First Baptist Church Litchfield
Worship 03/02/2026

      • Hebrews 4:16ESV

  • To God Be The Glory
  • Shout To The Lord
  • How Great Thou Art

      • Micah 7:18ESV

  • Thank You Jesus For The Blood

  • When Clean Hands Hide Dirty Hearts

    There are moments in life when appearance and reality collide. You can polish the outside of something until it shines, while underneath it is cracked and corroded. We all understand this. A freshly waxed truck can still have engine failure. A pressed shirt can still cover a trembling heart. From a distance, everything looks right. Up close, something is deeply wrong.
    Matthew 15:1–20 is one of those collision momentsCleancc.
    The Pharisees and Scribes travel from Jerusalem to confront Jesus. Ironically, their concern is not adultery or something like theft. It is not blasphemy. It is handwashing. They ask, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders?” On the surface, it seems like a small dispute over religious customs. But beneath that question is the far deeper issue of authority. Who has it? God’s Word or man’s tradition? And what truly makes a person clean before a holy God?
    Like the Pharisees and Scribes, we are tempted to elevate our own traditions above Scripture. We are tempted to substitute external religion for internal devotion. We are tempted to believe that outward reform can cure inward corruption.
    Jesus dismantles that illusion. He shows us,

    When man-made traditions rise above Scripture, they distort obedience, empty worship of its power, and reveal hearts that appear clean outwardly yet remain corrupt within.

    You will see that our text this morning is not solely about Pharisees long ago, but it is about us. It is about the difference between clean hands and a clean heart. And that raises the question we must answer this morning. Are we merely polished on the outside, or have we been transformed within? Let’s see if we can answer that question this morning. But first, let’s understand what Jesus means by the “tradition of the elders.”

    The Tradition of the Elders (Matthew 15:1-2)

    When Matthew tells us the Pharisees were clinging to “the tradition of the elders,” he is referring to what later became known as the Mishnah. This was an oral body of teaching handed down from rabbi to rabbi. The goal of the Mishnah was understandable, even noble. They wanted to build a fence around the law to ensure it would be kept well. If God gave Israel commandments, then the elders would create additional guidelines to keep the people from even coming close to breaking them.
    The rabbis even taught that Moses received two laws at Sinai. One was written, the Torah. The other was oral, preserved and transmitted from generation to generation. They believed this oral tradition formed an unbroken chain from Moses to their own day. The problem, however, is that the Old Testament itself says nothing about this second body of law. The Mishnah was not Scripture. It was tradition. Yet by the time of Jesus, many treated it as if it carried equal, even greater, authority than the written Word of God.
    Their fence became so tight that it moved from being careful to being strange. Kent Hughes recounts examples that reveal how extreme this became. To guard the Sabbath, one was forbidden to look into a mirror lest he see a gray hair and be tempted to pull it out, thereby performing work. False teeth could not be worn because if they fell out, picking them up would count as labor. A handkerchief could not be carried, but it could be worn. So if you wanted to move it from upstairs to downstairs, you had to tie it around your neck, walk down, and untie it.
    In our text, the Pharisees were confronting how Jesus’ disciples did not wash their hands. Faithful Jews were taught that ritual handwashing was not optional, but essential before, during, and after meals. The process itself was carefully prescribed. A man would lift his hands with his fingers pointed upward and pour water so that it flowed down to the wrist. Then he would turn his fingers downward and pour again, allowing the water to run off the fingertips. The order mattered. If he reversed it, or poured both times with his hands positioned the same way, his hands were still considered unclean. What began as zeal for holiness slowly drifted into burdensome absurdity.
    Now we must be fair. The Pharisees were serious about purity because they were serious about God. They rooted their concern in the Book of Leviticus. The great theme of Leviticus is the holiness of the Lord. God is holy. Man is defiled with sin. No one may stroll casually into His presence. Sacrifice is required. Cleansing is required. Consecration is required.
    So, they washed constantly. Before meals they poured water over their hands in a special way. If returning from the marketplace, they scrubbed themselves vigorously. Later Jewish writings devote extensive space to the washing of vessels and household items. Their commitment was visible and relentless, but it was misguided.
    Their problem was not that they wanted to be clean. That is a good desire. If you are going to an important interview or meeting someone you love, you shower, brush your teeth, and dress well. You present yourself carefully. No one faults you for that.
    The Pharisees believed, however, that external washing could address their internal corruption. Jesus agreed that they were unclean. He did not dispute Isaiah 64:6, that all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. The disagreement was about the source of defilement and the solution to it. Jesus will show that the problem is not dirty hands but dirty hearts.
    Let’s pretend my home has a cracked foundation. Instead of addressing the structural damage, I simply paint the walls, replace the carpet, and install beautiful lighting. From the street, the house looks stunning. Guests compliment the décor. But underneath, the foundation continues to split. One day the entire structure shifts and collapses. All the Cosmetic renovation in the world cannot repair structural failure.
    That is what the tradition of the elders became. It was cosmetic holiness. It addressed the hands while ignoring the heart.
    It would be wise for us to ask ourselves where we have built our own fences. It is possible to create personal or cultural standards and slowly treat them as if they were Scripture. For example, are we measuring spirituality by dress codes, political preferences, schooling choices, or worship styles? None of those are inherently wrong. But when they become the yardstick of righteousness, tradition has risen above the Word.
    Another question we could ask, “What do we functionally believe about cleansing?” Do we subtly believe that outward conformity to religious rules can cleanse me of my internal guilt?” Church attendance, ministry involvement, practicing spiritual disciplines, and moral behavior are good gifts. But they cannot atone for sin. Only the blood of Christ can cleanse the conscience. Hebrews tells us that the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sins. They pointed forward to a better sacrifice.
    As we are thinking about the weight of our traditions, we must let this passage drive us to the gospel. The Pharisees washed and washed and remained unclean. Jesus came not to offer another ritual but to offer Himself. He does not give us more fences. He gives us a new heart. The cleansing we need is not poured over our fingers while they are pointed upward, but cleansing is applied to our souls as we bow our hearts to Jesus as Lord with humble faith. The question before us is not whether our hands are clean, but whether our hearts have been washed by the merciful blood of Christ.
    With this in mind, lets see how Jesus responds to the Pharisees accusations.

    When Man Made Traditions Distort True Obedience (Matthew 15:3-6)

    When traditions are lifted above Scripture, obedience does not become stronger. It becomes distorted. That is exactly what Jesus exposes in Matthew 15:3–6 and Mark 7:6.
    His response is sharp and unflinching. In both Mark and Matthew’s account, Jesus calls them hypocrites (Mark 7:6; Matthew 15:7). The word hypocrite comes from Greek theatre. An actor would step onto the stage wearing a mask, playing a role that was not truly his own. He appeared to be one thing while, behind the mask, he was someone else entirely. When Jesus uses this word, He is saying to the Pharisees, You are religious actors. You look devout. You sound devout. But your obedience is staged. You are performing righteousness while breaking the very commands you claim to defend, specifically honoring your father and mother.
    God has made it clear in his word that we are to honor our parents. When Israel left Egypt and was given the law on Mount Sinai, God ensured honoring your parents were part of his Ten Commandments. He doubled down in this honor by saying that it was a capital offense if you habitually dishonored your parents in Exodus 20:17 and Leviticus 20:9.
    Moses later reminded Israel that their longevity in the land was tied, in part, to obedience to this command (Deuteronomy 5:16). Under Jewish understanding, honoring parents included caring for them financially in old age. To withhold provision from aging parents was not only unkind, it was a violation of God’s revealed will.
    But over time, a corrupt practices, by the priest mind you, developed. A son who grew weary of supporting his father and mother could declare his resources “Corban,” meaning dedicated to God (Mark 7:11). On the surface, this sounded devout. Who could argue against dedicating wealth to the Lord? And since devotion to God stands above all other duties, the religious leaders approved it.
    Yet Jesus exposes the truth behind Corban. Jesus says, “So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God” (Matthew 15:6). In other words, they were using religious language to avoid covenant responsibility. They cloaked selfishness in spirituality. They justified greed in the name of devotion. In trying to appear more obedient, they directly transgressed the very command they claimed to uphold.
    Church, we live in a world full of tensions and hypocrisy. Imagine encountering men and women who proudly give substantial offerings to church capital campaigns, enjoying their names appearing on programs, and people commending their generosity. Yet at home, their elderly mother cannot afford her medication, or their elderly father can only afford one meal a day. And when they are confronted, they have the audacity to reply, “I have given my resources to God. I’m building his churches, funding his mission, and giving to my community. My obligation is fulfilled.”
    To add insult to injury, imagine discovering that these people’s donation was never truly about the kingdom at all. It was structured for the greatest tax benefit. It looked sacrificial, but it cost him very little. The applause of men mattered more than the pleasure of God.
    That is the truth behind Corban.
    Corban allowed a man to declare his resources “dedicated to the Lord” (Mark 7:11) while still retaining control of them. It sounded holy. It was hollow. He could avoid caring for his parents and still appear devout. Hypocrisy.
    Corban distorts true obedience with its divided motive. The Pharisee wanted the reputation of generosity without the surrender of generosity. And if I am honest with myself, what is true for them is also true of me, and true of us.
    I am so thankful for Jesus. Christ did not dedicate Himself in word only. He gave Himself fully (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 2:8). No loopholes. No withheld portion. His obedience was true. Now he helps my heart’s obedience have gospel clarity and flow joyfully and generously from a heart transformed by grace.
    If we are going to be careful to not let our traditions distort genuine obedience, we must examine whether we have wrapped selfish motives in spiritual language. It is possible to speak of conviction, calling, or sacrifice while quietly ignoring clear commands of Scripture. 1 Timothy 5:8 reminds us that failure to provide for one’s household is a denial of the faith. No tradition can cancel that.
    I would also commend us to remember that true obedience never contradicts God’s written Word. If one of our traditions leads us to sidestep a plain command of God, it is not righteousness. If we hold onto sacred cows in the church, refusing to make changes that are good and necessary, it is rebellion wearing a mask. Psalm 119:160 declares, “The sum of your word is truth.” All of our traditions must bow to it.
    Finally, in the spirit of repentance, lets take our hypocrisy and sacred cows to the cross. Every one of us has played the actor. We have honored God with our lips while our hearts wandered. Jesus exposes our hypocrisy by bearing its penalty on the cross. On the cross, He fulfilled the law perfectly, honoring His Father in every way (John 8:29; Philippians 2:8). Through His blood, He cleanses both our hands and our hearts (Hebrews 9:14) so our obedience can be joyful and true.

    When Man Made Traditions Empty Worship of Its Power (Matthew 15:7-9)

    Jesus does not soften His words. He says, “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you” (Matthew 15:7). Then He quotes Isaiah 29:13, “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”
    Outward devotion becomes hollow when your lips move but your heart remains distant. Actors! Everyone of us if we are doing nothing more than playing church. If this is you, sadly, you are fluent in the language of worship, but your affections are elsewhere.
    It is possible to say you are a Christian, to say you follow Jesus, to say you are a faithful member of First Baptist Church Litchfield, and yet your heart is captured by worldly affections. You may love religion, religious activity, moral respectability, even political conservatism. But loving those things is not the same as loving Christ.
    When Jesus quotes Isaiah, He is exposing their distance. “Their heart is far from me.” They spoke the right words. They sang the right songs. They prayed the right prayers. But their hearts were disengaged. Their lips sounded holy, but their lives told another story. There was a painful gap between what they professed and what they truly loved.
    And Jesus says something even more sobering; “In vain do they worship me.” That means empty. Futile. Weightless. Worship that never reaches heaven because it never flowed from a surrendered heart.
    We are capable of religious fluency without any true spiritual reality. We can know the vocabulary of grace while resisting the God of grace. We can confess Christ publicly while privately cherishing pride, comfort, or control.
    A husband may say to his wife, “I love you,” every day. He may post about her on social media and speak highly of her in public. But if he never listens to her, never sacrifices for her, never delights in her presence, those words slowly become hollow. The form is there. The affection is not. Eventually she feels the distance.
    That is what God is saying through Isaiah. Your lips say you love Me, but your heart is somewhere else.
    Right now I am not asking you if you know of Him. Do you truly love Him? What do you think about when you are alone? What do you fear losing most? What excites you most deeply? “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).
    Do not confuse religious activity with spiritual intimacy. Attendance, service, giving, even doctrinal precision can coexist with a distant heart. The church at Ephesus in Revelation 2 had orthodoxy and perseverance, but Jesus said, “You have abandoned your first love.”
    Run to Christ. I cannot say it enough. The only man whose lips and heart were perfectly aligned was Jesus Himself. He could say, “I delight to do your will, O my God” (Psalm 40:8; cf. Hebrews 10:7). His obedience was not staged. It was sincere. And He offered that perfect obedience for actors like us.
    The gospel does more for you than expose your hollow worship. It renews your heart so you can worship wholly. By His Spirit, God writes His law within us (Jeremiah 31:33). He does not only demand that your lips move. He gives you a new heart that delights to draw near to Him so your worship is genuine and full.
    The question is not simply, “Are you saying the right things?” The question is, “Is your heart near to Him?” Is your worship full?

    When Man Made Traditions Reveal Inward Corruption (Matthew 15:10-20)

    In Matthew 15:10–11, Jesus gathers the crowd and says something that overturns their entire system of religion. “It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” The source of uncleanness is not outside in. It is inside out.
    Matthew and Mark both explain, “From within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person” (Matthew 15:18-19; Mark 7:21–23). Notice the direction. From within. Out of the heart.
    Jesus is not describing a few isolated mistakes. He is diagnosing the human condition. Evil thoughts are corrupt reasonings that brew beneath the surface. Sexual immorality, the word porneia, includes every distortion of God’s design for purity. Theft is not merely an act but a craving to take what belongs to another. Murder includes hatred that festers long before a hand is lifted. Coveting is an appetite for what God has not given. Deceit is baiting others for personal gain. Pride is self-exaltation with contempt for others. Foolishness is moral numbness, a desensitized soul.
    Kent Hughes notes that most of these terms appear in the Greek Old Testament. Jesus Himself teaching the doctrine of depravity. The problem is not where you live or your upbringing, whether you’ve lived in the Gheto or been educated in an ivy league school. The issue is your heart.
    Jeremiah 17:9 says, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” Paul echoes this in Romans 3:10–12, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.” And then he concludes in Romans 3:23, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Even Paul cries out in Romans 7:24, “Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?”
    The Pharisees misunderstood this. They believed external righteousness could reform the man into God’s favor. So they applied legalism and tradition to a problem that required regeneration. Their religion polished the outside while pride, arrogance, and hypocrisy thrived within. Instead of drawing near to God, they drifted into the doctrines of men.
    You can wash a cup repeatedly on the outside while leaving the inside coated with dirty film. From across the table it looks clean. Up close, it is foul. No amount of exterior polishing can make that cup fit to drink from.
    Or consider this. You can buy a watch that looks expensive. It shines. It keeps time for a week. But inside, the mechanism is defective. You can replace the band and polish the glass, but if the inner workings are broken, it will fail again. A true Rolex can only be made by Rolex. In the same way, a new heart can only be given by God.
    Let me pause to offer a warning to pastors. Because the Pharisees did not understand that their heart was the source of their defilement, Jesus called them blind guides who led the people to perish (Matthew 15:13-14). We must guard the word of God, but we must never put our traditions above the authority of the word of God. The word is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. It is manna for our souls. We must always keep our priorities straight so we wisely guide our people on the straight and narrow path.
    As a community of believers, Jesus is calling us to stop blaming the outside world as the primary source of our sin. Culture influences us, but it does not create evil within us. We create the culture. Jesus says it comes from within. That humbles us. It removes our excuses.
    Furthermore, this should warn us against trusting primarily in religious reform. Education, discipline, even church involvement can restrain behavior. But they cannot cleanse the heart. Only the gospel can do that. Ezekiel 36:26 promises, “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.” We need more than behavior modification. We need gospel transformation.
    Once more, we must be compelled to run hard and fast to Christ. In Zechariah 3, Joshua the high priest stands before the Lord in filthy garments. That is us in our religious traditions apart from grace. But the Lord says, “Remove the filthy garments from him… I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments” (Zechariah 3:4). By grace, through the death of His Son, God provides the cleanliness He commands.
    Jesus lived the perfect life we could not live. He died the sacrificial death we deserved. His blood atones. His resurrection secures new life. Romans 6:4 says we are raised to walk in newness of life. 2 Corinthians 5:17 declares, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.”
    Let us not settle for improved behavior. Let’s settle for nothing less than a new heart. Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb? Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour? Are you washed in the soul-cleansing blood of the Lamb? Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow? Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
    Religion can reform the man and send him straight to hell. Only Christ can transform the heart.

    From Polished Religion to Purified Hearts

    We began by considering the difference between appearance and reality. Something can look clean while remaining deeply flawed underneath. That is the tension of Matthew 15.
    The Pharisees had polished religion. They had tradition. They had ritual. They had vocabulary. But Jesus exposed their heart.
    They elevated tradition above Scripture, and in doing so, they transgressed God’s commands.
    They distorted obedience through loopholes like Corban, honoring God in theory while neglecting clear covenant responsibility.
    They worshiped with their lips while their hearts were distant, proving that outward devotion without inward affection is vain and empty.
    And they focused on external purity while ignoring the true source of defilement, the human heart.
    Clean hands cannot cure a corrupt heart. Traditions cannot clean our transgressions.
    That is where the gospel meets us.
    If the problem were merely external, we could fix it with discipline. If the issue were cultural, we could fix it with reform. But Jesus says the problem is within. And that means the solution must be supernatural.
    We do not need better fences around the law. We need a new heart. We need what God promised in Ezekiel 36:26, “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you.” We need cleansing that reaches deeper than ritual. We need the blood of Christ to wash what no water can reach.
    So we return to the question from the beginning. Are we shining on the outside while hiding decay within? Or has Christ transformed us from the inside out?
    The Pharisees walked away offended. The disciples were confused. But the invitation still stands.
    Do not settle for polished religion.
    Repent. Believe. Come to Christ for a purified heart.

      • Matthew 15:1–20ESV

      • Matthew 15:1–20ESV

      • Matthew 15:1–2ESV

      • Matthew 15:7–9ESV

      • Matthew 15:10–20ESV

  • Christ, My Righteousness, My All
First Baptist Church Litchfield
pastorjason.fbcl@gmail.com
217-324-4232
http://www.firstbaptistlitchfield.org/
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