharisees came to check this dude out. What they found was the disciples breaking their tradition. They weren’t washing their hands when they ate. It was tradition to wash – at a minimum – your right hand (because that was the hand with which they ate) to remove any demons that have latched on during the night.
Yes, this was just tradition. It was an add-on by the scribes. But you have to remember that, if you didn’t follow the words of the scribes, you could be put to death. We don’t see forgetting to wash your hands before you eat that big of a deal (yes, I am a mother saying that). They did.
Jesus’ answer was good: “… Why do you disobey God and follow your own teaching?” (Mt. 15: 3 CEV). He didn’t answer their question. Instead, He said, “Let’s focus here, people. What quadrant is it in? Can we say unimportant? Let’s look at important.”
The next couple of verses talk about God’s laws. It is interesting that His response focuses on laws concerning relationships with other people, specifically parents.
Then Jesus really zings them. “… You ignore God’s commands in order to follow your own teaching” (Mt. 15: 6 CEV). (Hmmmm. Looks like rewriting scripture isn’t something new.)
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
There was another reason the Pharisees had this tradition. “And you are nothing but show-offs! …” (Mt. 15: 7 CEV). Many of the other translations say “… hypocrites …” (Mt. 15: 7 ESV, GNT, LB, NLT). Jesus called them out on trying to be something they were not.
The problem Jesus was pointing out was that we shouldn’t focus on laws (and beliefs) of this world. We should focus on God’s laws and commandments.
Then Jesus quoted scripture to them. Matthew 15: 8-9 came from Isaiah 29: 13: “The Lord said: These people approach me with their speeches to honor me with lip-service, yet their hearts are far from me, and human rules direct their worship of me” (Isa. 29: 13 CSB). That is what Jesus said the Pharisees were doing – putting human traditions over God’s laws.
Word Praise
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus touched on false praise. “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Mt. 6: 1 NLT). He criticized hypocrites who prayed on the street corner so people could see them (Mt. 6: 2). See, the kingdom of God doesn’t consist of worldly things.
Glossary
Another time, Jesus told the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. It is interesting how Matthew described the audience for that parable: “To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else … (Lk. 18: 9 NIV). The Pharisee did separate himself, but the prayer he prayed was just words: “… God, I thank you that I am not like other people — robbers, evildoers, adulterers — or even like this tax collector” (Lk. 18: 11 NIV). He may have prayed in private, but the prayer wasn’t how Jesus taught us to pray.
The problem here is, sometimes, we talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. Jesus calls us to more.
Heart Praise
Jesus said that their hearts were far from God (Mt. 5: 8). Instead of just giving lip service, we are supposed to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mk. 12: 30 GNT). We are to focus on God, not this world.
The Pharisees were deluding themselves into thinking they were living the way God wanted them to live. They weren’t. Worse yet, they were leading others astray.
Jesus explained to the Pharisee that it isn’t what you put into the body that makes a person unclean. It is what comes out of the body (Mt. 15: 11). God said basically the same thing to Peter: “… Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean” (Ac. 11: 9 NLT).
It is what comes out of us that make us unclean. “It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth — this defiles a person” (Mt. 15: 11 CSB). They needed to hear and understand this.
Glossary
To read a related devotion, click the button below.
Jesus explained this later. “But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a person” (Mt. 15: 18 CSB).
But Heart Praise Isn’t Totally It Either
Then Jesus really throws in a head scratcher. “Out of your heart come evil thoughts, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, vulgar deeds, stealing, telling lies, and insulting others” (Mt. 15: 19 CEV).
How does we are to “love the Lord with all of our hearts …” (Mt. 12: 30) jive with our hearts are corrupt (Mt. 15: 19)? If that is the case, how are we supposed to worship God?
True Worship
When He was talking with the woman at the well, Jesus told her that “… true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks” (Jn. 4: 23 NIV). God’s Holy Spirit resides in us after we have given our lives to the Father.
This also goes along with the advice Paul gave Timothy. “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come” (I Tim 4: 7-8 ESV). We will have spiritual bodies when we walk the golden streets in Heaven.
Making the Connections
My Ladies and I were talking the past week or two about actions jiving with your words. I don’t remember where I heard it, but I said that words are who we want to be. Actions are who we are.
Now don’t get me wrong. I am a fake-it-until-you-make-it girl. I believe in self-talk helping to improve yourself.
But I also see so many people these days just saying what other people want to hear, not necessarily showing who they are or what they believe. I also see people saying things so they can be controlling and manipulative.
I see actions being totally different than the words coming out of their mouths. A person’s actions show others who they really are. The words are just window dressing.
I thought that it was really interesting when I googled true worship, the Ten Commandments came up. These are real good actions to show someone exactly who we really are.
Love God first and foremost. Don’t worship anything but Him. Watch how you use His name. Find a community of people who believe like you do and meet with them regularly. Honor your parents. Don’t murder, commit adultery, steal, lie, and strongly desire what your neighbor has.
How Do We Apply This?
So, it’s not really about what we say or do. It is about how we live our lives for God. Every once in a while, we are going to say or do something that we really shouldn’t have. We aren’t perfect.
But God is going to look to see if the “love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength” (Mk. 12: 30 GNT) played out in our lives. Was that the norm?
Was our faith real? Was our faith life changing? Did it put God first?
Jesus doesn’t call us to be shallow and just give lip service. He calls us to be authentic. He calls us to be focused on Him.
Merciful Heavenly Father. You expect us to be authentic. You expect us to be real. You know that there are times we will mess up, but You forgive us when we ask. Help us to live the lives that You have called us to live. Help us to follow Jesus’ example. Amen.
What do you think?
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What is “worship with all your soul”?
Did you get the email I sent you?
loved this post very very much. so refreshing. anointed post for sure. what i needed
Thank you for your words of encouragement. I am glad God used the words He gave me to help you. Elaine.