“You have let
go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”
With that statement, Jesus
just threw down the gauntlet!
But… I’m getting ahead in
the telling of this story shared in these verses. First things, first.
When we were last tracking
Jesus and his disciples, they had crossed over the Sea of Galilee and reached Gennesareth.
(Click on the link for interesting information
about this ancient city.) Those who resided in this community flocked to
Jesus for healing.
Time passes. How much time
is not known exactly; nevertheless, one thing remains constant – the Pharisees
are none too pleased with Jesus. In fact, they’ve asked for back up (some of
the teachers of the law had come from Jerusalem [i]). It’s as though the
Galilean Pharisees want reinforcements. Why? Because Jesus is hurting their
pocketbooks and making them look bad. Then there is that emphasis on “love” and
challenging history passed through the ages.
Sharing historical
perspective will provide clarity as we move forward through this text.
·
While we know
about the Torah (written), the Pharisees made interpretations of the Torah.
Also their sages and rabbis decreed additional rules. Together, this became
known as the Tradition of the Elders
and later as the Oral Torah. It was
then committed to writing, notably in what is known as the Mishna.[ii]
·
The Mishna is the first major redaction of
the Jewish oral traditions and is also the first major work of Rabbinic
Judaism. [iii]
·
What is
“redaction”? This is “a form of editing in which multiple source texts are
combined and subjected to minor alteration to make them into a single work.” [iv]
Where does this lead us?
To the washing of hands. Note – this washing of hands was not in the interests
of hygiene. Ceremony and ritual were front and center.
There was a path for all
to follow regarding ritual hand-washing (“n’tilat-yadayim”) in details laid out
in the Mishna tractate “Yadayim”
(“Hands”). Impurity was removed by rinsing up to the wrist [v] Yet,… there was so much
more to that which had been defiled.
DID YOU
KNOW…?
“The man who ate with
unclean hands was subject to the attacks of a demon called Shibta.” [vi]
For the Gentile audience (reading / listening to the Gospel), the writer states all Jews did not eat
unless they followed the ceremonial washing. “All” is overstated here.
“Sadducees didn’t follow the Pharisees in this matter.” [vii]
Look at verse four as the focus turns to the marketplace. To give you an idea of
what was being required (through the Mishna),
here’s just a sampling of what should occur with “uncleanness”:
·
“A hollow vessel
made of pottery could contract uncleanness inside but not outside; that is to
say, it didn’t matter who or what touched it outside, but it did matter what
touched it inside. If it became unclean, it must be broken; and no unbroken
piece must remain which was big enough to hold oil to anoint the little toe.”
·
“A flat plate
without a rim can’t become unclean at all, but a plate with a rim can.”
·
“To cure
uncleanness, earthen vessels must be broken; other vessels must be immersed,
boiled, purged with fire – in the case of metal vessels – and polished.”
·
“Things made of
metal can become unclean, except a door, a bolt, a lock, a hinge, a knocker and
a gutter.” [viii]
Say what?!? No wonder
heads were constantly turning, confusion existed, interpretation and guidance
was needed, and folks were disconnected in relating to/with God. As Gene *
stated, “There’s no way you could follow… live by all these rules without
making a mistake. How could you understand them?” Norma * added, “You’d need a
scholar to figure out the rules with the interpretation up for grabs. The
everyday person would step back from religion.” Yes, and furthermore, there was
an intentional step placed between the person and God – caused by these religious
leaders.
The Pharisees then ask a seemingly
simple question; however, there is much more behind the asking. It’s not
directed at the disciples; it’s directed at Jesus. The prophet is teaching his
disciples to disobey the Traditions of
the Elders. How dare he commit such an act!
Jesus replies to them with
a verse from Isaiah 29:13 – then throws down the gauntlet. He calls them out regarding
their true motivation. Not the best way to make friends.
Now,… is Jesus condemning all
of Pharisaic tradition; in essence, obliterating all of their practices? No.
“In fact, he objects only to those practices of the P’rushim that place human
tradition above God’s command.” [ix]
See in verse nine where
Jesus uses the phrase, “your traditions”? The operative word here is “your.”
Paraphrasing… “Your tradition wipes out the fifth Commandment, because you
are telling people it’s more important to provide money to the Temple treasury than
to support their parents in need.”
Breaking it down further… “Corban”
means literally “sacrifice” from the Hebrew word “near.” You are bringing a
gift near to God, and in doing so, you too are near to God. [x] When one does this, they
have made a vow – dedicating this gift specifically to God. No one else.
Jesus though is
questioning priorities, questioning the view of what an oath or vow really
means and how that matches with what God really wants and requires. This
is controversial. Which part of the Torah supersedes the other (honoring your
parents or keeping vows)? Can a vow be repudiated? [xi]
Also what is happening… what
Jesus points out… is the legalistic nature of the Pharisees and teachers of the
law focusing on outward actions. Everything is being emphasized on that which
is outward instead of that which is happening from within.
And here’s the rub… just
because a person is clean on the outside doesn’t necessarily mean the same
person is clean on the inside. Which should have priority? Inside or outside?
Going by rote isn’t going
to cut it anymore. So… what does God really want?
NEXT
Jesus uses exaggeration
and humor to make a point; are all foods “clean”?
[i]
NIV, MARK 7:1
[ii]
Jewish New Testament Commentary, p. 92
[iii]
Wikepedia (Mishna)
[iv]
Wikepedia (Redaction)
[v]
Jewish New Testament Commentary, p. 92
[vi]
The Gospel of Mark, p. 167
[vii]
Jewish Annotated New Testament, p. 73
[viii]
The Gospel of Mark, pp. 168-169
[ix]
Jewish New Testament Commentary, p. 92
[x]
Jewish New Testament Commentary, p. 93
No comments:
Post a Comment