In today’s passage, the disciples of Jesus ate without washing hands. Back then, there was a code of conduct for washing of hands. The Pharisees believed that these cleansing rituals made them clean before God. And the cleaner they were, the more worthy they became. Therefore, legalism is the idea that our actions, conduct, and behavior can increase or decrease our worthiness in God’s eyes. The Pharisees accused Jesus for not teaching His disciples properly. Jesus replied by teaching them about the nature of sin comes from inside our hearts and souls and defiles us. Today’s passage can be looked at in 3 parts:

1. Roots of legalism
2. Fruits of legalism
3. How Jesus uproots us from legalism

1. Roots of legalism

Legalism is important for the efficient running of the world we live in. But it has negative connotations because of the Pharisees’ misapplication of the law.

Products and services must meet a certain standard before being sold. Restaurants have to adhere to the country’s food hygiene standards. Students study for good grades to graduate to the next academic level. We are hired for jobs based on our skillsets and competencies. Legalism keeps dangerous people in prison, away from society. So, legalism is important for society to function. It is practical and is all around us.

But spiritually, does God give us what we deserve? Are we held accountable for our sins? If no, then hell is not a threat. But if yes, then the Pharisees were right. However, the Pharisees mistook the purity laws in Leviticus as dealing with uncleanness only from the outside. They were not able to see the uncleanness that comes from within (Mark 7:20-23). Because they underestimated the severity of the problem, they also overestimated their ability to solve the problem on their own. The 2 roots of legalism is underestimating sin and overestimating our ability to solve sin, which is pride. We cannot wash away our sins on our own (Mark 9:43-46). It is not our hands, feet, eyes that cause us to sin. It is our sinful hearts and souls.

2. Fruits of Legalism

• A comparison mindset

We see this in the Pharisees when they compared themselves with the disciples of Jesus. Legalism judges worthiness by good works and performance, and separates the worthy vs the unworthy (Matthew 7:5).

• A lifestyle of hypocrisy

Hypocrite in Greek is hupokritaes, meaning ‘masked actor’. Hypocrites mask themselves by playing roles according to the script. Likewise, do we put on a mask before coming to church (Mark 7:6-7)? If our hearts are far from God, our worship becomes in vain.

• Vain worship

The most important worship is to lift up God in our hearts. We do this through thanksgiving (Psalm 86:12; 9:1). However, legalism makes it impossible to have thanksgiving, because it is all about getting what we deserve. We see an example of this in Luke 18, when Jesus compares the prayers of a Pharisee and a tax collector (Luke 18:11-12). The Pharisee thanked God for all his achievements & especially that he is unlike the sinful tax collector praying beside him. A legalistic mindset makes it impossible to give thanks to God from our hearts. And if our hearts are thankless, then our worship is in vain and empty.

• Ineffectiveness of God’s Word

Legalism makes the Word of God void. Void in Greek is akurou, meaning to make something ineffective, or render powerless (Mark 7:13,18-21). The Word of God has the power to cleanse sin, but it must be applied in our hearts. Jesus explains that if the Word of God is applied wrongly to hands and feet, only our actions will be busy doing God’s work but our hearts remain unclean. It is like rubbing panadol on our forehead for headache, instead of swallowing it.

Legalism leads to using God’s law for one’s own personal benefit. And further lead to preferential obedience. The Pharisees picked and chose the laws they liked and shifted the culture in the direction they wanted. They moulded the people of God into the form they themselves desired.

3. How Jesus uproots us from legalism?

• Jesus reveals the true nature of our problem

No matter how many times we wash, or how many treasures we bring to the Lord, they will never wash away the sin and unrighteousness from our hearts. Sin is a worldwide pandemic & everyone is affected (Romans 3:23). King David was a role model, the greatest king who ever lived, yet even he fell into sin. In repentance and desperation, he prayed for a clean heart & right spirit (Psalm 51:10).

How then will God give us a new heart? Through Jesus Christ who came to fulfill the law (Matthew 5:17-18). Jesus did it by living a clean sinless life, in full perfect obedience to the law. And on the cross, Jesus fulfilled the law by dying in our place (2 Corinthians 5:21).

In conclusion, how should we wash? Sometimes in our life of faith, we may feel unclean and unworthy before God, that we have not served enough, prayed enough, and have not been faithful enough. Then what is the solution? Apostle Paul taught the church of Galatia that it was not through legalism (Galatians 3:1-4). But through surrender (John 13:5-7) & repentance (1 John 1:9; 1 Corinthians 6:11). In Jesus’ name we are made clean through faith alone, grace alone, Christ alone.

It doesn’t matter how good or bad we have been. When we repent, we become a new creation before God (2 Corinthians 5:17). The moment we surrender our hearts to Jesus, we are cleaner than any Pharisee and as clean as the Son of God Himself.

AMEN.