It is possible to worship God in vain, being misguided by the ideas of people, focusing on surface things while neglecting the heart. Jesus highlights this in a conversation with the Pharisees, religious leaders of His day, using scripture to demonstrate how their disobedience to the law of Moses revealed a problem with their hearts.
According to the law of Moses, adult children honored their parent by offering financial support when they could no longer work for themselves. The Pharisees supported the abandonment of such responsibilities when the funds were given as gifts, and did nothing to address provision for these needy parents. Why let this issue slide while making a big deal about ceremonial washing at meal time?
Food is processed and eliminated without ever having an affect on spiritual heart issues. If the Pharisees were concerned with true worship, which would include obeying all of the law of Moses, they would consider their inner condition. While they obsess about a problem going in, a problem is revealed by what is coming out. Various evils are described as originating from the heart, many of which may be applied to the Pharisees in their poor response to the dishonoring of parents. Jesus judges them to be defiled, despite all of their ceremonial washings and showy efforts.
What does this mean for us today? Are there parallels where teachings of men are elevated over biblical principles in conflict with our culture? Do we imagine that God is satisfied with any direction we take as long as we give Him gifts and offer sacrifices? Are we presenting our true selves to the world or have we washed the outside to appear clean while all manner of evil rages on inside? Does God see and respond?
Samuel and Hosea express it best as follows:
“Has the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices,
as in obeying the voice of the LORD?
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
and to listen than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15:22)
For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6)
God our loving Father has created us with purpose. Our identity is found in Him. He invites us to relate to Him as He is, which may only be revealed by Him since none of us have seen Him at any time. We must be clean according to the way He defines cleanliness. How ironic that the Pharisees should find themselves in the presence of Jesus, a perfect reflection of God, and find Him wanting. In seeking to worship the Father, led by their own selfish ambition, they were worshipping someone else altogether.