| Matthew 15:1 Then came
to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, 2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; 6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. 7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. |
Mark 7:1 Then came
together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from
Jerusalem. 2 And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. 4 And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. 5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? 6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. 8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. 9 And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. 10 For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: 11 But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. 12 And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; 13 Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. 14 And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. 16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. |
| Not all traditions are bad. Many families have traditions, things they do together over a period of years, like family reunions, that help bind them together. Nations have traditions, too, like national holidays, or independence days. When tradition takes the place of the teachings of God's Word, though, they can do great harm, diluting or even canceling out the work of the Spirit. Such traditions include church rituals, or liturgies, rote repetition of words and actions while, not unscriptural in themselves, cease to have the force and effect of scripture. Another form tradition can take is legalism, slavish adherence to strictures of the Word, such as dress codes and dietary restrictions, without real understanding as to what the commandments of the Word mean. At its worst, tradition can degenerate into cult practice, with the teachings of some false prophet or founder taking the place of the Bible's truths. One of the worst offenses of Christendom was the Council of Trent, when the Catholic Church gave traditions such as veneration of the Virgin Mary and purgatory the same validity as Scripture, though the teachings are nowhere to be found in the Bible. This is exactly the kind of thing the Pharisees were doing, with their attempts to escape responsibility for their parents with the teaching of Corban, or a gift to the temple. They also constructed an elaborate set of rules and regulations which were intended to clarify points of the law, but did nothing more than entangle the Jews in a maze of legalism. Churches should have statements of doctrine, and plans of organization, but not to the point of smothering the work of the Spirit. | |
| Matthew 15:12 Then
came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were
offended, after they heard this saying? 13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. 14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. 15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. 16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? 17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man. |
Mark 7:17 And when he
was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him
concerning the parable. 18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; 19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? 20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man. |
| Hand washing has certain sanitary benefits, but no spiritual ones. What is important is the attitude of the heart, not some outward ritual. The word that Jesus used for those, like the scribes and Pharisees, who emphasized an external show of righteousness, was "hypocrites". This was a Greek word meaning "stage-player", or actor, and it was common for actors to wear masks symbolizing the character they were playing. This is the essence of legalism, emphasizing external obedience while ignoring the spiritual significance behind the commandments in the Word. One example was the command not to commit adultery; this included not only the outward act of fornication, Jesus said, but lusting after a woman in one's mind and heart (Matthew 5:27-28). Bad thoughts often result in bad actions, but the evil thoughts themselves, especially ones that include hatred and envy or pride, can be evil. It is from them, Jesus said, that evil comes, not from breaking some ritual command like not working on the Sabbath. | |
| Matthew 15:21 Then
Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. |
Mark 7:24 And from
thence he arose, and went into the borders of Tyre and Sidon, and entered
into an house, and would have no man know it: but he could not be hid. 25 For a certain woman, whose young daughter had an unclean spirit, heard of him, and came and fell at his feet: 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation; and she besought him that he would cast forth the devil out of her daughter. 27 But Jesus said unto her, Let the children first be filled: for it is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs. 28 And she answered and said unto him, Yes, Lord: yet the dogs under the table eat of the children's crumbs. 29 And he said unto her, For this saying go thy way; the devil is gone out of thy daughter. 30 And when she was come to her house, she found the devil gone out, and her daughter laid upon the bed. |
| At first glance, there is no relationship between this story and the teaching about dead traditions. One of the long-held traditions of the Jews, though, was not to associate with Gentiles, originally because of God's rebuke of those who intermarried with, and adopted the religions of, alien nations around them. As with the teachings about the Sabbath, Jesus broke this tradition more than once, with the Samaritan woman at the well, and with the Syrophenician woman here. The overriding law was that of compassion and love. Jesus appeared to be rebuking and ignoring the woman, but his purpose was to test her faith. She passed the test with flying colors, a lesson to those around her and to us. God's love is not limited by nationality, and is not bound by tradition. Wherever human need appears, no matter now vile or repugnant the circumstances, his love is there. We should not turn our heads away whenever, or wherever, the need to help arises. | |