Mark 7. As we have been discussing how Jesus interacted with people, we have seen his compassion for the suffering crowds (and his healing), and we have seen his patient investment in those who are committed to following him (and their empowerment for ministry).

Today, in chapter seven, Jesus interacts with the Pharisees, the Jewish religious leaders of that era. He is not very nice to them, or patient with their protesting. Jesus says, “You hypocrites… This people honors me with their lips but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me… You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!”(7:6-9)

Wow. He calls out the religious leadership for being hypocrites, and he does it in front of everyone. No wonder they dislike him. It started as a complaint about hand washing… Jewish tradition said you had to wash your hands (a lot) in order to be spiritually pure before God. A big show was made of hand washing and ritual purity. It had nothing to do with germs and washing your hands before you eat, which is obviously still a good idea. So the religious leadership was strutting about in their fancy flowing robes of power, washing their hands for purity in front of all the people – but inside their hearts were full of anger, jealousy, and judgement and their lives were full of sin. Jesus calls them out for it.

Jesus takes this opportunity to teach his disciples something new. Referencing all the Jewish dietary laws and restrictions (and things related to handwashing and other rituals), Jesus says, “Hear me all of you and understand, there is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him”(7:14-15). The disciples don’t quite understand him, so he makes it super clear – insert ancient toilet humor – what you eat and drink goes into your stomach and then into the latrine! (7:19) Things passing through your digestive track cannot make you spiritually unclean! I imagine that some disciples were snorting in the back… ha ha, Jesus just said the poop word.

In summary, Jesus makes the point that adherence to strict religious traditions like ritual washing and dietary laws are not necessary to please God. God is much more concerned about the posture of people’s hearts. God despises hypocrisy. All the evil things that damage our relationship with God and corrupt us come from within our hearts – things like evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, deceit, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness (7:20-23).

I don’t know if you’ve even been in a situation where you knew that people in leadership were actually hypocrites, who looked good on the outside but were full of rottenness on the inside? That’s a difficult place to be, it’s an awful feeling, and sometimes there is not a whole lot you can do about it. But inside you wish for justice and exposure because hypocritical leadership is just the worst!

Let us ask ourselves, am I guilty of hypocrisy in any part of my life? How is my heart? What do I need to confess and turn away from? What can I do to have integrity, and to keep my heart open and soft toward God?