In this daily Bible reading Jesus dines with a Pharisee who is bothered by Jesus not performing ceremonial cleansing. Jesus criticized the Pharisee for focusing on external appearances rather than being good inside. The Pharisee represented religion.
Religion is man-made, with many rules and traditions that are separate from the Word of God. Religion tends to lead people away from God’s Truth, the Word of God.
Additionally, religion appeals to mankind’s superstitious nature. For example, making the ‘sign of the cross’ when a priest sprinkles ‘holy water’ is much like throwing a pinch of salt over your shoulder or not walking under a ladder. These acts have no foundation in the Truth.
Those who are not anchored in the Word of God, the Bible, are held in bondage by religion. They are subject to religious traditions and rules that have no foundation in the Word of God. The only way to break free of religious bondage is to know the Word of God.
Jesus said that He came to set people free: free from sin and free from religious bondage. The Bible says that Jesus is the living Word of God. Therefore, we must read the Bible to know Jesus. Jesus will then set us free.
