The Traditions of Men Cannot Save Us

Mat. 15:1‑20; Mark 7:1‑23

“ ‘During this time Jesus directed His ministry more to individuals than to the masses. The event first recorded in this time frame is Jesus' encounter with the scribes and Pharisees concerning the keeping of tradition.  Jewish tradition consisted of the so‑called oral law, which was the religious customs and observances, aside from the Law itself, that were handed down from generation to generation.’ (Clarke, Clarke's Commentary, vol, V n.d., 161, 162: Notes on v. 2)  ‘These traditions were considered as binding as the Law God gave Moses on Mt. Sinai.’  (International Standard Bible Encyclopedia n.d.) This is in itself a revealing commentary on the Jewish spiritual state of the day.”  (Txtbk. Lesson Eleven)

The scribes and Pharisees complained to Jesus, "Why don't your disciples wash their hands before they eat, according to our tradition?" The Jewish tradition had nothing to do with personal hygiene. They knew nothing of germs and microbes in that day. You will note also they did not make reference to any Mosaic Law that was being broken; only their tradition. Following tradition is at times diametrically opposed to what Jesus teaches.

Jesus gave them an example of the serious mistake of following tradition. He said,

 "Moses said that a man should honor his parents, and if he cursed them he should be killed. But you maintain that if a man tells his parents, 'That which I would have given you to support you, I have dedicated to God,' he no longer is obligated to them. You thus make God's Law of no effect by your tradition. And you are guilty of many more things like this."

Comparing tradition to the commandments (law) of God is like comparing the “letter” of the law to the “spirit of the law.” “The letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.” (2 Cor. 3.6) It is incumbent on the people of God to be wary of doing anything just because everyone else is doing it (or not doing it) or because “the fathers did it.” Can “everyone else” or “the fathers” save us? We tend to be so very irrational when it comes to doing what we want to do as opposed to what the Scriptures state.

A decade or two ago it was fashionable for men to grow long sideburns and a beard. It seemed that the entire world was wearing sideburns and/or a beard. (I wore sideburns for several years.) Some of our picky-picky saints thought that it smacked too much of worldliness. They even grumbled self-righteously, “The fathers (old-line Pentecostals) didn’t wear beards, and if they didn’t, that’s good enough for me.”

If you are old enough to have been one of them, perhaps reading this in print will make you cringe: it was a foolish statement for several reasons, one of which was that Jesus wore a beard in His day. And Jesus was certifiably “one of the fathers”! We should adhere more to what the Word of God says than to what people say or do. There is so much we are doing that the Word forbids and so much we are not doing that the Word tells us to do. Let’s fervently search the Word for what is right and what is not right for the people of God, whether they are labeled Pentecostal, Methodist, Baptist, Lutheran or whatever. If we cling to the Word, we will do what is right and abstain from what is not right in the sight of God.

(The post above is excerpted from The Life of Christ in Five Phases Revised Teaching Aid by Aaron J. Smith. It is not yet in print.)

 

Comments

[Aaron J. Smith]

Thank you, Judy, for taking the time to read what I wrote and for taking the time and making the effort to reply. I appreciate your interest in my posts.

[Aaron J. Smith]

Thank you for your insightful comment. I greatly appreciate it.

[Judy]

Habits begin as cobwebs and end up as cables. (Not sure where that quote comes from, but it is really true.) God is working in me to build a tradition in my life of focusing on the Word alone for guidance and life. In the brightness of that light, traditions quickly fade and shrivel; then they can be brushed aside like the cobwebs they are.

Thans you for reminding me of this.