Tradition! Tradition! Tradition!

Tradition! Tradition! Tradition!

Mark 7:1-23

I can remember many years ago seeing Fiddler on the Roof. My mind has gotten a little foggy concerning the details, but I remember a hit song which came from it called “Tradition, Tradition, Tradition. I was about an orthodox Jewish community facing the social changes brought on by the modern world. One of the sources of conflict centered around the tradition that parents arranged the marriage of their children. A conflict ensued then a marriage was arranged, but the man or the woman, I can’t remember which, had another love he or she wanted to marry. The tradition of arranged marriages is anathema to those who believe that people should choose their own spouse, or none at all. To disobey an arranged marriage put the couple out of sorts with the community. So, we see that tradition is a sort of social glue that identifies a group of people. But it also excludes others from the group as well.

I am not here to make a value judgment on arranged marriages. Many arranged marriages were happy, and many marriages made by the free choice of the individuals themselves turn out miserably. What is important is to see how tradition works. Traditions can be good, bad, or mixed. In America, up until recent times, country music has enforced traditional family values. Hank Williams Sr. went rogue from these expectations with songs about honky-tonks and drinking which made him quite scandalous in his time. But his son, Hank Williams Jr turned tradition on its head with “It’s a Family Tradition.” Jr. followed in the footsteps of his father in being a rebel. When confronted with “Why do you drink; and why do you roll smoke, etc., he replied with the words: “It’s a family tradition.

Even the etymology of the word “tradition” is mixed. It derives from the Latin “traditore” from which we get the English words “trader,” “tradition.” and “traitor.” Trade is good if done fairly, tradition is mixed, and traitor is evil. In turn, these derive from the Greek verb “paradidomi” (to hand over or to hand down) and the related noun, “paradosis” which means a collection of doctrine or traditions. It is used positively by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:15 to refer to a collection of church teachings which the Thessalonians were to follow. However, in the text we read from Mark 7, it can have a very bad connotation.

Jesus was an iconoclast when it came to the tradition of the Pharisees. The tradition of the Pharisees was meant to separate them from the inroads of Greek Pagan culture. The very word “Pharisee” comes from a Hebrew word which means “to separate.” The idea of distancing one’s self from Greek culture would seem to be a good thing. After all, John tells us not to love the world or the things of the world. Christians are called to separate themselves from Pagan vices.

One should also note that the Pharisees held the Scripture (Old Testament) in high regard. It is the very words of God. Certainly, this is also a good thing. Christians confess this as well. Many of the traditions were created as a means of keeping the words of Scripture. They considered their teaching as a hedge around the Law. If one kept the tradition of the elders, they were keeping the Law as well. The elders were held in high regard. The Scripture affirms that we are to honor our father and our mother. Seeing that there was much to commend tradition, why did Jesus attack it so savagely?

We must remember that Jesus is God the Son. As God, he was the one who dictated the words of the Law to Moses. So at the author of Scripture, alongside the Father and the Holy Spirit, He has the sole right to determine the meaning of the text. Where there is a conflict over interpretation, we must remember that His interpretation stands. Any tradition that is otherwise based is wrong and should be attacked.

Chapter 7 begins with the Pharisees noticed some of the disciples eating without washing their hands first. Mark informs us of the scrupulous washings the Pharisees made before eating. If we look through the Law of Moses, especially the Book of Leviticus, we read of many washing rituals which were prescribed by the Law. This was the basis of the Pharisees’ teaching. In and of itself, washing one’s hands before one eats is a good thing. Is this not good hygiene? Especially during this time of “pandemic” we hear wash your hands often. This sounds like good common sense. However, one asks the question: How much is enough?” One would have to wash every time one touched something. We are already suffering from a lack of fresh water. We would empty our reservoirs if we scrupulously followed this practice. Would it have been any different in the Sinai desert? If one followed all of the regulations, one would be constantly be washing one’s clothes and be unclean to evening. It seems that Israel in the wilderness was all that scrupulous. After all, they did not even circumcise their children until they crossed over to Gilgal. The problem is that the true uncleanness is of sin, which no amount of washings and offerings can cleanse. The futility of these washings was intended to make us realize that our cleansing had to come from elsewhere.