Jesus said to the Pharisees: "'Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, "This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines."'" Mark 7:6,7 (NRSV)
The words that Isaiah actually used were: "human commandments learned by rote." Isaiah 29:13 (NRSV)
But the intention is clear - the philosophy of the Pharisees is a human creation.
This is the carrot and stick approach of the ruling establishment which preaches rewards and punishments in order to control the masses and keep them down.
From the days of the Pharaohs this approach has been adopted by the ruling authorities as a method of maintaining power and privilege.
But God is good.
He will not punish us.
He will show mercy.
And steadfast Love.
This is the Good News.
Go into your room and close the door.
Pray to God with a sincere heart.
And He will answer.
[Scripture quotation (marked NRSV) are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and are used by permission. All rights reserved.]
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