From the desk of Pastor Ben

Confrontation Over Tradition

Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”         (Matthew 15:1-2)

The Jewish leaders who confronted Jesus did not hide the fact that they considered His offense to be against “the tradition of the elders” rather than God’s law. For them, such human tradition was actually superior to Scripture as a reliable guide to God’s will and purpose. It was not, but in the very same way, a lot of different church groups have long looked to church dogma & teachings of their denomination to interpret Scripture, and they trust those things more than they do the Bible.

Sadly, the unconverted rabbis (“elders”) efforts to use traditions to protect the law, actually undermined it. Instead of pointing the people to true worship from pure hearts, the rabbis led them to serve God by human means from unchanged hearts. Scripture became hidden behind a wall of tradition and thus was obscured and distorted rather than clarified and applied toward righteous ends.

Christ and the apostles did not adhere to the many man-made Jewish traditions, and the one here about washing hands was just representative of many that could have been cited. Washing their hands had nothing to do with personal hygiene but instead, referred to ceremonial washing. God had instituted such washings as part of the covenant with Moses, but such ceremonies were never to be more than outward examples of inward spiritual truths. God’s Word never elevated them as having any merit or blessing in themselves. Instead, the Word itself always has priority in teaching us the truths of salvation, practical holiness, and obedience to the Lord’s commands.

Ask Yourself:
What are our reasons for engaging in outward practices that have no effect on our hearts or lifestyle? How empty does it feel when Christian worship or service becomes little more than going through the motions? How does God desire to rescue us from that?