The religious leaders were offended by what Jesus said. He cut across their traditions, and reduced their system of 'rules for daily living' to rubble. Jesus was deliberately provocative in order to confront their hypocritical hearts. Although they appeared to be holy, they were really self-seeking, greedy and hungry for praise. They were using their religion to glorify themselves, gain power over the people and have a good lifestyle.
 
Jesus challenged their petty rules about hand-washing, which were ceremonial rather than hygienic. Those activities had no real meaning, they were just traditions which purported to show an inner holiness; but instead they were hypocritical. Jesus said that the real problem was not the potential for contaminating the food which went into them, but that their words would infect the people who listened to them.
 
His message certainly reached their hearts. The Pharisees, who were considered to be the experts in truth, were angry that Jesus effectively called them false teachers. He was questioning their right to speak for God and undermining their prestige, religious power and often lavish lifestyle. The disciples were sensitive to the brewing conflict with the religious ruling classes, probably fearing that Jesus' popularity would fade ... and with it, their own importance. They were asking the Master not to be so direct, and avoid criticising the traditional religious establishment.
 
That kind of fear is common everywhere. Although we are commanded to obey our rulers (Romans 13:1), we also have to be careful to obey God. When there is a clash of obligations, we should obey God rather than human beings (Acts 4:18-20) for He is the Sovereign ruler. Of course it is dangerous. Most of the apostles found that out in their own early and violent death. But truth is more important than peace at any price. That applies in the workplace as well as the worship-place. So be freshly vigilant to identify the ways in which compromise has become the route to self-preservation, and where error has infected the society around us because we have kept the truth locked away.