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Here Jesus says many things in private which He will repeat afterwards in public and is recorded in Matt. 23. Jesus never condemned anything or anyone in private that He would not also do in pubic.
It would appear that as Jesus was speaking about the evidence of faith in a persons life, even as He was speaking, a certain Pharisee interrupted Him and invited Him to come immediately, as it was dinnertime, and dine with him. Why? We would hope that the Pharisee was truly interested in knowing more about the ministry and teachings of Jesus but probably the truth was that he was more interested in interrupting what Jesus was saying and even in seeking an opportunity to ensnare Him and get something with which he could accuse Him. Whatever his motive, you can be sure Christ knew it.
Notice the complaint that the Pharisee had of Jesus. Jesus had not washed before dinner. He was concerned that a man of Christ's sanctity, a man of such devotion would set down to eat without washing his hands.
Notice the situation. Certain conditions existed that were conducive to His washing. He had just come from a situation in which He dealt with a Demon. He was in a Pharisees' Dining Room. We can be sure that the Pharisee and his other guests had washed their hands. They were observing Him very closely, why not go ahead and wash? What harm would it have done?
This particular "washing", was a requirement of the church. The "ceremonial law" of the church required different types of washing, but this was not one of them, therefore Jesus would not do it. Why? Because He opposed the assuming of power by the church, as a matter of religion, something which God had not commanded them.
Not only did He not wash, but He reproved them for what He believed to be an "external" display of religion. Making a display of external cleanliness while being unclean on the inside. Did not God, who made the laws for external purification, make them also for internal purification? He suggested they would do better to give to the poor what they were about to eat than put on a display of hypocrisy. He reproves them for observing little things and neglecting large things. He suggests that they do outward things for the approval of men and neglect that which pleases God.
Then He condemned the Scribes, who made it their business to expound the law according to "tradition" rather than according to the scriptures. They were as guilty as the Pharisees in their interpretation of the Law. "Woe unto you, lawyers and scribes." They were noted for making the observance of religion more burdensome for others and easy for themselves. They pretended to love and honor the prophets whom their fathers killed, and hated and persecuted the prophets of their day. They would continue the legacy of persecution of their fathers in the persecution of Christ's Disciples and their sins would exceed that of their fathers.
They had not faithfully expounded the scriptures according to the Messiah, instead they had perverted them and cast a false understanding as to the true nature of the Messiah in the minds of the people. Lastly, we are told how maliciously and spitefully the Scribes and Pharisees contrived to snare Him. They could not stand His reproofs but what he had said against them was not grounds to arrest Him so they tried to provoke Him into saying something that would stir up the people or the government. " Evil men often dig up mischief." (Ps. 56:5)
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