In this daily Bible reading is the account of the Pharisees criticizing Jesus and His disciples for not washing their hands before eating bread. Jewish tradition required extensive washing of hands before eating. The Pharisees implied that Jesus was breaking a religious law. Jesus replied to the Pharisees that their focus on religious rules kept them from truly worshiping God.
Jesus quoted the Prophet Isaiah who spoke from God’s perspective saying: “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.”
Jesus then pointed out an example of this. He said to the Pharisees that they required people to give money to the religious organization rather than giving money to help their parents. Jesus said that this rule violated God’s command to honor their mother and father.
The Pharisees were focusing on external rules rather than true worship. They were worshiping God ‘in vain.’ The Bible says that God wants people to worship Him in ‘Spirit and Truth.’ I believe religion has the effect of taking people away from true worship and obedience to God.
