Truth and Tradition

A physician’s job is to diagnose the cause of the sickness, not just cover the symptoms. Jesus is the Great Physician who diagnoses our problem and then provides us the cure.

The Signs of a

Preoccupation with External Matters (vv. 1-5)

Legalism substitutes outward forms for true holiness.

They thought they could maintain holiness by avoiding anything “common or unclean”.

The group of Pharisees and scribes were assembled by the rulers in Jerusalem to find a way to discredit Jesus.

They missed the miracles (the feeding of thousands, walking on water, and healings). Instead they focused on minutia, ritual washing of hands.

The ceremonial washing would go through several pots of water. If they had been to the marketplace, they would take a ritualistic bath (baptidzo) “washing”.

Focusing on external matters can manifest itself in many ways: comparing ourselves to others, gossip, critical attitude.

It is a symptom of a deeper sickness, pride. In pride we think ourselves better than others. Usually, this is done just to cover our own guilt and hide our faults.

Presumption of Authority over God’s Word (vv. 6-13)

The pride of self-righteousness seeks to justify itself by changing the standard.

Jesus’s diagnosis of self-righteousness:

hypocrisy, they honor with their lips, but not their heart. They try to appear spiritual and say spiritual things, but it only so that people will honor them, not God.

Vanity - they make a show of outward worship, but they have traded God’s Word for man’s wisdom.

It is pride to boast in our own righteousness, it is also pride to boast in our own sinfulness. Both focus on self. Our boast is in Christ!

Jesus’ demonstration: the changing of God’s Command to honor to man’s tradition of “worship”.

“Honor my parents! You don’t know what they did to me!” (the command to honor is for your heart, not primarily for their benefit. It shows thanksgiving to God for his sovereignty in your life).

Application: Man’s rules or Christ’s command (Robert’s Rules should never supersede the command to love one another).

The Problem of Evil in the Heart (vv. 14-23)

Like a surgeon, Jesus cuts to the heart of the matter.

The Pharisees thought they could maintain holiness by avoiding anything “common or unclean”.

They presumed that their heart was already clean and they just needed to avoid sin. They were blinded to the fact that sin was in their heart.

It’s not what goes in, it’s what comes out.

(ESV)

Sexual immoralities

Adult

Thefts

22 coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.”

Murders

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.”

Adulteries

Greed

This is why Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again!”