Traditions of Men
I
may seem hard to believe, but the Pharisees and the Scribes actually accused
Jesus and the disciples of defiling themselves.
In Matthew chapter 15 they question Him because they saw the disciples
eating bread without washing their hands…
“Why
do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their
hands when they eat.”
(Mt 15:2)
In
their man-made oral traditions, there was an instruction about
handwashing. Around 200 A.D. written
down in the Mishnah. The tractate
Yadayim, discusses the rules and significance of handwashing. The Pharisees
would have considered these practices essential for maintaining spiritual
cleanliness and adhering to their interpretation of the Law. So they
were accusing Jesus and His followers of defiling themselves by ignoring their
mandates.
‘Also
if one of the animals dies which you have for food, the one who touches its
carcass becomes unclean until evening. ‘He too, who eats some of its carcass
shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening, and the one who picks up
its carcass shall wash his clothes and be unclean until evening. (Le 11:39-40)
Curiously
enough, the Scriptures never refer to washing before meals. Leviticus 11 deals with food handling and
preparation. So, where did this idea come from?
Over the 14 centuries since Moses wrote the Pentateuch until the time of
Christ, many manmade traditions sprung up.
It might seem logical to take Leviticus 11 and expand it.
On
the way to the meal, one might pass through the marketplace and accidentally
come in contact with a dead animal. Also,
those preparing the meal might not be as careful as they should… So, it would
seem logical to wash before eating.
There is only one problem. It's
not in God's Word.
The
Pharisees were elevating their manmade traditions over the very Word of God.
Jesus rejected this thinking...
"So
for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God." (Mt 15:6)
In
the world of religion, it is quite common for traditions to grow and take
hold. Some may seem harmless, like
handwashing. But think again. When we consider the traditions more
important than the clear commands of God, we make a big mistake. And we should not be too harsh when judging
the Pharisees and Scribes. I would
imagine that in the 20 centuries since Christianity was founded, traditions
have developed. I can think of a
few. Some revolve around the ordinances
of the Church, like baptism and communion.
Take
infant baptism, for example. I know
there may be good reasons to baptize infants, and theological arguments to
defend the practice. There is a rational
explanation. The problem is that it is
not taught in Scripture. So, if we hold
to a position which has developed over time as a tradition, we may be negating
the strong authority of the Word of God.
That can be a slippery slope. If
we are casual about the Word in one instance, who is to say we will not be
deviating from the Word in other areas?
And how is the clear teaching on salvation, conversion, and baptism
warped by baptizing infants who are not converted and who have no knowledge of
the deep symbolic meaning of baptism.
By
the way, I know there is a theological construct that supports infant baptism,
but I wonder if these constructs are not simply doctrines of men, as Jesus
calls them. And if you or your loved
ones have been baptized as infants I intend no offense. But I do ask you to think about what I am
proposing.
‘THIS
PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. ‘BUT IN
VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.’ ” (Mt 15:8-9)
Keep
your finger on the verse!
Of
course, the biggest problem that Jesus saw with the Pharisees wasn’t really
their traditions. It was the fact that they were elevating their traditions
over the Word of God. They were not honoring God‘s Holy Word. I suppose we
should ask ourselves do we make the same mistake?
God's
Word should always be our final authority in matters of truth and spiritual
instruction. I realize that the Lord
uses godly, gifted people to instruct us to better understand the Word of God, but
even the best teachers do not always agree on everything. Each of us should take seriously Paul's
admonition to Timothy:
Be
diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to
be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (2 Tim 2:15)
And
we should major on the Word of God, not the opinions of men. Even as I write these blog entries, I
sometimes have people comment about something they see differently than I
do. I appreciate that.
Keep
your finger on the verse!
In
home studies, discussions, and discipleship groups some people are too quick to
offer their opinion without thinking more deeply about what the Scripture is saying. This can be a big mistake.
A
fool does not delight in understanding, But only in revealing his own mind. (Prov 18:2)
Let's
keep our fingers on the verse, honor God and His Word over the traditions (and
opinions) of men.
Take
care and God Bless.[1]
[1]
All Scripture used in this post is taken from New American
Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman
Foundation, 1995).
Well taken is a good one
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