Based on Matthew 26:1-5 (New King James Version)
“Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, that He said to His disciples, ‘You know that after two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.’ Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people assembled at the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, and plotted to take Jesus by trickery and kill Him. But they said, ‘Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.’”
God has a serious problem with religiosity, and of course, for very practical and just reasons. When a person follows a religion, the issue becomes more about practices and rituals than what God truly desires: an intimate and genuine relationship. God's intention was never to give man a list of rules to give us something to do and nothing more, but something far beyond that: to be able to enjoy a close and personal relationship with each of us. And God only names things as commandments or precepts to give instruction, like what a father should do with a child. God's instruction is synonymous with His love, because He desires the best for us.
The Lord had no regard for religiosity. He showed His mercy to the sinner, even to those who were detestable in society: to the prostitute, the possessed, and even the thief. But when dealing with religious people, He simply could not tolerate them. For example, we read: “And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner. Then the Lord said to him, ‘Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you. ‘But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them.’ Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, ‘Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.’ And He said, ‘Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. Therefore the wisdom of God also said, 'I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,' that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation. ‘Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.’" Luke 11:37-52.
What is finally God’s problem with religiosity? Because it goes hand in hand with hypocrisy. This is also written: “He answered and said to them, ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: 'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men -the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.’ He said to them, ‘All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.' But you say, 'If a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban’-' (that is, a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.’" Mark 7:6-13. This is the most serious problem with religiosity, because it simply inspires a very deep hypocrisy that takes root in the soul of man, and turns the holy into profane, and life into death. The entire focus that God desires is lost. And the things of God are taken to give only the appearance of something good, just as Satan himself does, who takes the form of an angel to sell perdition.
Now, one can try to point the finger at the Pharisees and Scribes and say that most of them were evil. And yes, that wouldn't be a lie, because there were only two that we know of who didn't consent to be part of the plot against the Lord, who were Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea. But what did these chief priests, scribes, and elders of the people gain by worrying so much about the Passover and the people if they were plotting to kill God Himself? One might say: They didn't know He was God. The truth is that they didn't care who He was, nor His deeds, nor His teachings, nor the prophecies fulfilled in Him, nor anything that proclaimed Him to be the Messiah. All they knew and cared about was that they envied Him, as it is written: “But Pilate answered them, saying, ‘Do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?’ For he knew that the chief priests had handed Him over because of envy.” Mark 15:9-10. The problem is that any person can adopt the same attitude as them when they take the things of God merely for show, but in their hearts, be far from God. The vast majority of so-called believers today create their own personal religion instead of seeking to do what God wants, which the Lord himself reiterated as the most important thing of all: “Jesus answered him, ‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment.’” Mark 12:29-30. If this is the not the all of our lives as it is written, we will also run the risk of being like these same religious people, that instead of supporting the things of God, to go completely against God. And like that, be lost also. What does the Word teach? “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-3. The love of which is spoken here is related to loving the Lord. If a person does not love the Lord, everything they do becomes religiosity. So, we should always look at what is our intention, and to change our intention through the Lord if it is not what it should be, because God knows everything and He will judge everything. So then, do you look to love the Lord as He deserves to be loved, or is your reason for existence something else, something that will take you to your own perdition? Lord bless! John. God bless Israel!