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The Disciples Handwashing Sin

Scripture: Mark 7:1-9

Jesus left Judea, to get away from the Jews who wanted to kill him, and returned to Galilee, where crowds gathered about him to be healed. We ended the previous lesson with the comment that some Jews followed him up from Jerusalem. Let us read on in our narrative and see what happens.

^{Mk 7:1} “Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, ² they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed.” These scribes and Pharisees didn’t care to learn the truth that Jesus was bringing to them, but instead were concerned that everyone lived according to the traditions they had established. One of those traditions had to do with how you washed your hands before you ate. It was more important to them to eat with undefiled hands than to sit down to eat with undefiled hearts.

Verse 3 and 4 tell us more about their attitude toward their traditions: ^{Mk 7:3} “(For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, ⁴ and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.)” Everything mentioned here is about being clean on the outside, not about how clean the heart is. Knowing the truth that Jesus is proclaiming could set them free, but instead they are slaves to their traditions, which cannot save them.

Seeing this unfavorable behavior of the disciples, the Pharisees and the scribes ask Jesus a question: ^{Mk 7:5} “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” They want to know why Jesus would allow them to violate the traditions of the elders. Try to imagine what Jesus is thinking about them as they point out this sin in his disciples.

Jesus responds: ^{Mk 7:6} “And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; ⁷ in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ⁸ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”’

Jesus calls them hypocrites and gives two reasons: First, their actions are merely external and do not come from their hearts, which is far from God; and second, their teachings reflect the traditions of men, not the commandments of God.

^{Mk 7:9} And [Jesus] said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!” These human traditions they have established as important, are ineffective for the cleansing of the heart and can lead them to disregard the word of God as they focus on trying to keep them.

Conclusion

As Jesus presents truth which can set one free, the Pharisees and scribes insist that people obey their established traditions which enslaves them. What activities do you engage in when you gather in your churches that have become traditions that may hinder your walk with God? What activities hinder you from sitting at the feet of Jesus and learning from him? Is your love and desire for Jesus above your love and desire for everything else or have certain traditions (habits) crept in to take that spot?