Mark 7:1  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.

There is quite a difference between humanistic religion and true religion.

James 1:27  Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

True religion is a pure religion. It does not seek its own. It seeks the good of others. That is what Jesus came for. He stated:

Matthew 20:28  Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

It was very evident from Jesus’ life that He came for others, not for Himself. The Pharisees had developed a religion that was all about themselves. They were looking for power. They took God’s Word and twisted it so that they could keep their thumb on the people. God gave the nation of Israel many laws. Those laws were for their good. They were not intended to be a burden to the people.
The Pharisees had developed a religious system that was designed to be a burden to the people. Yes, the lost will look at God’s laws and see them as too restrictive. Children might look at the laws their parents set and they see them as too restrictive. Sometimes they are right. Sometimes they just do not understand the intent behind what the parents are doing. Children need to learn the importance of obeying their parents. It is important to have compassion with the laws. Compassion does not mean promiscuousness. It means working with those who need to follow the laws to help them to appreciate them. It means leading by example.
Jesus led by example. He lived a pure life. He always did the will of His Father. Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites because they demanded things from others that they could not fulfil themselves. They had no intention of living by the laws they put upon others.
In our text, the Pharisees gathered some of their ilk together and came to meet Jesus. They did not come to learn. They came to find fault. God’s Word is the standard of righteousness. God’s Word is pure and right. Those who are saved need to take God’s Word as their authority. They need to seek to live by God’s standard. Our righteousness is found in Christ. When we live in Christ’s righteousness, we will be able to live by God’s Word. There is a great blessing in living by God’s standard.
In verse 2 the Pharisees noticed that the disciples were eating with unwashen hands and they found fault with that. It is important to have good hygiene. Keeping oneself clean is a good way to stop the spread of disease. There are times when washing hands is not possible. A farmer might be out in the field and have a break down and in fixing it, he might get greasy hands. He might not have any water and soap to wash his hands. Lunch time may come around and he is hungry and he eats without washing all that grease off his hands. He may clean his hands in the soil and with some grass along the edge of the field. The farmer is not sinning by not washing his hands before eating.
The disciples were not sinning by not washing their hands. In verse 3 we see how the Pharisees and in fact all the Jews behaved. They washed their hands often and would not eat unless they did so. They kept the traditions of the elders. It is important to note that they kept the traditions of the elders. There can be a vast difference between the traditions of the elders and the Word of God. Jesus pointed that out.
In verse 4 we see more of the practices of the Pharisees and the Jews. They were big on outward appearances. They burdened themselves and others with their rituals. In verse 5 they came to Jesus and asked Him why His disciples did not follow the traditions of the elders. They had quite the nerve. They disregarded Who Jesus was and they put the traditions of the elders ahead of the Word of God. Jesus pointed that out to them. Rather than be willing to learn, they took offence to the truth.
In verse 6 Jesus took them back to the prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah 29:13  Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:

The Pharisees used the Word of God as a weapon against the people. They did not submit to the Word of God as their authority. Jesus called them hypocrites. He went on to tell them that their religion was vain worship. Their doctrines were the commandments of men, not of God. Their false doctrines were of greater importance than God’s Word. They laid aside the commandments of God. Notice that God has given us commandments. There are things that God requires of man. Life is not a free-for-all for those who are saved. In fact, it is not a free-for-all for anyone. All people will be judged according to God’s Word. Those who repent and are saved are forgiven and can know the peace of God in their hearts. Those who are lost are living under the wrath of God. God would want them to be saved. He sent His Son to provide salvation for all. The wise person is the one who is humbled and turns to God in repentance and is saved.
Jesus continued to teach these lost people the truth. It is important to know the Word of God and to let God lead in using His Word according to His will. Jesus continued to show them how they had corrupted God’s Word for their own benefit. Their own benefit was very temporal in nature.
Those who follow false religion rob themselves of God’s blessings. These false religionists were not only hurting themselves, but they were neglecting their duties to their families. God puts families together. The Bible teaches us the importance of right relationships in families. Luke 15 shows us the love that a godly father has for his children. There is a time when the children need to choose if they will love the father as God intended. God the Father is always ready to forgive and welcome His children with open arms. In Luke 15 the picture is of God toward the nation of Israel who had forsaken Him. In our text, Jesus was speaking on behalf of His Father and encouraging the Pharisees and the Jews to turn to God and know His peace.
The Pharisees and the Jews had made their traditions of greater importance than God’s Word. In reality, no man can nullify God’s Word. However, we can make it seem as if It has no place in our hearts and lives. That is not a good place to be. We will also answer to God. His Word is sure. His Word is a blessing to those who love Him and serve Him faithfully. His Word is like a hammer to those who reject His love and grace.
The Pharisees had taught the people to be legalists. Legalists never know God’s peace. Legalists set up their own standard of righteousness. The Pharisees thought they were doing right. They thought they were pleasing God, but they were wrong. God’s Word must be received as God gave it. Our understanding of God’s Word must be according to what God has declared. The Holy Spirit is given to every true born again child of God. He is given to guide the true child of God into all truth. He never fails to do that in the heart of those who are submissive to Him. We need to listen to Him and choose His way. His way is always right.
Pastor Bartel