Disciples Focus on the Word of God, Not Religious Tradition

Welcome back to our study of Mark’s Gospel, Lessons in Discipleship. As we all know by now, this is a book written to believers that provides invaluable instruction for living the Christian life. We might say it this way: The Book of Mark shows us what it is looks like to follow Jesus. Through the lives of the disciples, we see men growing in their relationship with the Lord. Their journey shows us faith, fear, failure, growth, restoration, struggle, etc. etc., And these are same realities we face in our own journey. But these are the only challenges we are going to face. Discipleship also involves opposition. We will face opposition from the world, yes—but sometimes it comes from places we don’t expect. Jesus Himself was opposed by His own family. They thought He had lost His mind. And the fiercest opposition came from the religious leaders. These are the people that should have recognized Him most clearly. And as we dive into Chapter 7 today, that is what we are going to see , more opposition from the religious leaders. But before we get into today’s text let’s review where we’ve been.

We are coming from chapter 6 which records two incredible miracles, the feeding of the 5,000 and Jesus walking on the water. Both of these events clearly demonstrated that Jesus Christ was indeed the God of the OT. In the feeding miracle, Jesus reveals Himself as the Good Shepherd of Psalm 23, feeding the lost sheep of Israel in the wilderness. Then, as He walks on the water toward His disciples, He says, “Be of good cheer; it is I”. “It is I” is more literally translated, “I AM.” This was the name given to Moses when he encountered the burning bush in Exodus. The point is unmistakable: Jesus is revealing to His disciples that He, their Messiah, is the same God who spoke to Moses. The God who led Israel through the wilderness is now walking among them.

But that isn’t the only lesson He was teaching His disciples through these miracles. He was also teaching them dependence. From the world’s point of view dependence is a bad thing. Dependence on anything other than ourselves is considered a weakness. In fact, it is one of the least desirable traits a person can have according to the world. But in spiritual matters dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ is the most valuable character trait we can have. What did the Lord tell the Apostle Paul? “My strength is made perfect in your weakness”. I know this sounds crazy to us, but the best attribute a disciple can have is dependence, and of course I mean dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ. God works through those who humbly depend on Him. That may sound counterintuitive to us, but in God’s economy, weakness becomes the doorway to divine power.

In God’s economy, weakness becomes the doorway to divine power.

And this is what Jesus was teaching His disciples when He fed the 5,000. The disciples didn’t have the resources to feed the multitude, but they had access to Jesus. And by coming to Him continually, they discovered that His power transforms insufficiency into abundance. He took what little they had and used it to feed the sheep. That’s the essence of discipleship. It is dependence on the Master. It is not having enough, but coming to the One who is enough. In the hands of Jesus, even our smallest offering, our smallest ability, becomes more than sufficient.

Ok, so that is a brief review of where we’ve been. Now we are forging ahead into chapter 7. But before we get into our text for the day let’s go to the Lord in prayer.

Let’s me give you a couple more background details as we get ready to tackle chapter 7. As we come to the end of chapter 6, we’re also witnessing the close of Jesus’ public ministry in Galilee. Chapter 7 marks a major turning point. Once again, religious leaders come from Jerusalem to investigate Jesus, and what unfolds is a another major clash between their traditions and Jesus’ teaching.

Then after this confrontation with the Scribes and Pharisees, Jesus withdraws from the Jewish areas and spends time ministering in Gentile territory. And all of this sets the stage for His final journey toward the Cross.

Ok, with all of that being said. Let’s begin chapter 7.

Mark 7:1 NKJV

1 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.

Now we need to remember that Jesus was teaching and performing these miracles in the northern part of Israel. But notice it says these Pharisees and Scribes have “come from Jerusalem”. Jerusalem was in the southern part of Israel, and it was also the center of religious and political power. So the fact that these men traveled from Jerusalem is no small detail—it’s an ominous sign. It suggests that Jesus’ ministry had again drawn serious attention from the religious establishment. And this isn’t a fact finding mission for these guys. They are here to oppose Jesus.

We can reasonably assume that the massive crowds following Jesus had freaked these guys out. These weren’t small gatherings—Jesus was drawing crowds of 15,000 to 20,000 people. That kind of influence would have deeply unsettled the religious leaders for at least a couple reasons.

First, they were likely worried about losing their grip on the people. Jesus was captivating the hearts of the multitudes, and that threatened their control. Jealousy and fear were surely stirring beneath their robes.

Second, they would have feared a Roman crackdown. Any sign of religious unrest could provoke Rome to intervene—and that would jeopardize their positions of power and privilege. Whether it was diminishing popularity or political instability, either outcome would have posed a threat to their authority. So, believe me when I tell you these men weren’t coming to make up their mind about Jesus. They had done that a long time ago. They didn’t come to learn, but to spy. Not to understand, but to accuse. Their mission was opposition, plain and simple. They were determined to undermine Him in any way they could.

Ok, now that we understand the mindset of these Scribes and Pharisees let’s read our next couple of verses.

Mark 7:2–3 NKJV

2 Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.

First notice this verse says, “when they saw”. This let’s us know right off the bat that these religious big wigs are on a fault finding mission. They are spying on Jesus and His disciples looking for anything thing they can use to accuse them. And the first thing they mention is eating “with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands”.

Now, let me go ahead and set my wife’s mind at ease. These men weren’t eating with dirty hands in the way we think of it. I can’t count how many times I’ve hear my wife tell our kids to wash their hands, but it’s a bunch. But this passage isn’t talking about hygiene. It’s talking about ritual purity.

That phrase—“in a special way”—is key. This isn’t about removing germs. It’s about upholding tradition. And the fact that Mark takes time to explain this tells us something important: he’s writing to Gentile readers, orpeople who wouldn’t naturally understand Jewish customs.

But here’s the deeper issue: This special handwashing wasn’t commanded by God. It was based on the “tradition of the elders.” That’s a crucial detail. These leaders weren’t defending Scripture—they were defending a system of man-made rules that were layered on top of God’s Word. And as we are going to see in a moment these traditions sometimes end up breaking God’s word.

So right off the bat. I want you to pick up on the theme of today’s lesson.

Disciples focus on the Word of God, Not Religious Tradition

Now, I want us all to realize something today. Our flesh loves tradition. We find it comforting, safe, and familiar. But tradition has a nasty habit of being unbiblical and often times it leads to us trying to put God in a box. You see, when tradition creeps in it can lead to building a system not based on the Word of God, but on a system of inherited customs. And over time, those customs became sacred—not because God said so, but because man elevated them.

When Traditions become untouchable, we become unteachable

Here is the danger: when tradition becomes untouchable, we become unteachable. And when we box God in with our preferences, our rituals, our inherited ways of doing things—we risk becoming blind to the truth. So, often tradition becomes blinding to what God’s word actually says. Why? Because we become so attached to the ritual that we stop seeking the truth in the word of God. That is what had happened to the pharisees here. They thought the disciples were defiling themselves by not washing their hands in a certain way before eating, but God’s word didn’t say that. They’re traditions said that.

Let me show you how this is playing out in our passage.

Mark 7:2–3 NKJV

2 Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.

We need to realize something here. This slight against the disciples wasn’t so much an accusation against them as it was against Jesus Himself. You see, as their Rabbi, Jesus was responsible for the disciples actions and their religious instruction. So, what the Pharisees are getting at was that Jesus wasn’t properly teaching them. He wasn’t teaching them the proper way to wash their hands so that wouldn’t become defiled when they ate.

So, what was this special way of handwashing?

We don’t really know exactly what this “special” handwashing looked like. Maybe it had to do with the way they held their hands while they washed. Some think it meant washing all the way up to the elbows. Others say it might have been a certain sequence you had to follow.

But here’s the thing—this handwashing wasn’t a command from God. It was a religious tradition. It got passed down by word of mouth, generation after generation. And over the years, respected Rabbis kept adding their own interpretations and little extra rules to what Moses had written. What started out as helpful commentary eventually got treated like it was straight from Scripture. In their eyes, it wasn’t just tradition anymore—it was law.

Simply put, this tradition was sacred ground—and Jesus was trampling all over it.

Ok, so let me make my point. Notice what the disciples are eating—bread. That’s not a throwaway detail. It links this moment directly back to the feeding of the 5,000. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if these Pharisees showed up because of that miracle. And here’s the thing—everyone who ate that bread Jesus provided would have eaten it with “unwashed” hands according to their tradition.

If the Pharisees had been thinking biblically instead of traditionally, they would have connected this bread to the manna in the wilderness and to Psalm 23, where the Lord is the Good Shepherd who feeds His flock. In the feeding of the 5,000, Jesus was showing them that He is the God and Shepherd of Israel—the same God who fed His people in the desert.

But instead of marveling at what the hands of the Lord had done, they were fixated on how those hands were washed. These supposedly “unclean” hands of Jesus were the hands of God Himself. That should have shaken them to the core. It should have made them rethink their traditions.

But here’s the truth—religious traditions, in any age, are hard to give up. And when tradition becomes untouchable, we become unteachable. That is what these Scribes and Pharisees were. They were unteachable. They were blinded by their traditions.

Ok, we have to move on so we don’t run out of time. In verse 4 Mark gives us more details about the Pharisees traditions.

Mark 7:4 NKJV

4 When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.

So, it’s pretty clear these traditions went way beyond just washing your hands. And just think about how much time and effort it would take to keep up with all of them.

Take verse 4 for example. It says that when they came back from the marketplace, they wouldn’t eat unless they “washed.” Now, that word wash literally means “to baptize.” This wasn’t just a quick rinse under the faucet—it most likely meant taking a special bath before eating anything.

These guys loved outward displays of holiness. It made them feel set apart from the “unclean” sinners they might have brushed shoulders with in the marketplace. But for the average working person? Who had time for all that? You’d have to stop and take multiple baths just to stay “ritually clean.”

So, as they encounter Jesus and His disciples they quickly realize that they were keeping up with the special washings and in verse 5 they make their accusation.

Mark 7:5 NKJV

5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”

Man, you can almost feel the self‑righteousness dripping off the page with these guys. In their minds, of course the average person was less holy than they were. Regular folks didn’t keep all the traditions—so obviously, they must not be as close to God.

So when they ran into Jesus and His disciples, they just assumed they’d be doing all the same rituals that had been passed down for generations. After all, in their thinking, this was what separated the “holy” from the “sinners.” And if you didn’t follow their rules, well… you clearly didn’t measure up.

And this is exactly why legalism is so dangerous. It puffs up those who think they can measure up, filling them with a self‑righteous pride. And at the same time, it crushes those who know they can’t measure up, weighing them down with an impossible burden.

Legalism creates two kinds of people: the proud and the defeated. And neither group is walking in the freedom and grace God intended.

Legalism creates two kinds of people: the proud and the defeated.

Here’s something every one of us has to come to grips with sooner or later—nobody can measure up by keeping the rules. Nobody. Every single one of us, born of Adam, has fallen short of God’s standard.

That’s why, as believers, we rejoice that we’re saved by grace through faith—not by works. We know works can’t get us into heaven. But here’s the part we sometimes forget—we can’t grow into mature disciples by rule‑keeping either. That road only leads to frustration, failure, and burnout.

The truth is, we’re not just saved by grace—we’re being saved by grace every single day. Jesus didn’t just rescue us from the penalty of sin; as we walk with Him, He’s rescuing us from the power of sin.

We can’t make ourselves more holy by piling on rituals or clinging to traditions. That’s not how transformation works. God changes us from the inside out—He transforms us inwardly as we get to know Him through His Word.

You see what God is after is our hearts. He wants hearts that are devoted to Him, hungry to know Him better. He’s not looking for empty, external religion.

And this is exactly what Jesus is about to tell the Pharisees. So let’s read His response to their accusation.

Mark 7:6–7 NKJV

6 He answered and 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 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

Isaiah was an Old Testament prophet that ministered to the nation of Israel about 700 years before Christ. These religious leaders would have been well versed in Isaiah’s writings, and here Jesus says Isaiah was prophesying against them. In fact, this verses include a direct quote from the book of Isaiah, but before we get to that, look at what Jesus calls them, hypocrites. In the ancient world, a hypocrite was literally a stage actor—someone who wore a mask to play a role, pretending to be someone they weren’t.

That is exactly what these religious leaders were, hypocrites. That wore these big religious masks that made them appear holier than thou, but inwardly they were greedy, power hungry, and self-obsessed. Simply put—their lips said the right things, but their hearts were miles away from God.

And that is the quote Jesus uses from Isaiah that starts in verse 6, ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 7 And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ Jesus flat out tells them. The words that Isaiah spoke against the nation of Israel 700 years before could be applied directly to them as well. You see, Jesus isn’t just giving them a history lesson. He’s holding up a mirror. He’s saying, “This is you. Right now. You’re the people Isaiah was talking about.” They honored Him with their lips, but their hearts were miles away.

They thought God wanted their rituals, but what He really wanted was their hearts. For the Pharisees, tradition had become the measure of holiness. But in God’s eyes, holiness isn’t measured by how well you keep man‑made rules — it’s measured by how fully your heart belongs to Him.

And that’s the danger for all of us. It’s possible to say all the right words, sing all the right songs, and go through all the right motions — and still be far from God. You can have a religious exterior without the inward transformation. If you walk away with nothing else today please walk away with this. God walks your heart. He isn’t interested in an empty exterior religious shell. He wants to be in fellowship with you. He wants a relationship with you. He wants to transform you from the inside out. We make the mistake of trying to go the other way. We try to clean up the outside and hide what’s on the inside. Listen to me here, that is exactly the opposite of what God wants. You can hide your heart from God. He knows your thoughts, desires, and your motivations. You see, doing the “right things” for the wrong reasons might fool everyone around us. But it never fools God.

Ok, I need to move on because I running out of time. What I t to do with the time we have remaining is give examples of what it looks like to be outwardly religious, but inwardly be far away from God. That’s what these men were. These religious rulers thought they were the ultimate standard of holiness because they put on a good show. But inwardly these men were miles and miles away from God. In fact, they are so self deluded that they think they are holier than God. They are talking to God, and they are looking down on Him. They thought Jesus, God in the flesh was defiled and unclean.

The first example we are going to look at comes from our passage. It is one that Jesus gives them, and then I’m going to give you an example that happens all the time in churches today.

Mark 7:8–9 NKJV

8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” 9 He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.

So, here Jesus tells these men that they were actually rejecting God’s commandment to keep their tradition. And He doesn’t just say it once. In verse 8, He tells them, “You lay aside the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” Then in verse 9, He doubles down: “You reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. "That's strong language. Jesus is making it crystal clear — when you elevate tradition above God’s Word, you’re not just “slightly off,” you’re in direct opposition to Him.

And to make sure they can’t miss the point, He’s about to give them a real‑life example of exactly how they’ve been doing this.

Mark 7:10–11 NKJV

10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God),

Ok, let’s unpack a few details here. Notice Jesus goes to Moses and the OT scriptures. And not just any scriptures, He quotes one of the ten commandments, which was “Honor your father and mother”. Now, it goes without saying that part of honoring your father and mother would be to care for them in their old age. As our parents age, it is our responsibility to care for them. That means visiting them, calling them, keeping them company, and it means supporting them financially if they need it. The Bible makes this extremely clear in the NT also. We are to care for our own household, which certainly includes our parents. This is a foundational responsibility every believer has, and even nonbelievers do this. To not care for aging parents is a grievous sin.

Now here’s what’s so disguising about what these religious leaders had done. They had established something called Corban — which, as Mark explains, means “gift to God.”

We don’t know every detail of how Corban worked, but here’s the gist: imagine you’ve got a nice nest egg saved for retirement. You want to keep that money, invest it, maybe use it for some business ventures. But you also have aging parents who need your help.

If you declared your money “Corban,” it was like putting it in a religious trust. You could still use it for yourself while you were alive — live comfortably, even enrich yourself — but you were no longer obligated to use it to help your parents. If fact, you couldn’t use it to help your parents because that money was “a gift to God”. Then, when you died, whatever that money would go to the temple.

On paper, it sounded spiritual — “I’m dedicating my resources to God.” But in reality, it was a loophole. It let people look holy while sidestepping one of God’s clearest commands. It allowed people to use their money on themselves, and ultimately it went to the temple and into the religious leaders pockets.

So, Jesus calls them out. In verse 11 he says, But you say, “if a man says to his father and mother, “whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban (that is, a gift to God)”.

Mark 7:12–13 NKJV

12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, 13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

In other words, their tradition gave people a religious‑sounding excuse to ignore one of God’s clearest commands. They were appealing to people’s selfish nature — “You can keep your money, live comfortably, and still look holy”. They let these people keep their money while they were alive, but ultimately it was going in the pocket of the religious authorities. And this was just one example. Notice what He says at the end of the verse, “And many such things you do”.

So, that was an example from Jesus’ day. But let’s be honest — this same attitude is alive and well in the church today.

Here’s a hypothetical example, but it’s one we’ve all seen. Picture someone who’s in church every single Sunday. They serve on different ministry teams, they listen to the sermons, they sing on stage, maybe they even teach a Sunday School class. From the outside, they look like the perfect church member.

But deep down, there are brothers or sisters in Christ they just can’t stand. They’ll smile when they see them, maybe even say, “Good morning,” but in their heart they’re holding on to hostility, bitterness, or even hatred. Maybe it’s because of a past offense, or maybe it’s simply a personality clash. And when that person isn’t around, their words drip with venom as they tear them down behind their back.

We’ve all witnessed this. And yes, I know — we’re still in the flesh, and these struggles happen. But here’s the truth: a church cannot be spiritually healthy when this is going on. You can’t have unity in the body of Christ while people have hatred in their heart.

Now, I’m saying this in love — because I want us to understand just how serious this is. If you’re constantly tearing people down… if there are folks in the church you refuse to serve with because you don’t like them… if there are brothers or sisters in Christ you simply can’t stand — you are out of fellowship with God.

There is absolutely no room in the Christian life for hating and tearing down other believers. It doesn’t matter how much “church” you do — how often you attend, how many ministries you serve in, or how loudly you sing — if this is going on in your heart, you are walking in spiritual darkness.

Now, let me be clear — this doesn’t mean you’re not saved. If you’ve believed in Jesus for eternal life, you are born again. But if you’re harboring hatred toward a fellow Christian, you are not walking in fellowship with God. Period.

And here’s the danger — the believer who hates is stumbling around in moral darkness, tripping into sin after sin that flows from that hatred. Hatred makes us say sinful things, do sinful things, and it drags others into sin with us.

Simply put — hatred is a spiritual cancer. If it’s not dealt with, it will spread, it will poison relationships, and it will choke out the life and health of a church.

And it goes on in churches every day. So I need everyone to realize that when you show up to church week after week, doing “church things,” but inwardly you are hating and tearing down other believers, you are practicing external religion while missing the entire point. Jesus commands us to love one another as He loves us. If we don’t do this, everything else we do is just religious activity. This is a serious sin that you need to turn away from immediately. Remember it this way. If love isn’t it, God isn’t in it”.

Well, in the same way, if we know of people in the church who are hating on and tearing down another believer, should we just ignore it? Absolutely not. It must be addressed — but addressed in a loving and gentle manner — with the goal of helping that brother or sister get back into fellowship with God, and protecting the health of the church. Amen.

“Unaddressed sin is like a leak in the roof — ignore it, and it will eventually damage the whole house.”

So, in closing, let’s make sure we’ve all understood the point. What matters most to God is the condition of our hearts. External religious activities mean nothing if our hearts are full of hatred, bitterness, or sin.

This is why we desperately need the Word of God — not just to inform our minds, but to transform our inner lives.

Disciples focus on the Word of God, Not Religious Tradition

Let pray