It's What Comes Out (2)

A Good Follow Up

Isaiah 58 challenged us to truly worship God by loving and caring for others. Matthew 15:1-20 is a good place to continue this conversation. The people of God in Isaiah 58 put too much importance in their fasting rituals, so much they actually ignored the needs of others, thus violating the commandment of God to love their neighbor.

In Matthew 15:1-20 the religious people of God haven’t changed much since Isaiah 58. In this passage Jesus is confronted by the pharisees on why his disciples don’t wash their hands before eating. This was a ritual washing that has been tradition for a long time. The pharisees made a lot of these traditions commands of God. They kept them to a fault. In keeping these traditions and encouraging others to hold to them they would actually be violating the law of God, to honor the Father and Mother. Or even as an excuse to ignore their neighbor in need. Violating the law of God to love your neighbor.

The point to what Jesus is teaching them and us today is, that no amount of ritual or tradition is going to make and keep us holy before God. Holiness is a heart issue. What we say and what we do, is what makes defiles us. Why? Because what we say and do to others comes from the heart.