Matthew 15:1-20 That Which Defiles
Obviously, Jesus wasn’t talking about germs and sanitation. The Law required the ceremonial washing of hands, so that one might not be contaminated by something considered “unclean” accidentally. It was legalism at it’s finest. If you got near a pig earlier in the day, you might have touched it, and if you then cross contaminated your food, you would be unclean.
The Pharisees were more considered with accidentally ingesting something than they were about the condition of their hearts. The Law was intended to guide people’s hearts and minds toward God and to love one another but became corrupted and was treated more like a checklist.
Think about how we have corrupted the age of grace. What checklists do we have so that we can claim to be right with God, even if we fail to love?
Journey Through Scripture 