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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:
    • 1st – 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
    • 2nd – 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
    • 3rd – 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

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