By Pastor Dr. Aggrey Soyekwo
Matthew 15:7-9 “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “ ‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’ ”” – NIV
They travelled from Jerusalem to ask Jesus why His disciples were breaking the law and tradition of the forefathers by eating with unwashed hands. They didn’t even honour their parents and diverted whatever help they should have given them to God. Jesus rebuked them for their hypocrisy manifested by appearing very committed to the traditions of men more than God’s word and right worship of God.
Quoting from Isaiah, Jesus tells them why their worship was in vain. They were more committed to their traditions than the word of God. They focused more on external practices lip service, but their hearts were far from true commitment to God. Their religious zeal was about laws and regulations than love passion for God. Their religious practices involved more of routine rituals passed on as worship traditions, but disconnected from the God they claimed to worship.
Such was vain worship. To God, it meant nothing. He didnt recognise it despite their activities. Doesn’t this sound familiar in our times as well? Jesus taught that acceptable worship to God should be in truth and Spirit. It should come from a love and passion for God with all our hearts, souls, strength. The state of our hearts matters most in worship! When man made rules and traditions outside God’s word dictates how we worship God, it becomes vain worship. May your whole being love and live for God. May your worship be acceptable and pleasing to Him.
Mark 12:29-30 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’”
John 4:23-24 “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.””
Shalom children of God.