Mark 7 - The Danger of Traditions!
So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?” 6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. 7 They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.’8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”
Commentary
The next battle Jesus had with the Pharisees was regarding the ritual cleansing of one's hands before meals. There were passages in the Old Testament which commanded a priest to wash before he entered the temple, but nowhere were the Israelites commanded to wash their hands before they ate. Of course they could as a matter of hygience, but it was not a moral issue or commanded in the Jewish law.
But the Pharisees often added to God's laws their own interpretations. Soon someone interpreted their interpretation, and added to the previous tradition to make yet another tradition. You can see where this is going. For instance over time the Pharisees developed 39 ways types of work prohibited on the Sabbath.
So there was the written law which was their Hebrew bible (aka the Old Testament for Christians), but then there was the oral law. which they added.
"In Judaism of that time they honored the written law. But there was also the oral law, which was not written down, but was man’s tradition and interpretation on top of the written law. Many Jewish leaders of Jesus’ time honored the oral law even more than the written law." - Guzik
The bible tells us not to add one letter to what is written. When we start adding traditions to God's word it can dilute it or even contradict it. Here is an example of how absurd this got.
"A really strict Jew would do this not only before the meal, but also between each course. And the rabbis were deadly serious about this. They said that bread eaten with unwashed hands was no better than excrement. One rabbi who once failed to perform the ritual washing was excommunicated. Another rabbi was imprisoned by the Romans, and he used his ration of water for ceremonial cleansing instead of drinking, nearly dying of thirst. He was regarded as a great hero for this sacrifice."
This is why God was so mad at the Israelites, because rather than focus on the clear directives in the Ten Commandments, they got caught up in "legalism" and their own manmade laws. All of God's commands are summed up in the Great Commandment, "To love the Lord Your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And love your neighbors as yourself."
You can see how the ritualistic washing of one's hands before a meal had absolutely nothing to do with the Great Commandment.
While there is nothing wrong with tradition per se, if it takes the place of, or minimizes God's clear commandment, it is very dangerous. We all have to learn how to interpret the bible, but our intrepretation must be lead by the clear and simple meaning of a passage. We rely on the Holy Spirit to guide and convict us as to how to apply this in our lives.
For instance, one of the commandments is not to bear false witness against your neighbor. It was originally intended to prohibit perjury in a Jewish court of law, ensuring the integrity of the judicial system, which doesn't necessarily translate to us today.
So how can we faithfully interpret this commandment for today. Martin Luther interpreted this commandment in the Small Catechism to mean,
"Do not deceitfully belie, betray, slander, or defame your neighbor Defend your neighbor, speak well of them, and "put the best construction on everything" (or explain their actions in the kindest possible way). "
I think this is an excellent interpretation of this commandment. When I teach Confirmation I include gossiping in this definition. So we need to interpret the bible and apply it to our lives, but it is never given the same authority of scripture, or used to manipulate or have power over others like the Pharisees did.
Application for Life
1. Where do you think the church adds traditions which can undermine the clear teaching of God's Word? Why do manmade rules usually not transform a human heart?
2.What does it mean when Jesus says, "These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me?" How can we remember this in our own lives of faith?
3. Why do Christians often fall into the category of being a hypocrite?
Prayer
Jesus, we come before you to give you our hearts. Help our words to match our hearts. Help us to remember that when our words don't match up with our lives it undermines our credibility to those outside the Christian faith. Thank you for the Holy Spirit who not only helps us to understand your will but gives us the power to carry it out!" Amen.
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