One Sunday a man sat through a church service and then on the way home he fussed about the sermon, he griped about the traffic, he complained about the heat, and he made a big fuss about how late the lunch meal was served. Then he bowed and prayed, giving God thanks for the food. His son watched him all the way through this post-church experience. Just as they were beginning to pass the food he said, " Daddy, did God hear you when we left the church. and you started fussing about the sermon, and about the traffic, and about the heat? The father blushed and said, " Well yes son, He heard me." Well, daddy, did God hear you when you just prayed for this food right now?" And he says, " well, yes, son, He...heard me." " Well, daddy, which one did God believe?"
Text: Then came together unto him Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem, and when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled hand, ( that is to say, with unwashen hands, ) they found fault. For the "Pharisees, " and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And may other things there be which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brazen vessels, and of tables. 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? He answered and said unto them, well hath " Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, this people honor me with their lips, but their hearts our far from me.
Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men,
as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things you do. And he said unto them, full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition.
For Moses said, honor your father and Mother; and, whoso curses his father and thy Mother, let him die the death. But you say, if a man shall say to his father and mother; making the word of God, it is corban, that it is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightiest be profited by me; he shall be free. and ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother. Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many more such things like you do. When He called all the people unto him, He said unto them, hearken unto me every one of you, and understand. There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. And when he has entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. Are you so without understanding also? Do you not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him. Hypocrites are nothing new. Jesus has an encounter with a whole group, who have come to Jerusalem which was like Vatican of its day. They came to watch him, in order to find fault with him and his ministry. when they arrived and began to watch Jesus, it does not take them long to find something to complain about. These men see the disciples eating with out washing their hands and they were offended.
They attack Jesus over this issue, but He turns the tables on them. They think the issue of clean hands, But Jesus shows them that the issue, is really about clean hearts. This text has something to say to us today. Jesus is going to teach us that the inside of person, should match the outside of that person. He is going to teach us what we are in our heart is what we really are! He is going to teach us that " Hypocrisy" and legalism have no place in our lives. He is going to teach us that true defilement comes from the inside not from the outside. I want to talk on these verses: about clean hands or clean hearts. Jesus reveals to these hypocrites for what they are. Be careful that in your quest for clean hands, you still have a dirty heart. As these Pharisees had watched Jesus and his men, they noticed that his disciples were eating without washing their hands. When they saw this, they found fault ( a means to place blame). They turned their attention to Jesus, because He was the leader of disciples, he was a Rabbi and as such, He was responsible for their behavior; in other words to keep them from spreading germs. Now, the disciples were not eating with dirty hands. The problem is brought to light as Mark continues His narrative. According to verses 3-4, the Pharisees and all religious Jews would not eat unless they washed their hands a certain way. This was especially true when they returned from the market place, as they might have brushed shoulders with a "gentile" and been defiled. for the Jews, and all religious people, everything revolves around ritual. This washing had nothing to do with cleaning the hands. It was a ceremonial cleansing. This ceremony involved some one pouring out water of a jar onto another's hands, whose fingers must be pointing up. As long as the water dripped off at the wrist, the person could proceed to the next step. He then had water poured over both hands with the fingers pointing down. Then each hand was to be rubbed with the fist of the other hand. It is said that one Jewish Rabbi was arrested by the Romans and nearly died in prison because he used up his daily ration of water trying to wash his hands after the prescribed manner. According to Mark, they not only had rules about their hands, they also had elaborate rules about washing pots, pans, plates, etc. In all, the Jewish " Mishnah", a compilation
of Jewish oral law made around 200 A.D. has 35 pages of instructions devoted to washing alone. The problem with their rules is they were not from God, they were " the traditions of the elders." The "traditions of the elders came into being with good intentions. The Mishnah says that "tradition is a fence around the law." in an effort to protect the "Law from the people, the ancient Jews added to that "Law." They added to the restrictions that went beyond the letter of the law. The Jewish leaders believed that their traditions protected the law from the peopled. One writer shares the following " "fences" created by the Jews. for example looking into a mirror was forbidden, because if you looked into the mirror on the Sabbath day and you saw a grey hair, you might be tempted to pull it out and thus perform work on the Sabbath. You also could not wear your false teeth, if they fell out, you would have to pick them up and you would be working. In regard to carrying a burden, you could not carry a handkerchief on the Sabbath, but you could wear a handkerchief on the Sabbath. That meant if you were upstairs and wanted to take the handkerchief downstairs, you would have to tie it around your neck, walk downstairs, and untie it. Then you could blow your nose downstairs!
The rabbis debated about a man with a wooden leg: If his house caught on fire, could he carry his leg out of the house on the Sabbath? One could spit on the Sabbath, but you had to be careful where it landed on the dirt and you scuffed it with your sandal, you would be cultivating the soil and thus performing work. Its easy to see how foolish such man made rules had become. Again, the problem with their rules, is they came from man, not God. Their rules were not God rules; they were rules made by men seeking to control other men! Sounds like the ?
We still have the Pharisees with us today, wanting us to follow man's rules, not God's rules.
1 Cor. 6;12 " All things are law full to me; but all things are not good for me.!
1Cor, 10:23, all things are lawful for me; but all things do not build me up!
So, these men are upset with Jesus because His disciples do not perform the ritual washings of the Jews. In these verses, Jesus reveal the hypocrisy of their hearts!
In verses 6-9 Jesus condemns their legalism. He accuses these men of being hypocrites. He quotes Isaiah 29:13 and accuses them of elevating their traditions to the point that they carry more weight then the "Word of God!" According to Rabbi Eleazer who expounds the scriptures in opposition to the tradition has no share in the world to come, ' the Mishnah, a collection of Jewish traditions in the Talmud, records, it is a greater offense to teach anything contrary to the voice of the Rabbis than to contradict scriptures itself.
In verse 8-9, He even tells them that they have "laid aside the commandments of God, " in favor" of the man made rules and tradition. In verse 9, He tells them they have actually "rejected" the commandments of God, so they can keep their traditions. Jesus condemns their blatant Hypocrisy!
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