This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men. You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.
Mark 7:6-8
I have this “Spidey sense,” where I have a keen ability to pick up on fake. I’m not a fan of fake. I don’t always get it right, but frequently do. Years ago, when I began in the ministry, I had a mentor tell me that people would not always be as excited or passionate about Christ as they should be. He said they would put up a good front in public and in the presence of the right friends, but when alone or with the “crowd,” they would display their true selves.
I never really understood this kind of behavior until I started looking more deeply at what Jesus had to say about it. And what I read scared me for those who play the religious game. Please understand that I’m not naming names or calling out anyone in particular, but today is a good day to consider whether or not you might be one of those who choose to live a fake lifestyle. I know that if you offend someone in today’s society, they are likely to unfriend you or unfollow you. You might not be invited back to their homes, a particular party, or even be cast away from the friend group. Don’t let that factor into your decision. Please keep reading.
I would instead the Holy Spirit convict you in a critical area of your life that matters than for you to unfriend me because you are offended.
Jesus Had His Problems with Truth
Jesus always seemed to have issues with the Pharisees and Scribes. They were either trying to catch Him in a lie or scheming to kill him. Can you imagine living under that kind of pressure? It was an issue of truth. This one specific passage shows the craziness of man’s made-up laws. The Pharisees and Scribes were upset that Jesus’ disciples were eating with unwashed hands. I try to wash my hands before eating, but there are sometimes in my house when that doesn’t happen. The tradition of the elders said they had to wash first.
There was nothing in Scripture that demanded this, but the Pharisees and Scribes saw this as a way to be “clean.” So the Pharisees and Scribes asked Jesus why His disciples were eating with “defiled” hands (Mark 7:5). They had no defiled hands. The Pharisees and Scribes did not speak the truth.
His disciples most likely had been to the marketplace to purchase food items, and when they came back, they started eating. Was that all? Was there nothing else the Pharisees and Scribes had against this group of Jesus followers? I mean…could one of the disciples looked upon another woman with lust? Nope! Hand washing. It was hand washing.
Imagine that scene. It was always something. It was like having the “church police” around you all the time, except the rules weren’t in Scripture, they were made up by a group of men. And the rules didn’t even make sense. When Jesus heard the accusation from the Pharisees, I imagine Jesus did a teenager “eye-roll.”
Vain Worship if Fake Worship
Jesus said, referring to the Pharisees and Scribes, “In vain do they worship Me.” This kind of worship probably describes many people in churches across the United States and the world today. They say one thing with their mouths but do other things as a result of their hearts. This means they do not worship in truth. A real understanding of a personal relationship with Jesus and honest, broken, and humble worship begins with understanding the truth of Scripture. This relationship should drive all you say and do.
It’s a slippery slope, and many have spent years in the slow fade from Jesus and the relationship they once experienced. Maybe that’s you. I’m not condemning but calling. I’m inviting you to be a faithful follower of Christ. An authentic follower of Jesus will not say they love Him and then follow the crowd when convenient. They will not make up specific rules to follow that omit Scripture.
Truth is Easy to Ignore
This one is easy because the commandments of God are difficult. Some would say even legalistic. However, throughout Scripture, God gives us instructions on how to live a life that honors Him. Those instructions come from a book of truth. And do you know it’s possible to live out many of those instructions as the Pharisees and Scribes did? They would speak great things about how God did this or that and not follow Him with their hearts. They were fake to all who met them. They wore figurative masks that hid their true identity. But Jesus ripped the masks off and called them who they were. He said they were hypocrites.
People didn’t fall in love with the Pharisees because they were always condemning others instead of considering their walk with the Lord. In other words, they had a reputation.
Here’s what we have to ask ourselves. Are we like the Pharisees and Scribes? Sometimes the most significant distance is from our heads to our hearts. We have the head knowledge, but we do not have the heart knowledge. We’ve learned about Jesus but have never trusted Jesus. So we left what is true to pursue what is convenient and fashionable for our time.
I don’t know how Jesus could have put it any more plainly than He did. This passage is one that we like to look at and say, “Man, those Pharisees and Scribes were some unspiritual and ungodly people. But wait. Could Jesus have been describing you? It’s so easy to drift slowly away from the foundation of the shore into the abyss of the ocean.
What would happen if you sought the approval of Jesus and His truth rather than the men’s approval? How would that change the decisions you make? Maybe you’re reading this and need to refocus your life on all that matters rather than trying to run with the crowd and seek their friendship and approval. Do you hunger and thirst for righteousness? Are you seeking a fresh move of God in your life?
Pray today that God would remove the trash can in your life so that you will not worship Him in vain, but with a sincere heart that is completely given to Him.
Thanks for not unfriending me…