Really? The measure of your righteousness is if you wash you hands before you eat? Mark 7-8

The Pharisess would never last today in our world ... or, would they? Do they? Mark opens chapter seven with the alarming interests of the Pharisees with the fact that Jesus' disciples did not "wash their hands" before they ate. This was contrary to the "tradition of the elders." In this passage Mark records five times the word "tradition" (7:3,5,8,9,13). The Pharisees, according to Christ's teaching against them, had replaced their way of thinking (traditions of the elders) with what God actually intended. Imagine, today, someone telling us that God measures how righteous you are by "if you wash your hands before you eat." Imagine, today, someone telling us that God measures righteousness by attending church. Imgaine, today, someone telling us that God measures righteousness by a set of prayers, confessions, baptisms, clothes you wear, what you listen to, the direction you face when you pray, the time of day when you pray, the amount you give to the church, the amount of time you spend doing something for the church? Imagine? How do men, with their traditions, do this to others? God gives us a very simply way to live: Love God with all our heart and love others as ourselves. We can only do that through Christ's empowerment but do you see how simply that is compared to all these man-made-traditions. God wants us to practice justice and mercy to others. Man wants us to practice psycnological behaviors to measure ourselves among ourselves. God is not intrested in our traditions. He is interested in our love for Him.