#DailyDevotion Tradition Isn’t Bad, Unless It Thinks It’s God’s Word
Mark 7:1–8 The Pharisees and some Bible scholars who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus. 2They saw some of His disciples eat with unclean hands, that is, without washing them. 3(Now the Pharisees, like all other Jews, don’t eat without washing their hands up to the wrist — to keep the rules handed down by their fathers. 4Coming from the marketplace, they don’t eat without first washing; and there are many other rules they’ve learned to keep — baptizing cups, huge wine jars, and brass pans). 5“Why don’t your disciples live according to the rules handed down by our fathers?” the Pharisees and the Bible scholars were asking Him. “They eat with unclean hands!” 6He told them, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites as it is written: “These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from Me. 7They worship Me in vain because they teach men’s rules.’ 8You give up God’s commandment and keep men’s rules.”
A theme in Mark is clean verses unclean. The demons are unclean. People are unclean. To be clean is a ritual state generally given by the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. Now the Pharisees notice some disciples are eating with unclean hands. But are they? Did God say they were unclean? Did the Torah say they were unclean. There were numerous precepts about washing and becoming clean but those dealt with priest offering sacrifices, lepers who were healed, women after their period and giving birth and a few others. It never said you have to wash your hands before eating (not that washing your hands before you eat is a bad thing). There’s probably a few other times you probably ought to wash your hands but not by the command and word of God.
So Jesus rightly chastises the Pharisees for their rebuke of his disciples. This washing of hands was not from the LORD in his word but according to the traditions of the fathers. A lot of these traditions probably started after the return from Babylon. There may have been good reasons for them. But not following them did not make one unclean ritually or internally.
Jesus quotes Isaiah to show the Pharisees that while their hands may be clean their hearts were unclean. He compares them to the Israelites and Judeans who had rebelled against the LORD worshiping idols and engaging in all sorts of sins that follow idol worshiping. Their equaling their traditions to the Law, the Torah of the Almighty turns those traditions into sin. They added to God’s Word which is what Satan does to deceive us. We do it to deceive ourselves. It was the downfall of Eve in the Garden. They had the appearance of worshiping the LORD their God but their hearts were not in it. They did not love the LORD their God. Their motivation was purely from the Law which cannot please God.
That said, there is nothing wrong with tradition. As long as those traditions serve the Gospel, fine and good. Should the breaking of them be raised to the level of being sinful they become idols. So we in the Church should always make those distinctions as to what is tradition and what is what Jesus commanded us to do which has his promise attached to it. Often it is just a matter of the heart. Is the heart attached to that tradition? That is not a good thing. Our hearts should only pine and thirst for the teaching of Jesus, his word, his promises, and his sacraments.
Heavenly Father, give us your Spirit that we may discern what is your will and man’s will and give us the power to do your will. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.