As children growing up in the country, we didn’t have many things to do. We didn’t have a park. Money was enough, but we didn’t have extras for a toy every time we went to the store. We did not have air conditioners, so we played outside all day long. This was a recipe for using our imaginations. Often we would find ourselves playing church. No other kids lived close to us, so even the dog and cats went to church with us. Sticks became people, and a tree stump was our pulpit. We mimicked every person in our small congregation. We sang like the song leader, gave a sermon like the preacher, and even prayed like the oldest member of our church. Growing up, it seemed like he prayed forever. We had good times playing church, but we were just acting out parts. We were doing what we thought was expected. We were not worshiping God, and the words we said to each other did not bring a decision to repent. When we finished playing church, we were no different than when we started.
In Mark 7:6, Jesus was speaking to the scribes and Pharisees. They were known for keeping the law and the traditions that they had developed through the years. Jesus reminds them that Isaiah had prophesied about them. These were people who honored God with their lips, but their worship was not from the heart. It was not only meaningless to God, but they were hypocritical.
Mark 7:6 “Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.”
We learn from the scribes and Pharisees that it is entirely possible to go through all the outward motions of faith while remaining completely distant from God inside. They were “playing church.” The same is true today. We can give the appearance of devotion—singing the songs, knowing the terminology, sitting in the pews, and keeping up a respectable image—without ever letting the Gospel transform our hearts.
Think about it. The ones Jesus is speaking about, the scribes and Pharisees, were most guilty of “playing church.” They were not obvious social outcasts, but they were highly religious people. They meticulously observed rituals, prayed public prayers, and displayed their righteousness for everyone to see. Yet, when Jesus interacted with them, His evaluation was sharp: He called them “whitewashed tombs.” They looked beautiful on the outside, with robes and clothing that set them apart from the average person who came to the temple, but they were empty and lifeless within. He even calls them hypocrites! They were simply playing a part to draw attention to themselves. They were deceived, but as anyone who is deceived, they did not know they were deceived. If they had, they would not have been deceived.
Matthew 23:27-28 “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.”
Jesus points out that He sought a genuine, living relationship. He sees right through everything people do to look good or seem religious. Yet Jesus never called His followers to play a part in a performance; He did not call people to be religious, but to have a genuine, loving relationship with Him.
God’s desire is for us to be authentic. God is not impressed by polished routines or impressive religious vocabulary. He looks directly at the condition of the heart. In I Samuel 16, God is looking for someone to lead His people. After looking at all of Jesse’s sons except David, who was busy tending sheep, He made the profound statement in verse 7. “But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD sees not as man sees; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart.”
Jesus wants our full surrender. He is not looking for performance. Going to church or keeping religious habits cannot replace daily obedience, genuine repentance, and love for others. He offers us true transformation through the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives; we can be the real deal. We are not checking a box just to mark church attendance off our to-do list. If this is you, there is a good chance you are not genuinely saved. True conversion will make you want to be with God’s people; you’ll desire more of God. You will want more preaching, teaching, studying, praying, and serving. You cannot be fully right with God if these are not your desires. When we stop pretending to have it all together, we open the door for God’s grace to actually heal and change us from the inside out.
Living a genuine Christian life requires stepping off the stage of religious performance and allowing Christ to take full control of our private thoughts, motives, and actions. While it is easy to slide into spiritual autopilot, letting comfort and routine guide you rather than a passion for true discipleship, that is not what God wants. He wants our whole hearts.
As you read this, are you already defending yourself in your mind for something you are not doing? Are there areas in your spiritual life where you are going through the motions rather than seeking a real connection with God? Being honest with ourselves is the first step to change. Are you listening to and heeding the preacher’s words? Do you read and study your Bible to change, or do you do it to feel better about yourself? Do you attend every church service unless you are physically unable? Are you engaged in Sunday School, or some sort of discipleship class? When was the last time you prayed with someone to receive Christ?
What is one step you can take today to move from a place of “religious performance” to authentic, everyday devotion? Showing up for an hour on Sunday is not fulfilling what God demands of you. You can be as I was as a little girl, going through all the motions of church but still not pleasing God. It is time to get real with yourself because your eternity depends on it!
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