In 1791, John Wesley wrote: "Slovenliness is no part of religion.  Cleanliness is indeed next to Godliness."  He meant that respect for God should result in personal disciplines - habits that honour the body and life that God had given.  But for the Jews around Jesus, ceremonial cleanliness was the way to get God to honour them (Matthew 15:9)  It was a sort of obsessional compulsive behaviour that marked their deranged thinking - the result of false teaching welcomed by 'Do It Yourself' spirituality.

Jesus had been showing the crowds how their religious obsessions were a nonsense (Mark 7:1-13).  They had believed that the rituals, invented by theologians but never authorised by God, were more important than what God has plainly said in His Word.  Jesus, who is God in a human body, then took the position of authority.  He demanded that they listen to Him and come to a true understanding about ritual hand washing.  

Jesus went to the heart of the problem.  True 'uncleanness' was not about bad food hygiene (of which they understood little); it came from pollution that was already in the 'heart'.  The 'heart' is, of course, not the physical blood pump, but the part of us that holds our deep desires.  An unclean desire will soon be seen; it will find expression in what we say and do, and how we relate to others (Matthew 13:15).  God sees the depth of our rottenness, but everyday life reveals our hearts, in its challenges, conflicts and ambitions.

We may not be obsessive about the Old Testament food laws or the multiple man-made mini-laws which have been added over the years, but we may have all sorts of religious habits that we hope will cover up the reality of our hearts.  Even energetic ministry to children, devotion at the prayer meeting or serving as a church officer ... none of these are a substitute for getting our hearts right with God.  If our desire is to please and satisfy ourselves, all our piety counts for nothing (Matthew 7:22-23).  If we slavishly follow any authority which does not conform to the Scripture, we delude ourselves about our relationship with God.  He wants us to listen today and to understand that if we are desiring or holding onto things and attitudes which He has not authorised, our hearts are not right.  The pollution needs to go before we lose our relationship with God.  It is time to repent so that we can be forgiven by His mercy and restored by His grace.