Clean Hands and a Clean Heart

February 23, 2022 PM, Matthew 15:1-20.

By the title of my message, “Clean Hands and a Clean Heart,” I do not intend to convey that the Pharisees were right about the ritual washing of hands but just fell short. They missed the entire boat. Rather: “Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, nor sworn deceitfully” (Psalm 24:3-4). Ritual washing of hands is not the issue. Hands that do not practice sin is the issue... and a heart first washed by the blood of Christ to break the power of sin and allow the hands to do righteousness instead of wickedness. The cleanliness of the hands is like in 1 Timothy 2:8 – a farmer with dirty hands out in his fields, but who is a good Christian man, can lift those soiled hands to God in prayer, and do so in complete fulfillment of this Scripture.