Why Jesus Hated Legalism
In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees, ostensibly in an attempt to keep God’s Law, had devised and added hundreds of manmade laws.But in so doing, they had shifted the focus from the heart to the
outward man. This included elaborate rituals for washing them-selves before meals and for cleansing their dishes and utensils.
While there was a basis for these practices in the Book of Leviticus
(11:33-34; 15:12), the Pharisees had taken them far beyond whatGod intended. Jesus uses this practice to confront the main issue.Religion apart from God is always trying to fix the outer manto look good to other men, but it neglects the fact that the Lord
looks on the heart. Jesus (11:39) confronted the Pharisees with the4fact that although they went to great lengths to clean their cups andplatters, they neglected to cleanse their hearts, which were full of
robbery and wickedness. The Pharisees despised those who wereopenly sinful, but God looks not only at the outward person, but
also on the heart. Inwardly, the Pharisees were greedy and wicked.Jesus compares this to washing the outside of a bowl and then
eating out of it, even though the inside was filthy! The God who
made the outside made the inside as well. Genuine religion is amatter of the heart, not just of external compliance.The meaning of verse 41 is debated, but Jesus seems to besaying that if we deal with our hearts before God, then everything
that flows outward is clean. As J. C. Ryle explains, “Give first theoffering of the inward man. Give your heart, your affections, and
your will to God, as the first great alms which you bestow, andthen all your other actions, proceeding from a right heart, are an
acceptable sacrifice, and a clean offering in the sight of God” (Ex-
pository Thoughts on the Gospels [Baker], 3:48-49).Then Jesus launches into the three woes on the Pharisees:1. The first woe: Legalism majors on minors and minors onmajors (11:42).The Pharisees were meticulous about giving a tenth to God tothe degree that they even tithed their spices! (Rue is a strong-
scented herb.) While Jesus upheld the obligation of tithing (Lev.
27:30 was used to support the tithing of spices), He condemnedthem for neglecting the weighty part of the Law, namely, justice
and the love of God. As He elsewhere affirmed, the love of Godand the love of neighbor sum up the entire Law (Matt. 22:37-40).
But the Pharisees would cleverly tell even their parents that theycould not help them financially because their money had been de-
voted to God (Mark 7:11). Technically, they were tithing, butpractically, they were neglecting to love their own parents!Modern day legalists also major on the minors and minor onthe majors. Some churches and Christian parents put major atten-tion on rules about petty issues, such as dress codes or certain ac-
tivities, but they tolerate serious sins, such as gossip, greed, andpride. If we shun people because of how they look, or over certain5behaviors that, according to the Bible, are not major, we are guiltyof the sin of the Pharisees.For example, you may be surprised to know what JonathanEdwards, Charles Spurgeon, G. Campbell Morgan, Martyn Lloyd-
Jones, and C. S. Lewis all had in common. Yes, they were all godlyChristian leaders who were greatly used by God. All except Lewis
were gifted Bible expositors and pastors. But also, at least some of
the time they were in the ministry, they all smoked!Many Christians question your salvation if you smoke! I thinkthat if you smoke, you should quit as soon as possible, because it isnot good stewardship of your body. The men I just mentioned all
lived before that medical evidence was known. But my point isthat there are many Christians who are more concerned with get-
ting people to stop smoking than with getting them to walk in theSpirit and stop doing the deeds of the flesh.
2. The second woe: Legalism focuses on self-glory (11:43).Jesus next condemns the Pharisees because they loved thefront seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the
market places. They loved to have people notice how importantthey were! It made them feel good to be addressed as the Rever-
end Doctor So-and-so. But pride was at the root of it. They werefocused on their own glory, not on God’s glory. Pride is at the
heart of legalism; humility is at the heart of true Christianity.The legalist can take pride in himself and his attainments be-cause he is looking at outward matters, not at issues of the heart.
He doesn’t acknowledge that his heart is just as sinful as the heartof the prostitute or robber. If he had been reared in their circum-
stances or had encountered the problems in life they had faced, hewould have engaged in the same behavior, because he had the same
heart of lust and greed. No, he sees himself as a notch above thesesinners. He has attained a righteous life by his own hard work and
discipline. The legalist is puffed up with pride.Scripture declares that God opposes the proud, but givesgrace to the humble (Prov. 3:34; James 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5). One sure
mark of the Holy Spirit’s work in our hearts is that we see our-selves as terrible sinners in the sight of God. We see that we de-
serve His judgment because of our pride, selfishness, and rebellion.6Rather than comparing ourselves with others and concluding thatwe are basically good, we compare ourselves with God and con-
clude that no good thing dwells within us. Thus convicted of ourgreat need, we flee to the cross for mercy. But legalists don’t like
the message of the cross, because it confronts their pride.
3. The third woe: Legalism subtly corrupts others (11:44).Jesus compares the Pharisees to concealed tombs. If a Jewcame in contact with a tomb or a dead body, he was ceremoniallyunclean for seven days (Num. 19:11-22). The picture behind these
ceremonial laws was that sin leads to death and that the contami-nation of sin and death spreads to others if it is not dealt with. The
Jew who became contaminated by contact with a dead body had totake responsibility for cleansing through the ashes of a red heifer
and ritual washing (Num. 19:1-11). Here, Jesus accuses the Phari-sees, who were meticulous about such laws of cleanliness, of defil-
ing the Jewish nation through their own spiritual death! The
charge must have shocked them!
outward man. This included elaborate rituals for washing them-selves before meals and for cleansing their dishes and utensils.
While there was a basis for these practices in the Book of Leviticus
(11:33-34; 15:12), the Pharisees had taken them far beyond whatGod intended. Jesus uses this practice to confront the main issue.Religion apart from God is always trying to fix the outer manto look good to other men, but it neglects the fact that the Lord
looks on the heart. Jesus (11:39) confronted the Pharisees with the4fact that although they went to great lengths to clean their cups andplatters, they neglected to cleanse their hearts, which were full of
robbery and wickedness. The Pharisees despised those who wereopenly sinful, but God looks not only at the outward person, but
also on the heart. Inwardly, the Pharisees were greedy and wicked.Jesus compares this to washing the outside of a bowl and then
eating out of it, even though the inside was filthy! The God who
made the outside made the inside as well. Genuine religion is amatter of the heart, not just of external compliance.The meaning of verse 41 is debated, but Jesus seems to besaying that if we deal with our hearts before God, then everything
that flows outward is clean. As J. C. Ryle explains, “Give first theoffering of the inward man. Give your heart, your affections, and
your will to God, as the first great alms which you bestow, andthen all your other actions, proceeding from a right heart, are an
acceptable sacrifice, and a clean offering in the sight of God” (Ex-
pository Thoughts on the Gospels [Baker], 3:48-49).Then Jesus launches into the three woes on the Pharisees:1. The first woe: Legalism majors on minors and minors onmajors (11:42).The Pharisees were meticulous about giving a tenth to God tothe degree that they even tithed their spices! (Rue is a strong-
scented herb.) While Jesus upheld the obligation of tithing (Lev.
27:30 was used to support the tithing of spices), He condemnedthem for neglecting the weighty part of the Law, namely, justice
and the love of God. As He elsewhere affirmed, the love of Godand the love of neighbor sum up the entire Law (Matt. 22:37-40).
But the Pharisees would cleverly tell even their parents that theycould not help them financially because their money had been de-
voted to God (Mark 7:11). Technically, they were tithing, butpractically, they were neglecting to love their own parents!Modern day legalists also major on the minors and minor onthe majors. Some churches and Christian parents put major atten-tion on rules about petty issues, such as dress codes or certain ac-
tivities, but they tolerate serious sins, such as gossip, greed, andpride. If we shun people because of how they look, or over certain5behaviors that, according to the Bible, are not major, we are guiltyof the sin of the Pharisees.For example, you may be surprised to know what JonathanEdwards, Charles Spurgeon, G. Campbell Morgan, Martyn Lloyd-
Jones, and C. S. Lewis all had in common. Yes, they were all godlyChristian leaders who were greatly used by God. All except Lewis
were gifted Bible expositors and pastors. But also, at least some of
the time they were in the ministry, they all smoked!Many Christians question your salvation if you smoke! I thinkthat if you smoke, you should quit as soon as possible, because it isnot good stewardship of your body. The men I just mentioned all
lived before that medical evidence was known. But my point isthat there are many Christians who are more concerned with get-
ting people to stop smoking than with getting them to walk in theSpirit and stop doing the deeds of the flesh.
2. The second woe: Legalism focuses on self-glory (11:43).Jesus next condemns the Pharisees because they loved thefront seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the
market places. They loved to have people notice how importantthey were! It made them feel good to be addressed as the Rever-
end Doctor So-and-so. But pride was at the root of it. They werefocused on their own glory, not on God’s glory. Pride is at the
heart of legalism; humility is at the heart of true Christianity.The legalist can take pride in himself and his attainments be-cause he is looking at outward matters, not at issues of the heart.
He doesn’t acknowledge that his heart is just as sinful as the heartof the prostitute or robber. If he had been reared in their circum-
stances or had encountered the problems in life they had faced, hewould have engaged in the same behavior, because he had the same
heart of lust and greed. No, he sees himself as a notch above thesesinners. He has attained a righteous life by his own hard work and
discipline. The legalist is puffed up with pride.Scripture declares that God opposes the proud, but givesgrace to the humble (Prov. 3:34; James 4:6; 1 Pet. 5:5). One sure
mark of the Holy Spirit’s work in our hearts is that we see our-selves as terrible sinners in the sight of God. We see that we de-
serve His judgment because of our pride, selfishness, and rebellion.6Rather than comparing ourselves with others and concluding thatwe are basically good, we compare ourselves with God and con-
clude that no good thing dwells within us. Thus convicted of ourgreat need, we flee to the cross for mercy. But legalists don’t like
the message of the cross, because it confronts their pride.
3. The third woe: Legalism subtly corrupts others (11:44).Jesus compares the Pharisees to concealed tombs. If a Jewcame in contact with a tomb or a dead body, he was ceremoniallyunclean for seven days (Num. 19:11-22). The picture behind these
ceremonial laws was that sin leads to death and that the contami-nation of sin and death spreads to others if it is not dealt with. The
Jew who became contaminated by contact with a dead body had totake responsibility for cleansing through the ashes of a red heifer
and ritual washing (Num. 19:1-11). Here, Jesus accuses the Phari-sees, who were meticulous about such laws of cleanliness, of defil-
ing the Jewish nation through their own spiritual death! The
charge must have shocked them!
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