Traditions and Scripture
Text: Mark 7:1-13 | December 1, 2019
In this account, we see a confrontation between Jesus and the Pharisees and scribes. The Pharisees and scribes saw Jesus’ disciples eating with impure hands (7:2), and they questioned Jesus as to why His disciples violated the traditions of the elders (7:5; Matt. 15:2). Note: hand washing here is not for sanitary purposes. This was a ceremonial and ritual cleaning. It was a “tradition” that had been passed down to them, and they observed it very seriously.
The key here is that this tradition is man-made, and not God-given. The Pharisees and scribes were holding onto the traditions of men and neglecting the commandment of God (7:8). This is hypocrisy, and Jesus indicts them for their hypocrisy by quoting Isaiah 29:13 (7:6-7). They were hypocrites because on the outside they appear holy and righteous, but they have no concern for God’s law (7:6-7). They use man-made regulations and traditions to flaunt their spirituality. God is not concerned about the outward appearance as much as He is concerned about the heart (7:6).
Finally, Jesus cites an example of their hypocrisy in verses 9-13. Jesus quotes the Fifth Commandment in verse 10 (see also Exodus 20:12): “Honor your father and your mother.” Violating this commandment is a crime worthy of death (Mark 7:10; Exodus 21:17). Yet, these Pharisees and scribes invented a man-made rule that allowed one to violate the Fifth Commandment. Mark 7:13 provides a summary: “Thus invalidating the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down.” They rejected God’s word to observe their traditions.
For the entirety of the lesson, please see the attached manuscript of the message.
Reflection:
- Traditions are not inherently evil, but traditions should never be held on the same level as or above the Bible. We are not immune to this problem. Many Christians blindly observe tradition over the Scriptures. They do it for various reasons, but many times people do it because they don’t know the Bible well enough to discern between what is God’s word and what is man-made. We need to guard against that by reading and studying the Bible, praying as we read that God would teach us through His word and give us discernment.
Questions:
Jesus indicts the Pharisees and scribes for their hypocrisy in this text. In a later event, Jesus would indict them of hypocrisy again. Read Matthew 23:27-28.
- How did Jesus illustrate their hypocrisy?
- Does this warning apply to us?
Answers:
- Jesus illustrates their hypocrisy by comparing them to whitewashed tombs, which are beautiful and presentable on the surface, but inside the tomb tells a different story. There is uncleanness inside the tomb. Hypocrites are just like that: They appear holy, spiritual, and religious on the outside, but their hearts are far from God (Mark 7:6). They are not truly saved, and all they are capable of doing is putting on an appearance of holiness and righteousness.
- In some ways it does apply to the truly converted Christian. We should do all things to the glory of God, but in our pride, sometimes we do things to earn the praise of men. For non-Christians who claim to be Christians, this is the best they can do. Without a transformation of the heart, they can only put on the appearance of holiness and righteousness. For Christians, we must guard against this and confess our sins when we are prideful.