“RELIGION ALONE DOESN’T MAKE YOU HOLY”
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
In Jesus’ day, religious people were consumed with following rules and laws that were impossible to keep. They were obsessed with outward appearances and looking good to other people. But in Matthew 15:11, Jesus taught, “Not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”
This was a radical idea at that time because Jesus was challenging the idea that it wasn’t certain “evil” foods that contaminated them but the things that came from inside them that made them unholy (like lust, pride, hatred, and jealousy which led them to do evil things). Religion and beliefs are no good if they don’t transform the heart. (ref. faithisland.org).
This makes sense because the LAW (Mosaic Law) was a list of laws, rules, and regulations that Israel had been following since around 1400 B.C. God gave these instructions to Moses so that Israel could follow God’s Will and Plan to honor and glorify Him. It included provisions of atonement with God through the shedding of blood by sacrificing animals. The eternal purpose of the LAW was to reveal to Israel that they could NOT completely obey all of the 600 laws, rules, and regulations, thus they of the glory of God”. Paul brings this out in Rom. 3:23: “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.
HEART VS. HEAD
This brings us to today’s lesson from Matthew 15:1-20. Jesus had just fed the 5,000 people with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish. Then He rescued Peter who tried to get out of a boat and walk on the water because he saw Jesus walking on the water. Because a wind came, Peter became afraid and began to sink. Jesus used this a teaching opportunity to show Peter and the other disciples that they should not doubt but keep the faith.
When they got to the other side of the water, there was a crowd waiting for Jesus and requested that He heal their sick. Some Pharisees were observing what was going on and asked why the disciples were breaking elder tradition by not washing their hands before they ate food. Jesus responded by rebuking the Pharisees by saying that serving your Father & Mother (getting healed by Jesus) was more of an obedience to the LAW (Honor Your Father and your Mother) than obeying the law of a man made law (clean your hands before you eat). Jesus then goes on to illustrate that what comes out of the body by way of ‘head knowledge’ NOT ‘heart knowledge’ are teachings of man and are contaminated. He then goes on to illustrate that what goes into the body (food) is not contaminated. It is what comes out of the mouth because of an un-pure heart is contaminated: evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft false testimony, slander. These are what make a man unclean, but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean’. The application that Jesus was showing the audience was a pure, sincere heart while doing service was right, but being judgmental is wrong if it is based on man’s laws. Once again it comes down to ‘heart knowledge vs. head knowledge.
APPLICATION
Have you ever been in a working situation or in a Christian service ministry, when someone criticized you for the technique by which you were accomplishing your task? Nothing said about the good that was coming out of your work or service, just a negative comment or attack on how you were doing the task. The intent was not to encourage you, but to criticize you, intimidate you, or even belittle you. Certainly, a case of head knowledge vs. heart knowledge. Paul goes on to say in Gal. 5:22, 23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” “Religion Alone Doesn’t Make You Holy”. It is not what you know that makes you holy. But having your heart ‘transformed through grace’ by the Word of God.
Thanks for reading. Blessings from Carlton Ringer
