Our scripture this morning is Matthew 15:1-11.
Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him, “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.” Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents. And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘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.’ ” Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “Listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your mouth that defiles you; you are defiled by the words that come out of your mouth.”
Jesus talks to the assembled religious leaders about traditions and commandments. He teaches that some of their traditions contradict God’s law and they must consider what is important to Him before they concern themselves with human issues. We still deal with this disparity in our lives today.
It is a sad truth, that like the people then, we too “teach man-made ideas as commands from God” (v. 9). We must be mindful of all God asks of us and our obedience to Him first and foremost. Jesus also warned us against being hypocrites who honor God with words but not with our hearts and actions.
We are complete beings, hearts and bodies and minds intertwined, made in God’s image, and our faith must drive all we say and do. When our thoughts and words aren’t matched by our behavior, we aren’t living in the light of God’s love. When we truly believe, everything we think and say and do will align us with Him.
Gracious God, thank You for making us in such a unique way. Help us to choose the path Christ has taught us, sharing the Good News with all the world. Amen.