Our Scripture reading for today is Matthew 15:1-2.
[1] Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, [2] “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”
[3] Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?
In the New Testament days, the Jewish people had become so mired in tradition that their traditions were considered necessary for righteousness. Some of the traditions were:
- Fasting
The Law required fasting annually on the Day of Atonement (Yum Kippur). This is outlined in Leviticus 16:29-31 and 23:27-32. By New Testament days, many Jews required fasting twice a week and made a show of it so that others would notice (See Matthew 6:16). - Washing of Hands
Of course, it is always good to wash your hands before you eat, but in today’s reading, hand washing was a ceremony that specified exactly how the washing was to be done and far exceeded a need for cleanliness. - Working on the Sabbath.
Of course, the Law taught the Jews not to work on the Sabbath, but they had become so ritualistic and picky about this that it reached the point of making a new law. For example, they taught that on the Sabbath, one could spit on certain surfaces but could not spit on the ground. They reasoned that if you spit on the ground, you might inadvertently step on it and twist your foot and that would be plowing on the Sabbath.
There are many other examples of traditions becoming a “thus saith the Lord” to the Jews. The point is not to make light of their legalizing traditions but to warn that we do not do the same thing.
Years ago, a friend of mine was sitting behind two older ladies in church. The church had just hired a new preacher, and as he moved in, word got around that he owned a pool table. The two ladies’ comment was, “I don’t care if he is a preacher or not, sin is still sin.”
It is wrong to ignore God’s commands and to make traditions a new “Law of God” when they are not. When the Bible speaks on a subject, we should listen. We can have other traditions, but we must not confuse them with the Bible.
Lonnie Davis