The Life and Ministry of Jesus
Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches. Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?” Mark 7:1–5
These washings not only indicated a wrong attitude toward people, they also conveyed a wrong idea of the nature of sin and personal holiness. Jesus made it clear in the Sermon on the Mount that true holiness is a matter of inward affection and attitude and not just outward actions and associations.
The pious Pharisees thought they were holy because they obeyed the Law and avoided external defilement. Jesus taught that a person who obeys the Law externally can still break the Law in his heart, and that external “defilement” has little connection with the condition of the inner person. 1
Personal Encouragement
May we be committed to knowing what we believe and why we believe it. If someone asked you why you believe that Jesus is the only way to heaven, and why you believe the Bible to be the absolute truth for all mankind, what answer would you give?
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1
The tradition of holding fast to biblical truth is a tradition worth keeping.
A Prayer
Lord, please keep me from exalting a religious practice that was man-made.
1. Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
