Mark 7:1 Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. Some of the Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem came together to Jesus. They, being from Jerusalem, God's Holy City, may have believed themselves to be even more righteous than even other Pharisees and scribes. The Pharisees and scribes were very much concerned with their status in the Jewish community, those who were supposed to be God's people. Sometimes, people today can be somewhat the same way, either by being a preacher or religious leader who believes that they are more righteous than the average person or even other preachers, or by being a Christian who believes that preachers in large churches or religious leaders in higher up positions are more worthy of being listened to than the preacher of an average sized or small congregation. Verse two adds, And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. Verse three continues, For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. The Pharisees and scribes were also all about religious traditions, and they had a concern about Jesus and His disciples and their hand washing. I don't believe this was about hygiene, but about ceremonial hand washing, which they said a person should do often before they ate. Verse four concludes, And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables. We need to make sure that we do not begin to put more emphasis on rituals than we do on our relationship with God and other Christians. Just because some people may not worship exactly the way we have done traditionally does not mean that the way that other people worship is wrong. The Pharisees and scribes also had many rules about washing pots and pans that went above just getting them clean. We may attempt to impose rules and regulations about worship and everyday life today that have nothing to do with spiritual cleanliness. Of course, the Pharisees and scribes did one thing right. They came to Jesus for answers, even though they came for the wrong reason. They wanted to prove He was wrong in what He did. The first step to being made righteous is not to follow rules and rituals but is always to come to Jesus by faith and to accept Him as your personal Savior and Lord. Verse five states, Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands? Once more, the Pharisees and scribes were asking Jesus about religious traditions instead of about God's commandments. We need to make sure that as Christians we don't allow traditions to become more important than God's law. When they asked about eating with unwashed hands, it was not about washing them so they would be physically clean, but it was about a ritual washing of the hands. Rituals will never cleanse us spiritually. Verse six adds, He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Verse seven continues, Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. Jesus answered them, using what Isaiah had prophesied to point out their hypocrisy. The Bible, God’s Holy Word, will always point it out if we are being hypocritical in our actions as we claim to serve God. Jesus said that the Pharisees and scribes were paying God lip service, but their hearts were far from God. We need to pray that we never get this way, following traditions of man instead of God's word. Jesus then told them that as Isaiah had said, they were teaching religious doctrines and manmade commandments instead of God's commandments. The Bible should be the only source of authority that we need as Christians. Jesus said the washing of pots and pans was a manmade tradition and not something that God had commanded. Jesus also said there were many other things that the Pharisees and scribes did that were not in accordance with God's commandments. We need to ensure that everything we do, both in worship and everyday life is in accordance with God's will. As followers of Christ, we have not only the Bible but also the Holy Spirit to guide us. Verse eight says, For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do, Verse nine adds, And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. Jesus said that they rejected the commandments of God so that they could follow their own traditions. We need to pray that we never become this way. Of course, the first thing that we must accept from God's word is that we are all sinners who need to come to the heavenly Father through faith in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Verse ten states, For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: In context, Jesus was still talking to the scribes and Pharisees about putting tradition above God's word. Jesus said that God through Moses commanded everyone to honor their father and mother, but they had come up with a tradition to avoid doing so. We better make sure that we do not attempt to alter God's word by following some tradition. The second part of the commandment said that anyone who didn't honor their father and mother should be put to death. God takes the honoring of one's father and mother very seriously, and He did not put any qualifiers on the commandment. He did not say some of the time, or if they deserve it, or if it doesn't go against what I want. Verse eleven adds, But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. Verse twelve continues, And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; The Pharisees and scribes used a tradition of swearing by the gold of the temple and the gift on the altar that their parents wouldn't profit from them. We cannot relieve ourselves of obedience to God's commandments by claiming that what we are doing for the church relieves us from that responsibility. Jesus said the Pharisees and scribes used this tradition to say that anyone who followed it was free from doing what he should to honor his father and mother. Verse thirteen concludes, Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye. Jesus then said that their tradition made God's word of no effect. Whatever we do, we can never allow anything to come between God and us. Of course, the first thing we must do is accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, otherwise all of God's word is to no effect.
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