Why Is There An Elephant In My Living Room?

v2 "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat." The scribes and pharisees want to know why the disciples don’t wash there hands before they eat.

All of our mothers would say that this is good advice. If I have heard it once I have heard it 1000 times, "Young Man, I told you to go wash your hands before dinner."

As far as my mother is concerned this is one of the most important rules in life. Doesn’t Jesus care about germs? Didn’t Mary teach him better than that? I SUSPECT THAT SHE DID.

Let’s listen again to Jesus’ answer. v3 He answered them, "And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, ’Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ’Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say that whoever tells father or mother, ’Whatever support you might have had from me is given to God,’ then that person need not honor the father. 6 So, for the sake of your tradition, you make void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said: 8 ’This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; 9 in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.’"

WHY IS THERE AN ELEPHANT IN MY LIVING ROOM? THE PHARISEES CONCERN IN THIS MORNING’S PASSAGE IS THAT JESUS’ DISCIPLES DON’T OBEY ALL THE LAWS OF MOSES.

WHY IS THERE AN ELEPHANT IN MY LIVING ROOM? JESUS’ RESPONSE TO THEIR QUESTION POINTS OUT THE PROBLEM WITH THE SYSTEM THAT THE PHARISEES SOUGHT TO PROTECT.

IT’S LIKE THE PERSON WHO HAS $10,000 DEBT ON THEIR CREDIT CARD IGNORING THAT AND BUYING A SONY PLAY STATION OR A NEW IMAC COMPUTER INSTEAD OF PAYING OFF THEIR DEBT.

THE PHARISEES WERE NOT KEEPING THEIR PRIORITIES STRAIGHT. THE PHARISEES ARE JUST LIKE THE CHILD IN OUR STORY THIS MORNING WHO IS MORE CONCERNED WITH THE MESSY ROOM THAN THE ELEPHANT SITTING IN THE LIVING ROOM.

HERE IS THE SON OF GOD HEALING PEOPLE, TEACHING ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND ALL THE PHARISEES ARE CONCERNED ABOUT IS SOME ARCHAIC RITUAL LAW THAT’S NOT BEING OBSERVED. ISN’T IT SAD THAT THEY CAN’T SEE THE ELEPHANT IN THE LIVING ROOM.

IS THERE AN ELEPHANT IN YOUR LIVING ROOM TODAY? IS THERE SOMETHING IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU ARE OVERLOOKING THAT IS ULTIMATELY MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE THINGS YOU GIVE YOUR ATTENTION TO? WHAT DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME DOING? WHAT ARE YOUR PRIORITIES? WHAT GET’S YOUR ATTENTION? IS YOUR ATTENTION ON THE THINGS OF GOD OR OTHER THINGS?

WASHING YOUR HANDS BEFORE YOU EAT IS VERY IMPORTANT. IT KEEPS YOU FROM GETTING GERMS AND GETTING VERY SICK. HOWEVER, JESUS IS SAYING TO THE PHARISEES AND TO US THAT THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS IN THAN SIMPLY NOT GETTING GERMS. THIS PASSAGE TELLS US WHAT THINGS ARE MOST IMPORTANT. WHAT’S MORE IMPORTANT? HOW WE TREAT OTHERS. HOW WE TREAT OUR FATHERS AND MOTHERS, OUR SISTERS AND BROTHERS, OUR EMPLOYEES AND EMPLOYER. HOW WE TREAT THE GROCERY CLERK, THE MAN WHO FIXES OUR AUTOMOBILE, THE CABLE GUY, AND THE CLERK AT THE CHECKOUT COUNTER IS FAR MORE IMPORTANT THAT LET’S SAY IF WE ATTENDED THE MEN OF THE CHURCH BREAKFAST OR THE WOMEN OF THE CHURCH BIBLE STUDY.