The traditions of Men… vs. 1-13

• The tradition of men… vs. 1-5
  • The Scribes and Pharisees came from Jerusalem…
    • These are the same men that had already challenged Jesus… 
    • The Sabbath – working and healing on Saturday
    • Casting out demons in the power of Beelzebub–a house divided can’t stand
    • Now they are going to challenge him on keeping their traditions…
  • Why don’t your disciples wash their hands…
    • Perhaps eating the bread from the 12 baskets – the disciples did not have time to wash
      • At first you might think they were challenging Jesus on matters of hygiene…
      • This was not about washing your hands before a meal – which is a good idea
      • This concerned elaborate ceremonial washings based in centuries of tradition
    • In other words it wasn’t a matter of grabbing soap and rinsing your hands
      • Instead how you dipped your hands, in certain blessed water, in special bowls
      • All the while reciting prayers of blessing (baracha “Netilat Yadaim”)
      • This was not about sanitation – it was all about men’s traditions
      • The oral tradition of the Jews – not the written commandments of God
    • It was not only about washing hands – they had LOTS of traditions…
      • They would wash every time they returned from the Market – lots of unclean people
      • They received and held traditions about – washing cups / pitchers / couches
      • And their traditions were VERY important to them – so they challenged Jesus…
      • Why did His disciples did NOT FOLLOW the traditions of the elders…
      • Traditions – customs/specific practices handed down from generation to generation 
      • We follow lots of traditions – they dominate our daily lives
        • The traditions of Christmas, New Years, birthdays, weddings, funerals
        • Traditions about church on Sundays and school or work Monday-Friday
        • Filipino traditions – Barangay traditions – family traditions
      • Some traditions are helpful – some are harmful…
        • Helpful traditions –help us to remember important events/people…
        • Harmful traditions – based in superstition – tie a branch at the well…
        • Don’t sweep after the sun goes down – close your windows before 6pm
        • The problem comes when we fear traditions more than we fear God
        • The problem comes when put our trust in our traditions rather than God
        • The problem is when our traditions contradict the Word of God…
          
• Teaching the commandments of men… vs. 6-9
  • I can almost see Jesus smile at this question – He was MORE than ready to give an answer
  • Well did Isaiah prophecy about you – Isaiah 29:13 – 3 things:
  • 1^st – They draw near to Me with their with their lips…
    • The Pharisees said all the right things – but that was the problem
    • All that was right was their words…
    • Far to often we are only willing to SAY the right thing…
    • We will all say that we believe in Jesus…
    • We will all say that we want to follow God – live honest and good lives
    • But it ends there – with our words – and its not enough to just say the right thing
    • What about our actions – do our actions match up with our words
    • If we said nothing – would others still say that we believe in Jesus – live for Jesus
  • 2^nd – But their hearts are far from me…
    • Though they Scribes and Pharisees had all the right words…
    • Their hearts were far from the Lord – your could see it in their fruit
    • Luke 6:44 – “For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather [mangas] from [jackfruit trees], nor do they gather [mais] from a [tubo].”
    • How do you know what is in someone’s heart – look at their fruit
    • You can say anything – but you cannot change your fruit – its from the heart
    • I could tell you all day long that I am a mango tree – but if I grow Jackfruit…
    • I can tell you I am a Christian – but what kind of “fruit” comes from my life
    • The test of our hearts is the fruit that comes from our lives
  • 3^rd – In vain they worship to me, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men!
    • The religious leaders had set aside God’s Word – so they could embrace their traditions
      • They went so far as to REJECT God’s command  – so they could KEEP their traditions
      • You cannot have both – God’s Word / Men’s Traditions – contrary to one another…
      • To embrace one is to reject the other – serving God or serving Man…
    • The leaders saw THEIR laws – the laws of MEN – as higher than the GOD’S Laws!
      • They were more concerned about their traditions than obeying God’s Word
      • It is not about man’s rules/traditions – it is about following God’s Word…
      • God command is for a man and woman to be married
      • Yet we have ‘traditions’ that say we can live together – and eventually get married
      • The reason we wait – we want to have the ‘right wedding’ – please family / friends
      • When we are more concerned about men opinion than God’s…
      • If more concerned about men’s traditions than God’s Word – NOT serving Jesus
      • Galatians 1:10 – “Am I trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ.”
        
• Example – Honor your father and mother… vs. 9-13
  • The command of God – Honor your Father and Mother – Exodus 20:12
    • The command – 1 of the 10 commandments – was from the Word and from God
      • If you cursed your Father and Mother – you were to be put to death
      • Emphasizing this command was something that God considered VERY important!
    • Part of honoring your father & mother included caring for them when older
      • I Timothy 5:8 – “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
      • The command was simple, straightforward – no room for interpretation
      • But the Pharisees & Scribes had their view of what ‘honor’ meant…
  • But your traditions say…
    • In contradiction to what the Word says – the Pharisees and Scribes said:
      • Rather than blessing your parents (honoring them) by providing for them
      • You only need say the money that should have been used to care for them
      • Is instead a gift for God – then they had no obligation to their parents!
      • (give the money to the Pharisees and Scribes rather than the parents…)
    • ‘Making the Word of God of no effect”…
      • The Word of God says honor (take care) of your Father and Mother
      • Yet through the Pharisees traditions they made the Law of God void
      • Their traditions were held as more important than God’s Word
      • The traditions of men must always come second to God’s Word
      • Just because everyone else does it does not make it right!
      • Matthew 7:13 – “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.”
      • Everyone else may be on the broad path – that does not mean we want to!
      • The Bible says we are not to lie… Period!
      • But we have a tradition that there are different kinds of lies…
      • White lies, half truths, telling someone what they want to hear
      • Our tradition tell us that those are not as bad as a REAL lie
      • Because of our traditions we ignore the Word of God
      • Any time we put culture or tradition before the Bible – we REJECT God’s Word!
        
• Blind leading the blind…  Matthew 15:12-14 
  • The account in Matthew adds – The leaders were offended by THE WORD (logos) of Jesus
    • The Pharisees understood that Jesus was saying they only gave lip service
    • That at heart they were far from God – as seen by their fruit
    • That they were more concerned about their words and the God’s Words!
    • They were offended by the WORD of God – the reason is the WORD exposed them
    • Hebrews 4:12 – “For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires.”
    • God’s word is a light in a dark place – it pulls back the darkness and reveals truth
    • It exposes men for who they really are – not who they pretend to be
    • If we don’t want others to know who we really are – we avoid the Word of God
  • Jesus answer to reaction: Leave the Scribes and Pharisees alone – (2 reasons)
    • They are plants that will be uprooted…
      • Jesus refers to the parable of the Wheat & the Tares…
      • Matthew 13:38 – “The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one.”
      • He is saying that they Scribes and Pharisees are sons of the wicked one
      • They should be left alone like in the parable – cause in the end – uprooted (judged)
      • If we know people who are caught up in the traditions/superstitions of men
      • Leave them alone – pray they change their heart and come to Jesus…
      • There is the hope that our example of love may bring them to Jesus!
    • They are blind leaders…
      • Jesus paints a vivid picture of the leadership of the Pharisees and Scribes
      • Blind leaders – if someone followed them – they’d both end up in the ditch…
      • The fate – the ditch – that they were destined to fall into – Hell
      • Matthew 23:15 – “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves.  Woe to you, blind guides…”
      • Leave those caught up in traditions/superstitions alone – don’t follow their example
      • Instead be an example to them – let them see Jesus love in you!

What comes from the heart… vs. 14-23

• About washing your hands… vs. 14-16
  • Jesus called the multitudes to Himself…
    • HEAR and UNDERSTAND – it’s not what goes into a man that defiles him…
    • Jesus gives here an amazing spiritual truth
    • It is not about what goes into your mouth that makes you unclean
    • It is what comes out of your mouth that is the problem…
  • When they got to a house – the disciples asked – “Explain this parable to us”…
    • The disciples had been shaken by what Jesus just said – and didn’t understand
      • They thought that this was another ‘parable’ Jesus was giving – it wasn’t
      • The Jews have extensive traditions & laws about what God permits men to eat
    • The idea that you could eat anything you wanted was to radical for them to accept
      • When the Bible completely contradicts our culture – its hard to accept
      • If you have always believed something & find the Bible teaches differently
      • We tend to think it must be a “parable” – we must not understand the Bible
      • But it’s not that it’s hard to understand the Bible – it’s just hard to accept 
  • Jesus – “Are you also un-intelligent (stupid)?”
    • The disciples had been raised and taught in the world of the Pharisees & Scribes
    • What Jesus said was the opposite of everything they had learned
    • Yet Jesus had been with Jesus long enough they should have understood…
    • The Word of God is often the exact opposite of what the Word teaches
    • The world says to seek riches – the Bible says to seek Jesus
    • The world says to focus on yourself – the Bible says to die to yourself
    • The word says to you need to be strong – the Bible says to be weak
    • Then the Grace of God will be your great strength!
    • It can be hard to accept – it is so different from everything we were taught
  • Do you not understand (the idea is use our brains)…
    • Jesus here does not use deep spiritual principles – instead He uses simple logic
      • Whatever you eat does not enter your heart…
      • Whatever you eat – it just goes into your stomach – then into the CR
      • No matter what you eat – it all ends up in the same place – obviously
      • So you are not a better person if you don’t eat pork – or worse if you do
      • If you eat pork – of if only eat fish – it all ends up the same…
    • It is not only what the Bible says – it is what simple logic proves
      • If seeking money were the answer to life – those who did would be happy
      • But seeking Jesus is the answer – and those who do we see are happy!
      • If focusing on yourself was the answer – doing so would make you happy
      • Yet the happiest people in life are those who focus on Jesus and others!
  • But what comes out of our mouth…
    • The words the you speak – they are what make you unclean – defiled
    • You are defiled because your words reveal your heart
    • Luke 6:45 – “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
    • So eating with unwashed hands does not make you evil or unclean…
    • You are unclean if there is evil in your heart – shown by what comes out of your mouth
      • Evil thoughts – anything contrary to the Word of God
      • Adultery or Fornication – lust or any impure thoughts or actions
      • Murder – hatred or un-forgiveness towards another
      • Thefts or covetousness – greed or desiring what others have
      • Wickedness or deceit – lies or not telling the truth
      • Lewdness or evil eye – unbridled passions / looking to do evil or sin
      • Blasphemies – using God’s name in vain – cursing
      • Pride and foolishness – thinking we are the answer – not looking to God
    • In other words it does not matter if you follow the traditions/superstitions of men
      • What matter is if you follow the Word of God…
      • Jesus takes is back to the heart – not what goes in – but what comes out
      • What is in our heart this morning
      • Are we bound up in the world around us – or are we abounding in Jesus