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Traditional Truths

TRADITIONAL TRUTHS

Matthew 15:1-20

In this chapter you see the Pharisees once again at conflict with Jesus.

And now, here in chapter 15, the conflict continues.

So let’s look at this incident of conflict and let’s learn some valuable lessons from Jesus…Matthew chapter 15.

As verse 1 begins, some scribes and Pharisees have come from Jerusalem and they gather around Jesus and they have a question.

 Now I want you to notice the word “tradition.”

And let me tell you, they were pretty serious about this.

And so, when Jesus’ disciples don’t wash their hands, these Pharisees get upset.

Now understand, that this has nothing to do with sanitation. This is all about tradition.

So these Pharisees get upset and they ask Jesus, “Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”

And He answered and said to them, “And why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?” “For God said, “Honor Your Father And Mother,” and, “He Who Speaks Evil of Father Or Mother, Let Him Be Put To Death.” “But you say, “Whoever shall say to his father or mother, “Anything of mine you might have been helped by has been given to God,” he is not to honor his father or mother.” And thus you invalidate the word of God for the sake of your tradition.

But notice verse 5 again:  But you say, “Whoever shall say to his father or mother, “Anything of mine you might have been helped by has been given to God,” he is not to honor his father or his mother.”

But notice what Jesus calls this practice at the end of verse 6: “And thus you invalidate the word of God for the sake of your tradition.”

And look what Jesus says starting in verse 7: “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, “This People Honors Me With Their Lips, But Their Heart Is Far Away From Me.” “But in Vain Do They Worship Me, Teaching As Doctrines The Precepts Of Men.”

And look what he says again in verse 8: “This People Honors Me With Their Lips, But Their Heart Is Far Away From Me.”

 And Then He Says, “But In Vain Do They Worship Me…”

And look at the end of verse 9: They were, “Teaching As Doctrines The Precepts Of Men.”

Over the years I have had people ask me, “Why are there so many different religious groups?”

Now it would be real easy for us to point our fingers at these Pharisees and smirk at them.

Back home the elders in our sister congregation let the preacher start putting the words of the songs on the overhead just like we do. The reason for doing it was much the same as ours: To get people to look up instead of having their heads down; they could put up some new songs that weren’t in their song books, and they could put some old songs that weren’t in their new song books; and for mothers with small children…it was never intended to replace their song books…only to help and possibly improve.

And there are other such instances:

It would be so easy to point our fingers at these Jews or some of our other brethren but before we do, we had better look at ourselves first.

Now, let me say some things right here.

  1. As you look at what Jesus says here in these verses, there is one lesson that really jumps out here and that is, there are some things that really matter and some things that don’t.

A few years ago I had a lady come to me after a baptism…a father baptized his son… And she was really concerned because the father didn’t say, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

Now, let me say this real quick.

And at the same time we need to be careful about taking a tradition of man and making it a commandment of God.

Now look at verse 10; And after He called the multitude to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand. “Not what enters into the mouth defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”

And Peter answered and said Him, “Explain the parable to us.” And He said, “Are you still lacking in understanding also? Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is eliminated? But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. For out of the heart, evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication’s, thefts, false witness, slanders. These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”

Now let me give you a couple of quick lessons:

First: Rules don’t make you righteous.

We have a great big rulebook and we have all kinds of penalties for breaking the law, but has that really address the problem?

Second: You won’t fool God.

And finally, you cannot write your own rules and win.

Jesus has given us some valuable lessons here. Lessons about just giving lip service to honoring God. About me and teaching as doctrines the precepts of men. About allowing our traditions to invalidate the commandments of God. About what really counts would God is the inside and not the outside. We won’t fool God. Let’s all seek to be inside what he wants us to be. And by the way, if the inside is taking care of the outside were pretty well take care of itself also.