THE TROUBLE WITH TRADITION
Mark 7:1-13
You have probably heard about the man who was confused by the way his new bride baked a ham. Before putting it in the oven, she took a knife and trimmed off both ends of the ham. The husband asked, "Why did you do that?” The wife answered, "You know, I don't really know. I never cooked a ham before, but that's the way my mother always did it." She called her mother and asked her why she always cut off both ends of a ham before she cooked it. "Her mother said, I don't really know, that's just the way your grandmother always did it." After this, the young bride then telephoned her grandmother and asked her why she always cut off both ends of the ham before she cooked it. Her grandmother said “Well, sweetheart, "the first oven we owned wasn't big enough to put a whole ham in, so I had to cut the ends off to make it fit. After that, I guess it just became a habit!"
Many people do certain things simply because that is the way they were taught to do them. Tradition is defined as "the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction." Traditions are not inherently bad, but they must be kept in their proper place.
The Jews in Jesus day had a major problem concerning traditions. Rather than focusing on the things of God, they focused on certain traditions that were handed down from the elders. They were more concerned with rituals and ceremonies than obedience to God and offering Him genuine worship. In our selected text, certain Scribes and Pharisees challenged Jesus because His Disciples did not follow the traditions that had been handed down for generations. In His response, Jesus confronted and illustrated their hypocrisy. If we ever elevate tradition to the level of scripture, He will certainly confront us as well.
- I would like to examine this discourse between Jesus and the religious leaders and preach about “The Trouble With Tradition”.
Certain Scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus to address what they perceived to be a major problem. But they were so focused on their traditions that they were blinded to a much bigger issue. In the end, Jesus would turn the tables and reveal a major problem in their lives. Notice in verses 1-5:
I. THE CONFRONTATION CONCERNING TRADITIONS
v1 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.
At his point in His ministry, Jesus popularity had reached its climax. For some time, Jesus had been performing many miracles throughout Galilee. Everywhere He went, multitudes of people gathered around Him. As a result, the local Pharisees and Scribes became concerned.
This is evident by their response after Jesus called Levi to follow Him. When Levi met Jesus he threw a party and invited many of his friends to join Him. Mark 2:15 Now it happened, as He was dining in Levi's house, that many tax collectors and sinners also sat together with Jesus and His disciples; for there were many, and they followed Him. On that occasion, the local Scribes and Pharisees began to confront and challenge Jesus. (Mark 2:16 and when the scribes and Pharisees saw Him eating with the tax collectors and sinners, they said to His disciples, "How is it that He eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?")
Throughout the Gospels we find many other occasions where Jesus infuriated the local religious leaders. After Jesus healed the man with the withered hand on the Sabbath, the Pharisees went so far as to team up with their enemies the Herodians. (Mark 3:6 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.) Now some of the leading Pharisees and Scribes had arrived from Jerusalem, and they too were looking for a reason to oppose Him. They hoped to convict Jesus of breaking the Law of Moses. The problem was that the Pharisees and Scribes were focused on the “traditions of the elders” more than they were the actual Law. These religious leaders accused Jesus’ Disciples of “eating with defiled hands”.
v2 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. 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. 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?"
Jesus’ Disciples had not actually broken the Law of Moses. Rather, they had ignored the Jewish traditions concerning the ritual washing of hands, and the cleansing of eating utensils and furniture. The Pharisees accused the Disciples of eating with hands that had not been ceremonially cleansed. This was merely a ceremonial rinsing that had nothing to do with cleaning dirty hands. The intent was to wash away any defilement associated with touching anything that was considered unclean.
This ceremony required a man to point his fingers upward. Someone would pour water on his hands until it ran off of his wrists. Then the man would point his fingers downward and more water would be poured onto his hands. Then he would rub each had with the fist of the other.
There was no biblical command concerning the washing of hands. The Mosaic Law did prescribe ceremonial washings for the priests but there was no requirement for the people to wash their hands a specific way before eating. The belief of the Jews concerning the washing of hands was actually a tradition that they had received from the elders. The Jews elevated many of their traditions to the level of scripture. We must be very careful to do what we do in an effort to honor God rather than to carry out some man made tradition that we have received from others.
The Disciples likely ignored these traditions by following the example of Jesus. (Luke 11:37 And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. 38 When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner. 39 Then the Lord said to him, "Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. 40 Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also?)
Neither Jesus, nor His Disciples were bound by these extra-biblical traditions. And as Jesus will point out in the following verses, the Pharisees were hypocritical in their actions and beliefs. They were focused on things that were external. Their primary concern was on the outward ceremonies and rituals. Their actions did not come as a result of having a true heart for God. In fact, Jesus declares that their hearts were far from God.
- Though the Scribes and Pharisees came to confront Jesus, He actually confronted their traditions and their hypocrisy. Notice:
II. THE CLARIFICATION CONCERING TRADITIONS
Jesus responded to the Scribes and Pharisees by quoting a prophecy from Isaiah 29. (Mark 7:6 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.') Jesus boldly declared that the Jews had “laid aside the commandment of God and hold to the traditions of man.” (v8 “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.)
Human traditions are unable to cleanse the heart of man. By focusing on such rules and regulations, the Jews had ignored the truth of God’s Word. In verse 13 Jesus said that they had made “the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do." Jesus goes on to give a prime example of how they preferred their traditions over God’s Law. (v10 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}, 12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother)
On Mount Sinai God gave Moses the 10 Commandments. The fifth commandment says “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you. (Exodus 20:12) In Ephesians 6:2, Paul says that the command to “Honor your father and mother is the first commandment with promise” To disobey this commandment was punishable by death in ancient Israel. Those who honor their Father and Mother will care for them in every way. They will support them financially and personally in their old age. If a parent is sick, their children should care for them. If they have a need financially, the children should provide for them.
This kind of love, devotion and care is something that comes natural to those with pure hearts. But there was a Jewish tradition that attempted to circumvent this commandment. There was a tradition that stated that the people could designate their wealth as “Corban”. Corban is an Aramaic term that speaks of something that is legally “dedicated to God”. By designating their funds as “corban” the Jews claimed that their wealth could only be used for spiritual purposes. They took this to mean that they were no longer required to support their parents. The funds that should have gone to caring for one’s father and mother were designated to be given to the Temple. This tradition was not from God, it was from man. Even worse, this tradition directly contradicted God’s command to “honor your father and mother”.
- These people claimed to love God but they did not even love their own parents. There is always a great danger in disregarding the commands of God. This was true for the Jews and it is true today. Let’s examine verse 13 and see:
III. THE CORRUPTION CONCERNING TRADITIONS
Jesus told the Pharisees & Scribes that by focusing on the traditions handed down by the elders, they had actually “canceled out” the Word of God. Jesus says you have “made the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do." (v13) Much of the Law of Moses served to protect the weak and the helpless. In this specific instance, the Law would have greatly benefitted the elder parents of the Jews. The so called “religious” people disregarded God’s Law and rather focused on the traditions of men. “Corban” was just one of many examples that Jesus could have used to illustrate the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.
John MacArthur says that “The evil hearted Pharisees and scribes managed to pervert even the most basic disciplines, from moral behavior to prayer and fasting and giving to the poor. In response, the Messiah repudiated their false form of Judaism, teaching that such traditions are meaningless and what God requires is a heart that loves Him and seeks His glory.”
As was so often the case with the Scribes and Pharisees the heart of the problem was a problem of the heart. They did not designate these funds to the temple out of a love for God. They did so in an effort to escape their responsibility to care for their parents. The Pharisees believed that they were holy because they obeyed the Law and avoided external defilement. But Jesus made it clear that one can obey the Law externally and still break God’s Law in his heart.
Many people today are just like the Pharisees. Outwardly they appear to be holy and clean, but inwardly they are corrupt and filthy. Jesus boldly confronted this issue among the scribes and Pharisees in:
Matthew 23:25 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also. 27 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
The Pharisees believed that they were right with God because of the things that they did. So much so, that they rebuked Jesus and His Disciples because they did not do the same things. Jesus revealed that they were not righteous because of their outward acts. And in the process He pointed out the true condition of their hearts.
Many people in the world today are nothing more than “self-righteous Pharisees”. They think that they are worthy of Heaven because of the things that they do and the things that they don’t do. They believe this because of certain traditions & beliefs that were handed down to them by their fathers. Generations have been taught that they can earn a place in Heaven by living a good moral life. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
There are others who take things a step further… Rather than trusting in morals, they seek to be “religious”. As a result they have become involved in a “works based salvation”. They too are sadly mistaken concerning God’s true plan of salvation. Many of these are people who are actively involved in church life. They have: walked an aisle, made a profession of faith, been baptized, and joined a church. Not only have they joined a church, they attend it faithfully. Many of these people seek to do things that are good and they try to avoid what the Bible calls sin.
Furthermore, many of these people faithfully serve in the church. Some are teachers, some are deacons and some are even pastors. These same people give a portion of their income to the Lord’s work. They also pray, study, worship and even evangelize. These are all wonderful things; In fact, these attributes should mark the life of every born again believer. But we cannot earn God’s favor simply by doing these things. (Ephesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.) Those who are truly saved will attend church and serve the Lord. They will pray, study, give, worship and evangelize. But they will do so out of a love for God and a desire to obey Him and to bring Him glory.
The Pharisees elevated their traditions to a place above scripture. Jesus says that because of this they had “made the word of God of no effect”. Let me encourage you to look to God’s Word for truth concerning salvation and eternal life. Trust what God has to say and not some traditions that you were taught by some mortal man. These Pharisees came to Jesus to confront Him because He allowed His Disciples to break their rules and regulations. But in His response, they were able to hear the Son of God expound the Word of God. In the process, He pointed out the fact that they had clean hands but dirty hearts. Unfortunately, they refused to listen to what He had to say.
Perhaps the Holy Spirit has revealed to you that you are living like those Scribes & Pharisees. You appear to be clean on the outside; but you are filthy on the inside! The Pharisees thought that they were better than the Disciples because of what they did. But the Disciples were in a much better place because of Who they belonged to. The Disciples were accepted by God, not because of the things they did and the things that they refused to do, but because they had put their faith in His Only Son.
You may have it in your mind that you are right with God because you follow certain rules and regulations, or even because you are “religious”. But if you fail to repent and believe in Jesus Christ, you will suffer the same fate as these Pharisees…. You will die in your sins!
Could it be that what Jesus said about the Pharisees applies to you? (v6 'This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me. 7 And in vain they worship Me) Stop putting your faith in traditions, rituals and observances and put your faith in Jesus. He is your only hope of salvation, repent of your sins and surrender to Him today! If you refuse, you will spend eternity apart from God; and that is “The Trouble With Tradition”
