Matthew 15:1-11: The Call to Purity (Pt. 1) - Tradition

Introduction

Opening Illustration

There was a year when I was a particularly bad brother.

My younger brother’s birthday is in the middle of December and so I had the great idea of getting him a present that would carry over from his birthday all the way to Christmas.

On his birthday, I placed a large, beautifully wrapped box in front of him, smiled, and said, 'Happy Birthday, Bro.' Knowing me well, he unwrapped it with caution. As he opened the box he found...

another smaller box.

Upon opening that one, he found... another box, and upon opening that one he found...

A small, soft, wrapped package.

A few more layers of wrapping paper later and he finally got to his gift: A single, frilly, sequined Steelers sock.

In my diabolical ingenuity, I had planned to give him one sock for his birthday and the matching sock for Christmas, so he’d get the full set by the end of the year.

Now, you need to know an important piece of information: even though we were a Pittsburgh Steelers family, my brother had betrayed us all and decided to be a Cincinnati Bengals fan.

So not only was this gift useless to him to wear, it was a gift he had zero appreciation for.

Do you think all that elaborate wrapping changed the fact that it was a lousy present inside? I put more time into wrapping that present than I did into all the rest of the presents I gave for Christmas that year. Do you think that effort I put into it mattered?

The outside looked great, and many times over!, but that didn’t change the fact that it was a lousy present inside.

Just as we sometimes find that our beautifully wrapped presents hide disappointing truths, our carefully maintained actions and traditions can hide the true condition of our hearts.

Earlier in Matthew, we witnessed Jesus addressing physical needs with incredible miracles. But today and next week, in Matthew 15:1-20, Jesus shifts His focus to internal needs.

Just like the hidden uselessness of my gift to my brother, he addresses a sort of hidden uselessness in our passage today: the uselessness of a heart that has not been changed.

No matter how nice, how clean, the outside looks, our true spiritual health depends on an inner transformation in Christ rather than on the mere keeping of traditions.

Main Idea of the Sermon

The sermon this morning is called “Making Void: the Call FROM Empty Tradition

I pray that as we study together we will see that true purity, true righteousness, isn’t found in what we do externally, but in how our hearts respond.

Following Jesus means allowing His transforming grace to change us from the inside out, rather than just following what we have been taught by humans.

So we begin this morning with the question: What is the problem with tradition? To understand that, let’s look at Matthew 15:1-7

Sermon

I. The Temptation of Tradition (Matthew 15:1–7) (Mark 7:1-13)

Context

In Jesus’ day, religious leaders stressed strict adherence to ritual purity laws in a collection called the Mishnah. (hand-washing, dietary laws)

This was what they meant when they said “the tradition of the elders” and those traditions were focused on a concept that they call “Putting a fence around the Torah.”

Now, before we go on we need to recognize the difference between these two words here:

Torah - the teachings of God, also called the books of Moses, also called the first five books of the OT

These are Scripture, the Laws of God

Mishnah - the traditions of the elders, pharisees taught and followed these traditions

These were the fence they put up around the Torah. They were more specific laws to clarify and strengthen what they thought was unclear in Scripture.

You see, the Pharisees, as a group, arose as a fight for purification.

They read the Prophets and read all of God’s promises for salvation and peace if they only turn back to following his instruction

and so they labored to bring the Israelites back into submission to God’s laws.

They had many innovations like having synagogues and Rabbis in every town.

Unlike the priests who had to be Levites, Rabbis were more like pastors who could arise from anywhere to help teach and turn the people back to God.

These Rabbis became very influential in the lives of their cities, even rising to political power.

The Rabbis were trained in the Torah, the Law, and the Mishnah, the Tradition, and through the careful observance and teaching of both, they, and their hearers, would be pure in the eyes of God and they would be saved from their Roman overlords.

At least that was the theory.

What ended up being the reality was that the “fence” they put up to protect the Torah became more important to them than the Torah itself.

Over time, their traditions became the standard of how they would teach and judge people.

They began to believe that their traditions would make them more pure before God because they had extra laws about cleanliness and ritual purity, including as we see here, about washing hands before eating.

But we also see in this passage that Jesus wasn’t impressed with their extra purity laws. Jesus has had run ins with the Pharisees before and they aren’t big fans of each other.

In the Sermon on the Mount (5:20) Jesus says that you need to have a greater righteousness, a greater purity than any Pharisee can ever have if you want to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 5:20 ESV

20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Both Jesus and his cousin John publicly called the Pharisees the children of serpents (3:7, 12:33-34).

When Jesus did it in chapter 12, he also provided teaching that sheds some light on his point here in chapter 15.

Matthew 12:33–34 ESV

33 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.

The tree is known by its fruit. If the fruit is bad, the tree is bad

It doesn’t matter how good it looks on the outside; if the inside is corrupted, the whole thing is bad including the works.

And the whole time, Jesus is saying these things to and about some of the most powerful leaders of his culture.

He is undermining and humiliating the most popular teachers of his day and can you imagine someone who is proud like that just sitting idly by while their power is threatened?

Of Course not.

So now, we see some Pharisees intentionally leaving Jerusalem to come to Jesus, and we can deduce that these guys are not coming to humbly learn from him.

They’re coming to try to discredit him.

And so they look for anything they can to do so.

And what do they see when Jesus and his disciples sit down to eat? They see them break the purity traditions of the Mishnah by not washing their hands.

Mark gives more context in his Gospel Account

Mark 7:3–4 ESV

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.)

How could this teacher possibly be good if he is doing impure things? He must be corrupted if he is willing to eat with dirty hands!

Exegesis

So the Pharisees come and ask Jesus:

Matthew 15:2 ESV

2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.”

Now, Jesus could have gotten defensive. He could have explained how the traditions had no authority over him and his followers, but instead what does he do?

He goes on the offensive!

Matthew 15:3 ESV

3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?

So they come and ask him, “why do you break our traditions?!”

And what is his response? “Why do your traditions break God’s Law?!”

Jesus recognizes that there is a far bigger problem here than breaking tradition and he boldly points that out to his detractors.

Think about the present that I gave to my brother with it’s layers and layers of intricate wrappings and beautiful bows, it doesn’t change the fact that the internal “present” was awful.

Just like that, though the Pharisees were OCD in the observance of their traditions, putting their faith in their works to save them, it all was just some pretty wrapping paper covering up their sinful hearts.

But Jesus makes an argument in response and tells everyone around that purity does not come from external rituals, but from internal realities.

Jesus points out their hypocrisy in trusting their traditions for salvation because their own traditions break the Law of God.

Specifically in this argument, one of the Ten Commandments! Recognize in verses 4-5 how Jesus points out this hypocrisy:

Matthew 15:4–6 ESV

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.’

Do you see it?

“God commanded this, but you say that”

The two quotes Jesus gives are from Exodus, the Law of God. (Ex 20:12, Ex 21:17)

But the Pharisees have chosen to follow their tradition instead.

And to understand this, particular reference you need to understand the Mishnaic tradition of Corban (Mark explicitly gives the name (Mk 7:11))

Now the fifth commandment is to honor your father and mother. This means, even unto their deaths. The application of this, is that Jewish sons were expected to financially provide for their parents when their parents could no longer work.

Now, the Pharisees were sneaky about their desire for more money and in order to establish more money for themselves, they made up a tradition called Corban.

They would set aside their money, and allow non-Pharisees to give them large sums, money that should have been going to their parents, and they would say they have “dedicated that money to God. God’s more important than you are, isn’t he? You can’t request this money from me now.”

So, as we see in Mark 7:13, they would override the word of God for the sake of their tradition! And there were many ways they did this!

So, in verse 7 of Matthew 15, Jesus accurately says:

Matthew 15:7 ESV

7 You hypocrites!

Key Idea:

CLEARLY, this isn’t something insignificant to Jesus

It certainly shouldn’t be insignificant to us.

When man‑made traditions take precedence over God’s commands, we risk hypocrisy and a corrupted heart. (Rm 2:29)

Romans 2:29 ESV

29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

We MUST rightly order our understanding of Tradition vs. God’s Law

Tradition vs. God’s Law (1-7)

Tradition = The Commandments of Men, statements of faith, catechisms,

Tradition can be good or bad

But it always tries to clarify Scripture further than what God has done

The good traditions clarify how to practically follow Scripture in the culture we live in and recognize themselves to not have the same authority as Scripture.

The bad traditions often (but not always!) start as good traditions, but over time the point becomes observing the tradition and not following the Word of God.

Bad traditions become legalism, expecting people to follow our expectations and not the expectations of Christ.

There are many traditions that we love that are born out of the surrounding culture and not from the Word of God.

And I am not saying those are necessarily bad, but they become that way when we don’t hold them open-handedly and with a willingness to let them go for the sake of the Gospel.

So when we do create a tradition to bring more clarity to how we understand Scripture, we always hold that with an open hand.

The Baptist Faith and Message 2000, our statement of faith, is a good statement of Faith.

I joyfully affirm it,

but it is not Scripture. It can fail.

So, it is okay to disagree with portions of it. Adherence to the BFM2000 is not what makes someone a Christian. Depending on the section and the strength of the your disagreement, it may mean you’re not a Baptist, but it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re outside of Christ’s people.

Similarly, the Westminster Confession, the Presbyterian statement of Faith, is a good statement of faith.

I could joyfully affirm more than 90% of it, but there are significant disagreements I do have with it.

And I’m allowed to because it is not Scripture. It is a clarification of what they believe Scripture proclaims and how we should act in response to Scripture.

Disagreeing with it means we’re not Presbyterians, but even full-fledged Presbyterians accept faithful disagreements with their documents so long as we are aligned where Scripture is clear.

Our traditions and interpretations of Scripture are fallible, so we must remain humble in them.

Less similarly, the church of Rome has determined that anyone who does not fall in line with their Traditions and their Interpretations of Scripture are not in line with the true church of Christ.

In a very real sense, they have done exactly the same thing as the Pharisees.

Over time they have built up traditions that go against God’s laws written out in Scripture, but they still insist that their traditions are the right interpretation of the Law

We must ensure we do not do the same thing with our traditions.

How much of our own thoughts about God and what it means to be a Christian are based on external traditions?

I know I pick on this saying a lot, but the whole “I don’t drink, dance, or chew or run around with girls who do” is an example of a tradition that actually contradicts the Bible.

In trying to promote holiness, it actually shows a very Pharisaical attitude toward people.

How do we keep our traditions where they belong, as secondary or tertiary issues in our churches and lives?

By trusting that the Scriptures are the Word of God and approaching them humbly, expecting our ideas, opinions, traditions, and interpretations to be challenged, reshaped, and changed by God throughout our lives.

God’s Law = The Commandments of God, the Scriptures, the Bible

God’s Law is always good

Though it is not always as clear as we want it to be.

A few thoughts

We must be willing to examine our traditions, because our traditions can be wrong and, even if they started for the right reason, can become wrong over time if we are not immensely humble in the way we hold them.

Questioning tradition - NOT A BAD THING TO DO!

Each of us needs to be reflecting about our traditions and beliefs regularly

If we don’t reflect and question our traditions then we start to elevate them to the level of Scripture, or even above Scripture

And this is where so many people and churches fall.

We are not willing to challenge our beliefs with truth and anytime there is a question about it, it feels like our whole foundation is being rocked and we try to stop the questions because we don’t have answers

The Mormon church does this to their members. They are widely recorded as having encouraged their people to put “their questions on a shelf.”

Then it becomes about keeping the status quo instead about keeping the truth.

And it is so easy to fall into this

It is natural to fall into this

And the way that we avoid falling into this is by being willing to continuously question ourselves and our beliefs

Good and Bad ways to Question

Guidelines for how to question

Do my beliefs reflect the teachings of the Bible or the teachings of my culture?

How much are my beliefs determined by the culture I grew up in, or the the culture I now live in?

Do I sound just like everyone else I grew up around or have I been able to recognize and reject those traditions that go against the Heart of God’s Law?

Do my beliefs and my traditions glorify God?

If they once served a God-glorifying purpose, do they continue to do so?

We ask genuine questions because we are not afraid of the truth

Our whole foundation rests on the truth of Jesus Christ and his Gospel.

We can trust him enough to sacrifice everything to him.

Application:

Salvation History:

The gospel shows that salvation comes by grace and transformation—not by following external rules. (Ephesians 2:8–9)

Ephesians 2:8–9 ESV

8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

Non-Christians:

If you rely on rituals and traditions alone, know that they can never replace a heart renewed by God’s grace.

Public Life & Order:

Societies that cling to their cultural customs, whether they are progressive or conservative risk perpetuating injustice rather than reflecting God’s truth. Both old cultural customs and new cultural customs can be anti-God, even those we think are right.

Micah 6:8 ESV

8 He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?

Individual Christian Life:

For those battling sin: Do not hide your sin behind catchy sayings and external actions; submit yourself to the Lord and let the truth of God’s Word reveal areas in need of change.

Jesus challenges people far more directly and often about pride and self-righteousness than he does just about anything else.

For the faithful & the prideful: Regular self‑examination is necessary to ensure that pride or habit is not masking a hardened heart.

The gospel is for everyone. Including both the Christian and the non-Christian.

Specific Groups:

Older: Even a lifetime steeped in tradition should remain open to the fresh, renewing work of Christ. Embrace humility by allowing God’s truth to challenge long‑held customs.

Parents of Young Children: Instill in your children the importance of a heart devoted to God rather than a checklist of rituals.

Transition:

“Now that we see how dangerous it is to place our understandings and our traditions above God’s Laws, let us listen to Jesus’ call to understand what truly defiles a person.”

Transition: “Having heard Jesus’ call to listen and understand, let’s now see how this teaching finds its ultimate fulfillment in the life and work of Christ.”

III. Gospel Connection: Christ’s Life and Work

Key Idea: Jesus’ challenges us to reject hollow traditions and embrace a heart transformed by the gospel.

In fact, if we never get past our traditions and get to the word of God,

if we never get past our own self-righteousness (either in the pride of thinking I gotta clean myself up before following Jesus, OR in the pride of thinking I have somehow gotten my life cleaned up and no longer need the grace and mercy of Jesus every single second of every single day because of my own overwhelming sinfulness)

if we never get to overflowing from the heart with the grace and love of Christ,

Then Jesus says we are lost.

We must be made into a new creation, born again, into his kingdom! (John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17)

John 3:3 ESV

3 Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

Jesus did not come to enforce a set of man‑made rules but to offer a new way—a way in which our hearts are renewed through His sacrifice and resurrection.

His life demonstrated that genuine transformation is possible when we set aside human tradition for God’s truth. (John 4:23–24)

John 4:23–24 ESV

23 But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship him. 24 God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”

Exegesis & Application:

Salvation History: Christ’s atoning work reminds us that our righteousness is not earned by tradition but is a gift received by faith. (John 3:16; Romans 5:8)

John 3:16 ESV

16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 5:8 ESV

8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Non-Christians & Public Life: The gospel breaks the cycle of legalism and opens the door for a life that impacts communities with love, mercy, and justice.

Individual Christian Life: Let the gospel be the lens through which you evaluate every tradition and habit—ensuring that your inner life mirrors the renewal available in Christ.

Transition: “As we consider Christ’s redemptive work, let us now respond with hearts willing to be transformed.”

Conclusion

Reflection: Ask yourself: Are you merely clinging to tradition, or are you allowing Christ to transform your heart?

Key Verse:

Matthew 15:6 ESV

6 … For the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God… 9 In vain do they worship me

Challenge:

What are you following more: Tradition or Christ?

Call to Action:

Commit to putting God’s Word above tradition. Engage in regular self‑examination, prayer, and fellowship so that the gospel may continue to renew your heart from the inside out.