Transgressive Traditions

Matthew 15: True and False Faith (1)

Pray Psalm 12.1, 2.
Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases!
For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
They speak idly everyone with his neighbor;
With flattering lips and a double heart they speak.

Sing Psalm 12.1, 2.
Hamburg: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Help, LORD! The godly cease to be. They who believe in You are few.
Falsely the wicked confidently flatter, deceive, and mock what is true.

Read Matthew 15.1-9.
Meditate on the phrase, “transgress the commandment of God”.

Prepare.
1. To what did the religious leaders object?

2. To what did Jesus object?

Meditate.
When we’re reading Scripture and come across the word “tradition”, we tend automatically to think that’s a bad thing. We shouldn’t be led by tradition. Tradition bad; Scripture good.

However, that’s only partly true. We ought always to be led by Scripture. But Scripture can help us to shape good and reliable traditions, as Paul indicated in 2 Thessalonians 3.6. Tradition is bad either when it goes beyond Scripture (1 Cor. 4.6) or supplants it altogether (Matt. 15.6, 9). Such traditions make a mockery of faith, and turn faith in God into legalism and salvation by works.

This is where the scribes and Pharisees had come to in their practice of “faith”. They were all about control, using traditions to keep people subservient to them and to preserve their status in the Roman social order (cf. Jn. 11.45-48). They confronted Jesus about what they considered a transgression of their traditions by His disciples. Jesus blew them and their tradition away, rebuking them for embracing traditions of control rather than the Law of love (vv. 1-3). In the process, Jesus exposed another bad tradition, one that allowed religious leaders to avoid caring for their parents—which was in clear violation of the fifth commandment—in the name of fulfilling some religious duty, which ultimately redounded to their own benefit (vv. 4-6).

Jesus told it like it was: These men were hypocrites (v. 7), living a false faith and deceiving the people who looked to them for leadership. 

But this didn’t sneak up on God, as if their hypocrisy could foil His plans. Isaiah had foretold the day when men would teach their own favorite doctrines in place of the commandments of God (vv. 8, 9), all the while espousing their faith in God and desire to honor Him. Sadly, in many ways, that sounds a lot like the day in which we live.

Treasure Old and New: Matthew 13.52; Psalm 119.162
“Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, ‘Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread’” (Matt. 15.1, 2).

Really, hand washing? As far as I can tell, Jesus and His disciples were still in Gennesaret by the Sea of Galilee. These Mr. Cleans were from Jerusalem. And by all measurements, that clocks in at between 70 to 80 miles away. That’s a long trip to check on handwashing practices.

Perhaps they needed a little vacation time, and therefore tapped into the stewardship fund of their local synagogue to pay for this little excursion? As Jesus pointed out, they weren’t demanding any monies be set aside to care for the aging parents of their congregation (Matt. 15.4-6), thus breaking God’s Law; but they had decided those monies could be put to better use by being given to “God’s” work (aka “down-time” at the seaside for a little R and R, with a little tradition-keeping-judgment-work thrown in for good measure).

They were by no means showing concern for the disciples’ biological welfare, or care for their regular hygienic practices. No, what they were upset about was strictly a ceremonial handwashing that they had dreamed up at some point in their history, ostensibly for ritual purity, not health.

Are we that way? Do we set down rules for behaviors that have nothing to do with God’s Laws; 
but only our own cockamamie ideas? Do we let our tribes’ ideas or standards interfere with truly Biblical standards? Do we ever focus on more than what is Scriptural? Is there a “ceremonial hand-washing” that you find to be a deal-breaker? And thereby earn the title “Hypocrite”?

God said (Ex. 20.1-17): 
1. You are to have no other gods besides Me.
2. You shall not have anything or anyone that is more important than Me.
3. You must not take on My Name in vain.
4. You must remember My Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
5. You must honor your mother and your father.
6. You must not murder.
7. You must not commit adultery.
8. You must not steal.
9. You must not lie.
10. You must not covet. 

Jesus said (Matt. 22.37-40):
“You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, 
with all your soul, and with all your mind (Commandments 1-4).
This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: 
You shall love your neighbor as yourself (Commandments 5-10).
On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

If we do not keep these Commandments of God, being partial to the traditions of men, 
we are guilty of making His Words “of no effect” (Matt. 15.6).

“Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar” (Prov. 30.5, 6).
“He who keeps the commandment keeps his soul, but he who is careless of his ways will die (Prov. 19.16).

May Jesus never have reason to say to us: 
“These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matt. 15.8, 9).

So, be mindful of what “hand washings” bother you. Are they traditional or spiritual?

Reflect.
1. We may be surprised to learn how many things we do because they are “traditional” though not specifically Biblical. Can you think of any, either in your church or yourself?

2. Paul wrote that we must not go beyond the Word of God in our faith (1 Cor. 4.6). What happens when we do?

3. How did Jesus regard the traditions of the scribes and Pharisees? Why?

Why did they turn things upside down? Because they were afraid that someone might take away their power. They wanted others to be more afraid of them. They themselves had become the lawgivers. The issue of transgressing the traditions of the elders had gotten so inverted that they were insisting that their own commandments be kept even if God’s commandment was violated. John Chrysostom (344-407), The Gospel of Matthew 51.1

Pray Psalm 12.3-8.
Thank God for His Word, and pray that it may have increasing sway and power in your life, and throughout the world.

Sing Psalm 12.3-8.
Hamburg: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Stop, LORD, the lips that utter lies, all tongues speak with boasting pride,
who say, “Our own lips we will prize; no lord will ever us override!”

Rise up, O LORD, and rescue all the poor and those so sorely distressed.
Give them the safety for which they call; grant that they be no more oppressed.

Your words are pure and proven true, like silver seven times refined.
You will preserve Your Word ever new, and keep the heart to You inclined.

Proudly the wicked strut and stand; Your indignation builds on high.
Men may exalt their wicked plans, but You will judge them by and by.

T. M. and Susie Moore

If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment to give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Cor. 4.15).

We invite you to join us in ReThinking Church. We explain further at our ReThinking Church page, here.

Other columns of interest: This week: Our Read Moore podcast continues our readings from the book, The Joy and Rejoicing of My Heart. Our Crosfigell teaching letter begins a new series on the spiritual poetry of the Celtic Revival. The ReVision column considers questions all church leaders must address. Click here to see all the other columns and writers available to you.

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Except as indicated, all Scriptures are taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter.