Scott Allen leads today's lesson from Matthew 15:1-11, 15-20. The Pharisees, by reputation the most religious and zealous of all Jews, accused Jesus' disciples of a legal violation when they ate without immediately washing their hands first. Jesus in turn pointed out the hypocrisy of those who focus on external and superficial human rules but disobey God's moral law. The Pharisees encouraged Jews to abandon their duty toward their parents and instead devote all of their gifts to the temple treasury. In their greed for more material donations, the Pharisees were in disobedience to God's moral commandment to honor one's father and mother. Believers must always guard against the hypocrisy of following man-made rules instead of God's timeless instructions.