The Traditions of Men(unwashed hands)

I. A Question of Tradition

Matthew 15:1–2 CSB

1 Then Jesus was approached by Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem, who asked, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat.”

The first thing I notice is that Jesus encounters these pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem. Except Jesus is not in Jerusalem instead He and His disciples were on the coast of the Sea of Galiee.

So this seems more than just a meeting of chance. It seems as if a delegation of Men was sent in order to deal with this Jesus. No doubt word had spread to Jerusalem of Jesus feeding of the 5,000.

The fact that scripture mentions they were from Jerusalem is supposed to these were not your run-of-the-mill pharisees. These were the important men.

Immediately this delegation finds fault with Jesus and his men. They ask him, why don’t your men follow the traditions. In this time, disciples were seen as a reflection of the teacher. So in essence they are accusing Jesus of not following the traditions of the elders.

These traditions were not law but yet they were often enforced as such. Sometimes there is a misunderstanding that Jesus broke the law. He did not but rather he would often disregard traditions of men in that the law of God be highlighted.

Here the tradition being taught as doctrine was a requirement to ceremonially wash your hands before eating.

While this is a good hygiene this was not a requirement of the O.T. Law.

II. A Response to Hypocrisy

Matthew 15:3–9 CSB

3 He answered them, “Why do you break God’s commandment because of your tradition? 4 For God said: Honor your father and your mother; and, Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death. 5 But you say, ‘Whoever tells his father or mother, “Whatever benefit you might have received from me is a gift committed to the temple,” 6 he does not have to honor his father.’ In this way, you have nullified the word of God because of your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said: 8 This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 9 They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines human commands.”

Instead of answering their question Jesus immediately points out their hypocrisy. The tradition of the elders established that if a man was to claim that all of his wealth was dedicated to God than it absolved him of his responsibility to care for his elderly parents.

So in essence their tradition trumped the law of God to honor their parents. Their tradition kept them from actually showing and loving their parents well.

we call that legalism....

My Favorite Illustrations A Lesson from Whales

A Lesson from Whales

Recently in a television newscast I saw a picture of small whales stranded in shallow water on a beach. To remain there meant death. People stood about them splashing water on their exposed bodies to prevent their being burned by the sun.

Gradually they turned them seaward and helped them into deeper water where they could swim. However, the commentator said that some of them turned and rushed back to the beach. Why they do this is a mystery.

But it is no greater mystery than the conduct of some Christians who have been redeemed from legalism and sin. Before long, they become entangled once again in them.

Whales were made to live in the vastness and freedom of the ocean. Christians are made to live in the freedom that is in Christ and should accept the responsibilities of their new relationship to God.

Perhaps whales act as they sometimes do because of some unknown element in their nature. But Christians should live according to the nature and will of God.

How often in churches today does the law of tradition(man’s law) keep us from obeying the command to love each other well?

How many disputes and fights over traditions has torn the family of God apart?

How often does the priority of loving each other fall second place to some form or practice we’ve deemed as essential to our worship?

So how did Jesus respond to those who made priority their laws, traditions, and expectations over God’s law?

Matthew 15:7–9 CSB

7 Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said: 8 This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 9 They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines human commands.”

Jesus was quoting from

Isaiah 29:13 CSB

13 The Lord said: These people approach me with their speeches to honor me with lip-service, yet their hearts are far from me, and human rules direct their worship of me.

Isn’t interesting that Jesus calls worship that ignores his commands or adds to them hypocrisy.

Actions that are labeled as worship outside of obedience to his commands is not worship…it’s hypocrisy.

Actions that insist on the traditions of man as a means of worship....is hypocrisy.

Trans: But what was the real problem wasn’t what they were doing....they needed to be educated about their own hearts.

III. An Education of the heart

Matthew 15:10–20 CSB

10 Summoning the crowd, he told them, “Listen and understand: 11 It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth—this defiles a person.” 12 Then the disciples came up and told him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” 13 He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted. 14 Leave them alone! They are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 Then Peter said, “Explain this parable to us.” 16 “Do you still lack understanding?” he asked. 17 “Don’t you realize that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18 But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, slander. 20 These are the things that defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person.”

Jesus highlights the real problem. It is not man’s practices that corrupt the man. Our evil practices(sin) are a result of our wicked hearts.

How often are we quick to blame our sin on outside forces.

“If this person wouldn’t have done this than I wouldn’t have done that”

Yet scripture tells us we do wicked things because it’s what our hearts desire.

Even when we make the right choice and choose to do what is right the fact that we had to first fight against the desire to do what was wrong shows us that our flesh is wicked to core.

Our hearts desire evil otherwise their would be no temptation. We do wrong not because someone physically forces us but because we desire it.

This is why we need Jesus to redeem us and free us from the bondage of our sin.

Romans 6:6–7 CSB

6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be rendered powerless so that we may no longer be enslaved to sin, 7 since a person who has died is freed from sin.

When a person is wiling to die to themselves and accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for their sin he is transformed. He has been reborn, made into something new.

Application:

To the believer: Have you been following ideas of culture or tradition at the expense of following the laws of God. If you have Jesus calls your worship hypocrisy.

To the unbeliever: It isn’t what you do that defiles you. Your heart itself is wicked and needs to be redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ.

The goal of the gospel is not to make a wicked heart good, its to kill it off and replace it with something new, the heart of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ redeems us and transforms us into His image.