Religion and religious doctrines, allows men to fix up the outside, without ever dealing with our true inner selves. When thay crucified Christ it was not because he fed 5000, or healed, the sick,  they crucified Him because he exposed their inner sinful flaws.  Flaws which no amount of ceremonies, study, dietary guidlines, etc, could ever take away. There is a spiritual world  (the realm of the heart/mind)  it is in this area where God seeks to develop the right things in us, Jesus stressed the importance of ones heart being right in God's sight (via, sincerity, humility, love, and faith).  Yet the religious leaders of his day refused to honestly deal with, what was in their inner selves, even as it is today.   Jesus came with a message, which warned men of the danger of merely relying on 1. Ones religious affiliation, 2. Self righteousness, and 3. Ones physical prosperity.  His teaching concerning these items enraged the religious elite, and stunned the common man.  For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven, Matt 5:20.  Jesus no doubt stunned his followers when he told them in order for them to enter into the kingdom their righteousness had to exceed that of the most revered and religious figures of their day, the scribes and Pharisees.  He taught his disciples to beware of the greed, conduct and attitude of the Pharisees (he even warned that it's hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom). One may have expected Jesus to come and expose the false gods of that time. On the contrary, he made a point of exposing the Pharisees and scribes. He gave them sharp rebukes which cut to the heart, and would lead eventually to them killing him. Jesus went so far as to say that the harlots (whores) would make it to heaven before them! What an insult this must have been to the Pharisees!  So pious and religious.  So concerned about God's law. They appeared to be a wonderful example of one who was living a pure and holy life before God.  They prayed on the street corners. They fasted twice a week for all to see. Their phylacteries were bigger and their fringes were more evident.  How could Christ say such a thing about the very pillars of the church? Who could be holier or righteous than these men?  They were known for their fasting, praying, church attendance, and tithing. They were the religious superstars of their day.   The problem was these things were not being done from a sincere heart/mind in an attempt to draw near to God. All these things were being done in an attempt to impress men, and to project a false prideful image of holiness and goodness to the world. Jesus called such people "whitewashed tombs", painted on the outside but inwardly rotten. COMPARE BELOW