The Danger of Religion

Introduction

- Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. 2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. 4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. 5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? 6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. 12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

Focused on Others

The Pharisees came poking around another gathering of Jesus and his disciples. Immediately, they saw an opportunity to question Christ about their lack of attention to the traditions of the elders. One such tradition was the washing of hands before they ate. As we explained this morning this was not for personal cleanliness, but to show religious purity. The Pharisees were always focused on others. They were focused on making sure everyone was doing what they were supposed to. Once again, they thought they had an opportunity to show their spirituality while debasing others. This must have been especially satisfying to do this to Jesus and his disciples.

Rebuke of Hypocrisy

Jesus issued a rebuke to the Pharisee’s hypocrisy. They expected people to keep the traditions of the elders, but often used these traditions to evade the keeping of the written law of Moses. Corban was one of the traditions in which one would designate their money as a gift to the Temple. They could continue to use it for their welfare and pleasure until they died at which point it went to the Temple, however, under no circumstances could they give this money away or use it for someone else. In this way they evaded the law of Moses to Honor their parents. In this day part of honoring their parents was caring financially for them if they needed it and if the children were able. By designating their money as Corban they did not have to use it to help their parents. Jesus identified this as hypocrisy because they were keeping the traditions of the elders while ignoring the written Law of Moses. Thus Jesus rebuked them. Jesus also said, “and many such like things do ye.” So, Corban was only one example of many things they did that honored the traditions of the elders and evaded the law.

The Religion of the Pharisees’

This afternoon let us examine the religion of these men that Jesus rebuked. Though they seemed very religious they often did things that violated the law, preferring instead, the traditions of man. As their actions caused Jesus to rebuke them let us look at his description of their life so that we might live the way Christ would have us rather than pursuing the religion of the Pharisees’.

Their Heart

“This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.”

Jesus chose this quote from an Old Testament Prophet to describe the condition of the Pharisees. Their religion was one that showed lipservice to God, but did not have a heart for the things of God.

This kind of religion is the kind that leads Christians to say I believe and yet fail to follow the commands of God. “I believe the Bible.” Then the Bible says something we don’t want to do so we just find a way to justify our failure to obey. The Bible says not to do something, but we do it anyway and develop a justification for sinning. This is one example of someone whose heart is far from the Lord.

The condition of your heart will eventually reveal your spiritual condition. If we do not have a heart for the things of God it will eventually be revealed and when it is we will be found a Pharisee, living in the condition of the hypocrisy that Jesus described right here in this passage.

Where is your heart? What is the passion of your heart? Does your heart reveal that you simply have the religion of the Pharisees’ rather than a true relationship with Jesus Christ. If you say you are a followed of Christ, but do not keep his word then your heart is far from God and you are living the Religion of the Pharisees’.

Their Worship

“Howbeit, in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men…and many other such like things ye do.”

Vain means empty. In emptiness you worship me. In other words, their worship is empty. Why is their worship empty? They teach for doctrin the commands of men. When we place what man has said before what God has said our worship also becomes lipservice and our worship is then just empty words and actions.

What an incredible thing that Jesus was telling the Pharisees! Your worship is empty. Your worship does not mean anyting. Your worship does not do anything. Why? Because what men say is more important than what God says.

Someone might go to church, sing the songs, even encourage other people, and heart the preaching of the Bible, but rather than apply God’s word and live accordingly they choose to replace what God has said with what man believes.

Your worship is empty if your heart and life are not changed by the Word of God. Your worship is empty if what someone else says or wants takes priority over what God has said.

Their Rejection

“Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition…Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.”

Their Heart was far from God, their worship was empty, and now their rejection was complete. Their heart has strayed from God to power, prestige, and prominence.

Their Worship was made empty by their continual replacing the Word of God with the Traditions of man.

Now, their Rejection is complete in their lives. Yet, they are blinded. They still believe that they are doing well. Why? How could they believe that they are fine when their heart has strayed and their worship was so empty and their rejection of God and His Word had become complete? Because of religion. Though their heart was far from God, their Worship was empty, and their Rejection was complete they were pious, arrogant, and judgmental of other “sinners” because their religion taught them that they were okay.

Conclusion - The Dangers of Religion

You see this all points us to the dangers of religion. The dangers of “being good”. The dangers of pretending to believe the Bible, being faithful in church, doing the work of the ministry, and doing the physiclal things of service to God.

I am right with God because I read my Bible, pray, go to church, and teach a Sunday School class or work in the bus ministry or children’s church or music ministry etc. I am right with God…after all look at all the things I do. I am right with God…after all look at all the things I do not do.

I am a good Christian because I do this or I do that. Yet, if your heart is far from God, if your worship is empty, and your rejection of what God has said is complete you are simply playing church, acting religious, and pretending about who you really are.

Jesus used the law in this passage to help point these wayward, but religious Pharisees to who they really were; people with a religion, but nevertheless, a lost people that were in need of a relationship with the Messiah, with the Son of God, with the Saviour of the world, with Jesus himself.

Everyone else thought the Pharisees had it all together, but the reality is the their religion was blinding them to the danger. They didn’t see their own hypocrisy. The didn’t see that their heart was far from God. They didn’t see that their worship was empty. They didn’t see that they had completely rejected the God they claimed to serve.

You see that is the dangers of religion. It makes us believe things about ourselves that isn’t true. It blinds us from our faults and failures that need to be brought before a holy God for forgiveness. It brings us to completely reject the Word of God for our own thoughts and traditions.

Don’t you see the dangers?

Are you living with the Dangers of Religion? Are you honoring God to people, but your heart remains far away from God? Are you simply going through the motions of worship, replacing the commands of God with the traditions of men; making your worship empty and pointless before God? Are you completely rejecting the things of God because you are blinded by the things you do that appear to men to be wonderful and amazing?

Let us recognize the dangers of religion so we can truly honor God with our hearts, worship Christ in the fulness of love for his word, and accept the Word of God in our lives so that we can be changed according to his purpose.