Oh you Pharisees! Although you cleanse the outside of the cup and the dish, you are filled with plunder and evil on the inside. Jesus is at it again with the Pharisees! Jesus had accepted an invitation to dinner at a house of a Pharisee. And when dinner was served, the host saw that Jesus did not observe the prescribed washing ritual that was to precede partaking in a meal. It would be incorrect to assume that Jesus jumped right into the meal and started eating without washing his hands. What might have happened is that Jesus, perhaps not used to the Pharisaic thorough cleansing ritual before meals (which included the washing of the entire arm and even at times the feet), only washed his hands and then proceeded to serve himself. When the host pointed out what he perceived as a “serious” breach of religious observance on the part of Jesus, he (Jesus) decided to respond in kind. He too pointed out where he believed the Pharisees were failing in living out their call as leaders of the people.
While Jesus was not against the washing of hands and feet before meals, he was against the over-emphasis that was placed on such human precepts (traditions and customs) while more relevant issues (such as charity and kindness towards the neighbor) were being ignored. Jesus was concerned that the emphasis of the religious system had become more external and personal than internal and relational. To Jesus’ host and others who were like him, it was okay for an individual to observe the washing rituals while at the same time harboring hatred for one’s brother in the heart. It didn’t matter that one cared less about the welfare of his/her brothers and sisters as long as one kept him/herself from external blemishes. It would have been okay if the same amount of energy employed in observing the customary  external rituals was also extended to helping the unfortunate members of the community. It is safe to assume that Jesus would not have had any issues with the Pharisaic emphasis on ritual cleanness if they emphasized in the same measure God’s command to love one’s neighbor as oneself.