"The Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered around Him when they had come from Jerusalem, and had seen that some of His disciples were eating their bread with impure hands, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they carefully wash their hands, thus observing the traditions of the elders; and when they come from the market place, they do not eat unless they cleanse themselves; and there are many other things which they have received in order to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers and copper pots.) The Pharisees and the scribes asked Him, 'Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with impure hands?'” Mark 7:1-5

If we were to summarize Mark 7:1-5 in one question it would be, "Why don't you play by the rules?" The Scribes and Pharisees had created a meticulous, ritualistic system to measure spirituality - at least according to their definition. It was so absolutely embedded in the religious culture that by the time Jesus appeared on the scene it was expected that He too would subscribe to this long-standing tradition. Except that He didn't, and for good reason.

From our vantage point today it's easy enough for us to see that this Pharisaical tradition majored in minors - it was focused on the trivial at the expense of the essential.

I'm the firstborn son of a firstborn son. Typically firstborns are perfectionists, and I know I am one to the extreme. Among the phrases embedded in my mind from my upbringing are, "a place for everything, and everything in its place" ... "if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right." If not taken to extremes, these make sense, but I can easily run too far with them. I'll spare you the details.

It's been said that the difference between a manager and a leader is that managers do things right and leaders do the right things. A manager can meticulously tend to details, but they can unfortunately be all the wrong details. A good leader wisely knows what is worthy of his best efforts for the greatest good.

The greatest commandment is to love the LORD with all our heart, soul, and mind (Matthew 22:37-38). Exactly how that is expressed can vary from individual to individual. They key is to make sure that no ritualistic system supplants or substitutes for this great imperative.

I suggest that a key priority today, and every day, is what I will call 'spiritual balance." We don't want to become so imbalanced that we substitute religious rituals for heartfelt devotion to God and His Son, Jesus. To do so requires some careful and prayerful introspection. Perhaps a good way to grapple with this is to ask this question: "Father, if I am imbalanced in any way in my devotion to You, and my faithfulness in walking as a disciple of Jesus, please impress that upon me." Of course it follows that we be aware of what He might impress upon us.

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