Not Human Traditions

The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law were the best neighbors you could ever want. Why? They were law-abiding people. They were law-abiding people because they thought by attempting to keep God’s Law they could make themselves right with God. That’s why they got so upset when Jesus called them sinners.

In order to enhance their law abiding standing they developed laws in addition to those which God gave Moses on Mt. Sinai. After all, if the law was going to get you to heaven, you might as well have as much of it as possible. More chances to keep it, right?

The OT law had indicated that certain foods and animals were unclean. People, objects and places could become unclean by having contact with any of these unclean things. This uncleanness meant the person couldn’t worship in the temple without going through a cleansing ceremony. But the OT said nothing about a person becoming unclean by eating with unwashed hands. The rabbis had developed laws which said that was true, how much water had to be used to wash your hands, and how the water had to be applied, and on and on.

In addition the Pharisees and teachers of the law placed these traditions on the same level as the written OT laws of Moses. So, they wondered why Jesus’ disciples were not living according to the tradition of the elders. And they emphasized these traditions so much that they didn’t bother with God’s moral laws. {8} You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." Jesus said.

Are we Pharisees? That depends on how we use the Law. Has the Holy Spirit led us to look into God’s Law as a mirror and see that we are sinners? Then we are not Pharisees. Has the Holy Spirit led us to admit on the basis of God’s Law that we don’t perfectly live our lives for the benefit of God’s kingdom? Then we are not Pharisees. Has the Holy Spirit led us to admit on the basis of God’s Law that we don’t perfectly live our lives for the benefit of the people around us? Then we are not Pharisees.

Are we Pharisees? That depends on our attitude toward Jesus. Has the Holy Spirit led us to trust that our sins are washed away in the blood which Jesus shed on the cross? Then we are not Pharisees. Has the Holy Spirit led us to trust that we are covered with the holiness which Jesus lived in our place so that we are holy in God’s sight? Then we are not Pharisees. Has the Holy Spirit led us to trust that we are going to live forever because of the resurrection of Jesus? Then we are not Pharisees.

Are we Pharisees? That depends on what we use to shape our lives? Has the Holy Spirit led us to use God’s Law exclusively to determine how we ought to live our lives to thank Jesus for the forgiveness, holiness and eternal life which God has given us? Then we are not Pharisees. Has the Holy Spirit led us to reject the consensus of the people(in the text called “tradition of the elders”) around us as the basis of determining how we ought to live our lives? Then we are not Pharisees.

There are two ways that human beings allow the consensus of the people around us to determine how we ought to live our lives. First. People add to God’s Law as the rabbis did. That sounds like this: It’s a sin to use alcohol for Lord’s Supper. It’s a sin to play cards. It’s a sin to play baseball on Sundays. And so on.

The much more common way that humans allow the tradition of people (what people think) to determine how we ought to live our lives is to subtract from God’s Law. That sounds like this. Everybody says, “Oh my god,” all the time. Most of my friends don’t go to church but we are still Christians. Nobody travels speed limit. Everybody uses something to get a little high once in a while. Every unmarried person I know is sexually active. Life is about how many toys you have. Everybody trash talks.

Prayer: Lord, please continue to send the Holy Spirit into my life so that I am not a Pharisee. Lord, please continue to send the Holy Spirit into my life so that I live your Word and not human traditions.

Don’t Just Fake It

The Pharisees wanted to be highly respected by others. So they were very concerned about outward appearances. They did two things. They tried to make their outward actions irreproachable. They tried to do their godliness very publicly. They fasted, prayed and even tithed so that everybody could see it.

According to Jesus there was a problem. They legally took advantage of others to get the money from which they tithed. They worshiped god regularly but rejected the Messiah sent by God, Jesus. They fasted in public and indulged themselves in private. If you want a good example of the problem: They refused to go into the palace of Pilate so they wouldn’t become unclean while they were trying to get Jesus crucified.

So, Jesus in the text says: {6} "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: "'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.” Hypocrite is a Greek word that means an actor playing a part on the stage. The Pharisees were acting. They were faking. So, Jesus also says: {7} They worship me in vain.” Their worship is empty and worthless.

The Pharisees had things backwards. How you wash your hands doesn’t make you clean or unclean. What is going on in your heart makes you clean or unclean. Jesus put it this way: {15} Nothing outside a man can make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him 'unclean.'" Then Jesus gives us a list of the things that come out of us which make us unclean. (21) For from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, {22} greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. {23} All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.'"

Are we Pharisees? That depends on our attitude toward outward appearances. Are we concerned that our outward actions are irreproachable? Then we are outwardly like the Pharisees. That’s a good thing. Do we want to be respected as people who live their lives to the Lord? Then we are outwardly like the Pharisees. That’s a good thing. Do we worship God so that everybody sees what we are doing? Then we are outwardly like the Pharisees. That’s a good thing.

Are we Pharisees? That depends on what is going on in private. Does the Holy Spirit lead us to reject easy ways to take advantage of others? Then we are not Pharisees. Does the Holy Spirit lead us personally talk to Jesus and listen to Jesus talk to us through His Word? Then we are not Pharisees. Does the Holy Spirit lead us try to use our resources and our bodies as thank offerings to the Lord. Then we are not Pharisees.

Are we Pharisees? That depends on what is going on in our hearts. Does the Holy Spirit lead us to repent when our thoughts line up with what’s on Jesus’ list in the text: getting revenge, having sex with the attractive lady next door, taking that baseball glove that got left at the park by that person from the other team, hating that person at work for what he did to us, wanting something so badly that you can taste it, twisting the facts so that we get the advantage, partying out of control, hating who I am, badmouthing others, or looking down on others? Then we don’t have things backwards. Then the Holy Spirit has led us to realize that we are unclean by nature, sinful because of what is in our hearts and what comes out of our hearts. Then the Holy Spirit has led us to realize that what we produce on the outside doesn’t make us right with God. Only Jesus can get rid of the guilt of our heart produced sin. Only the Holy Spirit can give us the strength to repent of our heart produced sins. And only the Holy Spirit can give us the strength to refuse to put into practice our heart desired sins.

Prayer: Lord, please continue to send the Holy Spirit into my life so that I am not a Pharisee. Lord, please continue to send the Holy Spirit into my life so that I live your Word and don’t just fake it.

Live God’s Word