When the Pharisees confront Jesus about His disciples eating with unwashed hands, a deeper and far more serious problem surfaces: the habit of elevating human-made traditions to the same level of authority as the Word of God. In this sermon from Mark 7, Leon Pretorius exposes how this ancient trap — substituting external rules for genuine heart transformation — is just as alive in the church today. Rather than producing holiness, these elevated traditions breed pride and hypocrisy. Next week we will hear Jesus' answer to the problem; this week, we are invited to recognise it honestly.