I have several thoughts as I read today's passage. My first thought is that my two three year olds would have loved being disciples. They don't like to wash their hands before they eat either. My guess is that the tradition of the elders would have not meant too much to them.
On a more serious note, I am reminded again that Christianity is a religion that works from the inside out. Why were the Pharisees washing their hands? It wasn't for the same reason that we wash. We wash because we are afraid of germs. The Pharisees were afraid of a different type of contagion. They were afraid of spiritual contagion. When the Pharisees washed their hands, they didn't just wash physical dirt off. They washed off dirt that they felt could lead to spiritual corruption. The Pharisees feared that if they ate something unclean it would compromise their relationship with God.
Jesus takes the Pharisees on when it comes to this point. He says that spiritual corruption comes not merely from what we eat (or do). Instead, spiritual corruption is deeper. It is a matter of a faulty heart and mind and soul. Jesus' point is simple: The problem is not that we sin; the problem is that we are sinners. No amount of hand washing can ever take that away. We need a radical re-working of our personalities, temperaments, and wills. In Jesus, that happens. Through faith in Jesus' work and the confession of our sinfulness, the Holy Spirit begins to change us. He conforms our desires and choices to His own.
As I wash my hands today, I'll be reminded that not all corruption cleans up with Softsoap. I will be thankful that Jesus has given of His Spirit that I might be a different person.
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