Being More Concerned With Your PR….

Hypocrisy has always been an issue. It’s just changed it’s name. Today hypocrisy is better known as “political correctness”. Jesus calls out the Pharisees’ hypocrisy here. Doing something to “save face” isn’t really a good reason to do it. How often do we see today man-made ideas pushed into the mainstream that are purposely presented to be a substitute for God’s standards? Or how many times do we see evil rewarded in the name of “progression”? Or love being converted into tolerance? Disagreeing with someone doesn’t mean you hate them. And loving someone doesn’t mean you accept every aspect to their behavior. Jesus confronted these religious leaders because they were more concerned with man-made traditions than they were with God’s law. They were pretenders, whose hearts didn’t really know God. If they did, they would’ve recognized Who Jesus really was. Being PC may earn us brownie points with the world, but will only drive us further away from what matters most, God Himself. Stop pretending. Get right with God. Instead of pursuing political correctness, how about being more concerned with your PR, personal responsibility (to God).

1 One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. 2 They noticed that some of His disciples failed to follow the Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating. 3 (The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands, as required by their ancient traditions. 4 Similarly, they don’t eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to–such as their ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers, and kettles.)5 So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked Him, “Why don’t Your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony.”6 Jesus replied, “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, ‘These people honor Me with their lips,but their hearts are far from Me.7 Their worship is a farce,for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’ 8 For you ignore God’s law and substitute your own tradition.”9 Then He said, “You skillfully sidestep God’s law in order to hold on to your own tradition. 10 For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’ 11 But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ 12 In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents.13 And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others.” Mark 7:1-13