Matthew 15

Are traditions wrong?

Do we have traditions in our church?

What about standing during the last song when the lights come up? Why?

Tradition in and of itself has no independent authority

Outward rituals over inward posture of the heart

Rules over Relationship (vs. 1-9)

The Pharisees come all the way from Jerusalem to ask a question

Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders

For they do not wash their hands before they eat.

It wasn’t necessarily about having clean hands.

Jesus answered their question with with a question (vs. 3)

And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?

He reminds them of the 5th Commandment - to honor your father and mother that your days may be long in the land that the Lord God gives you.

Whoever reviles father or mother shall surely die - Exodus 21:17

But you say - If anyone tells his father or mother - What you would have gained from me is given to God (principle of Corban)So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the Word of God. 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” - Isaiah 29:13

Root vs. Result (vs.10-11; vs. 18-20)

Internal vs. External

The Pharisees leave - they are not mentioned again in the remainder of this passage

It is not what goes into the mouth (eating food) that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth - this defiles a person.

Luke 6:45 “The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”

Jesus elaborates on what defiles the heart

Evil thoughts

Murder

Adultery

Sexual immorality

Theft

False witness

Slander

These outward actions arise first as a thought or an attitude of the heart. People do not wake up in the morning and say “ I am going to go commit adultery today or steal something today”

Jeremiah 17:9 “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?”

Proverbs 4:23 “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.”

Application

Check your traditions - Religious habits can be helpful, but they can never be allowed to supercede obedience to God

Honor God, but don’t use words - Worship is not just about singing or saying the right things - it is living with a heart that genuinely seeks God.

God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in him - John Piper

Do not use religion to avoid responsibility - faith should make us more responsible and loving towards others

Focus on the heart, not just behavior - BJU/PCC - obeying the rules.etc.