Clean Hearts, Not just Hands

2 Samuel 3; 1 Chronicles 12; Matthew 15 

“’These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’”

Matthew 15:8, 9

Jesus quoted Isaiah as he responded to criticisms related to the cleanliness laws given by Moses. Cleansing hands prior to eating had become more important than clean hearts and pure speech.

Are there traditions we follow which also have become more important than the state of our hearts and the words we speak?

Are we being hypocritical by presenting a religious face in worship, but harboring jealousy, bitterness, or anger toward others in the privacy of our heart?

Jesus invites us to be real and take ownership for the true state of our heart. He sees our hearts and has given us the Holy Spirit to convict us of sin so we can repent and be free from sin’s entanglements. True worship requires vigilance regarding our heart-condition and an open hand regarding discretionary traditions.

“Lord Jesus, I repent of unforgiveness and pray for cleansing, for your glory.”