Jesus Against Pharisees

Introduction

This week I had several interesting things happen. I spoke to a women that sad that their is no such thing as objective truth, and I saw a post that said the apostles prayed to Mary.

You maybe asking how are these thing related! They are both traditions and faith statements that where being made.

In the case of no objective truth I asked 2 simple questions If I can demonstrate objective truth does that make it real and what is 2 + 2 a math question.

In the case of the apostles praying to Mary someone simply asked, Chapter and verse please!

These are devastating questions to those so steeped in their on traditions and bias that they can’t see reality for what it is.

Did the apostles actually pray to Mary? No, in fact you can’t find that appearing for a very long time As I can track it really started to gain ground in the 1200’s

Is their really no such thing as truth? The scripture literally call Jesus the way, the truth, and the light John 14:6

John 14:6 ESV

6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Denying objective truth is tantamount to denying Christ. God is the author of truth, the son is the personification of truth, and the Spirit the authenticater of truth.

While Mary is the most blessed of women, you don’t see anywhere is scripture the apostles praying to her, it’s just not there.

While it is a contemporary value to not believe in objective truth, that things can be true outside of a person’s opinion, for example we know that how light works the sky will be seen as blue regardless of someone being colorblind, they way the composition of the atmosphere works would lead to a blue color being displayed. Your feelings on the matter don’t change the facts.

Big Idea:

Jesus defines our faith

The Text

Mark 6:53–7:23 ESV

53 When they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret and moored to the shore. 54 And when they got out of the boat, the people immediately recognized him 55 and ran about the whole region and began to bring the sick people on their beds to wherever they heard he was. 56 And wherever he came, in villages, cities, or countryside, they laid the sick in the marketplaces and implored him that they might touch even the fringe of his garment. And as many as touched it were made well. 1 Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, 2 they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, 4 and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) 5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 6 And he 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; 7 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” 9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban” ’ (that is, given to God)— 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” 14 And he called the people to him again and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing outside a person that by going into him can defile him, but the things that come out of a person are what defile him.” 17 And when he had entered the house and left the people, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 And he said to them, “Then are you also without understanding? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 since it enters not his heart but his stomach, and is expelled?” (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. 21 For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Break Down the text/Observations

Theological issue

Sola Scriptora over Sola Ecclesia

The bible is written by God for us (Doctrine of Inspiration)

What Paul Said

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Romans 15:4 (ESV)

4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

What Jesus says

Matthew 24:35 (ESV)

35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

Matthew 5:18 (ESV)

18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

The Bible is the best way to live ( a place of great obedience)

Use ten commandments

Exodus 20:2–17 (ESV)

2 “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

3 “You shall have no other gods before me.

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image

7 “You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain

8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

12 “Honor your father and your mother,

14 “You shall not commit adultery.

15 “You shall not steal.

16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

17 “You shall not covet

Use Great commission

Matthew 28:18–20 (ESV)

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

The Bible is our the Final authority

Higher then tradition Matthew 15:1-9

Matthew 15:1–9 (ESV)

15 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” 6 he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

“ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me,

teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

This does not mean that it is exhaustive of all knowledge, you won't find a how to change your oil, how gravity works, an exhaustive treaties on the US constitution

All truth is from God; and consequently, if wicked men have said anything that is true and just, we ought not to reject it, for it has come from God. Besides, all things are of God; and, therefore, why should it not be lawful to dedicate to his glory everything that can properly be employed for such a purpose?

Ritzema, Elliot. 2013. 300 Quotations for Preachers from the Reformation. Pastorum Series. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

The Bible what Is needed for salvation

You can't know the true God outside of the scripture

It is the duty and the privilege of the church of God to exalt the truth into the open view of all mankind. Possibly you may have seen the column of Trajan, or the column in the Place Vendôme in Paris; these may serve as illustrations. Around these shafts you see the victories of the conqueror pictured in relief, and lifted into the air, that all may see them.

Now, the church of God is a pillar that lifts up and publishes, far and wide, the achievements of our conquering Lord, saying to all mankind that God “was revealed in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was proclaimed among the Gentiles, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory” (1 Tim 3:16).51

Spurgeon, Charles. 2017. 300 Sermon Illustrations from Charles Spurgeon. Edited by Elliot Ritzema and Lynnea Smoyer. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press.

Let me break this down even more.

Protestant vs. Catholic understanding

We sing Catechisms with our children nearly every day and the most recent verse we are memorizinf is from the Westminster Shorter

and question 3 is this:

The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) The Westminster Shorter Catechism

3. What do the Scriptures principally teach?

The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.

Baked into this answers is that the scripture is what to teach us on how to believe and how to act. This was put togethor by the puritans btw.

The 1689 records this about the Bible in it’s confession:

The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) Chapter 1: Of the Holy Scriptures

1. The Holy Scripture is the only sufficient, certain, and infallible rule of all saving knowledge, faith, and obedience. Although the light of nature, and the works of creation and providence do so far manifest the goodness, wisdom, and power of God, as to leave men inexcusable; yet they are not sufficient to give that knowledge of God and His will which is necessary unto salvation. Therefore it pleased the Lord at sundry times and in divers manners to reveal Himself, and to declare His will unto His church; and afterward for the better preserving and propagating of the truth, and for the more sure establishment and comfort of the church against the corruption of the flesh, and the malice of Satan, and of the world, to commit the same wholly unto writing; which makes the Holy Scriptures to be most necessary, those former ways of God’s revealing His will unto His people being now ceased.

and

The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) Chapter 1: Of the Holy Scriptures

10. The supreme judge, by which all controversies of religion are to be determined, and all decrees of councils, opinions of ancient writers, doctrines of men, and private spirits, are to be examined, and in whose sentence we are to rest, can be no other but the Holy Scripture delivered by the Spirit, into which Scripture so delivered, our faith is finally resolved.

The Catholic church has over time especially following the protestant reformation embraced this idea of church equality with biblical revelation. So you have no the invention of the Papcy, the worship of Mary, the veneration of relics, the mass and so on. Why because the church allowed it’s authority to go beyond the bounds of scripture. You will see that while confessions are good, we as a church are a confessional church, we subscribe as a southern baptist church to the Baptist faith and message. All beliefs and actions must be done by the book. Their is some freedom of interpretation, but you will find most Christians will agree on the major doctrines and applications.

What’s astounding about this text is that the Pharisees were arguing with Jesus that he and his disciples are not keeping God’s word because they didn’t do the actions of the Pharisees!

Jesus is literally the living word!

John 1:1–5 ESV

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

When you read through Mark 7:6-13

Mark 7:6–13 ESV

6 And he 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; 7 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ 8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” 9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban” ’ (that is, given to God)— 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

You can see that Jesus is in my understanding exasperated with the Pharisees. Yes God has feelings! They put their expectations ahead of the word. This brings us back to our big idea

Jesus defines our faith.

The goal that Mark has in writing his gospel is Mark 10:45

Mark 10:45 ESV

45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The living word came to serve and to give his life as a ransom for you and I.

These Pharisee by adding works to the gospel had made as Jesus said

Matthew 23:15 ESV

15 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel across sea and land to make a single proselyte, and when he becomes a proselyte, you make him twice as much a child of hell as yourselves.

When we put things in front of the word we do the same. You can understand why thew Lord felt this way!

Applications:

The traditions of the Pharisees vs Jesus

(Negative) When tradition goes to far

to worried about being unclean verse the need of the people

Mark 7:5 ESV

5 And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?”

Today we have the same thing happening everywhere! We call it cancel culture, you don’t have something exactly correct according to Marxist ideology your loosing your job, being de-banked, and possible put on a no fly list. Jesus by rejecting the non-biblical traditions of the Pharisees would lead to him being killed.

Today when you transgress our culture you’re perceived as eating with unclean hands, the old depolarables line that Hilary Clinton called about half of America.

You can even see it happening today on sports media, books, movies, and video games. They all tell the same boring stories, they’re all safe and follow the contemporary rules so as not to offend current sensibilities. Disney now has warnings on half of their old cartoons. Christianity and its exclusive claims are now bigotted because they won’t fit in to the narratives.

Are you doing likewise?

(Positive) Jesus healing regardless of current trends - Jesus on the other hand who came to serve still serves even if traditions are not on his side, he still healed, still ate with the disciples, and didn’t wash his hands!

Look to what is good and keep it, look to what isn’t and drop it. I’d argue with some authority that the dropping of the Christian ethic in America for the current secular one is why everything is going haywire. The Bible and history support that. Look at what you do and why you do it, see if it accomplishes the task of the great commission. Adjust as you can!

When tradition mis-applied the forest for the trees

(Negative) How they made the law useless because of the work around

Mark 7:9 ESV

9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!

By twist the use of the law they were hurting people. They were using the actions of faith to conflict there responsibilities!

You see this today wear people will take what’s important or good and make it the ultimate instead of balance. The Pharisees made their visible faith the most important and they where hurting their families!

Today people do this by making work the most important thing over spouse and kids, I’ve seen parents pick sports over church and school. Some people will put strangers over their family and actual neighbors. I’m sad about conflicts overseas, but It’ more pressing to me that we get the gospel to American men, women, and children and if we have any overflow then we can talk about the rest!

(positive)Proper use of tradition

Make use of tradition that doesn’t void out the law of God. What does the scripture principally teach?

Build your life around those teachings, not around anything else. Don’t baptize the Bible in cultural convictions, but make the your family culture baptized into Biblical convictions!

How Christ helps us develop good traditions

How he interprets the OT

I would say that you see here Jesus explaing the food laws, they had nothing to do with eathing and creating righteousness but instead had to do with faithfulness to God. When you read the OT make sure that you read it in light of Christ

How he makes everything clean

They had again assumed what they ate made them righteous, their actions, but that couldn’t be further from the truth!

Food, You, The gospel