Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Jesus Heals the Sick in Gennesaret

34 And when they had crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.

35 And when the men of that place recognized him, they sent around to all that region and brought to him all who were sick 36 and implored him that they might only touch the fringe of his garment.

And as many as touched it were made well.

Traditions and Commandments

15 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders?

For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?

4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” 6 he need not honor his father.’

So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites!

Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

8  “ ‘This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart is far from me;

9  in vain do they worship me,

teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

What Defiles a Person

10 And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”

12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”

13 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.

14 Let them alone; they are blind guides.

And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 And he said, “Are you also still without understanding?

17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled?

18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.

19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.

20 These are what defile a person.

But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

Traditions and Commandments

15 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2 “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders?

For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?

4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” 6 he need not honor his father.’

So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites!

Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

8  “ ‘This people honors me with their lips,

but their heart is far from me;

9  in vain do they worship me,

teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

What Defiles a Person

10 And he called the people to him and said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.”

12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”

13 He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be rooted up.

14 Let them alone; they are blind guides.

And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, “Explain the parable to us.” 16 And he said, “Are you also still without understanding?

17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled?

18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person.

19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.

20 These are what defile a person.

But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

Two weeks ago we looked closely at verses 1-9, and I want to take some time to recall some of those things as we start in on verses 10-20.

What we learn in the last 11 verses builds on the first nine.

It’ll help us us see the gross misuse and misunderstanding of God’s law by the scribes and Pharisees.

And it’ll be their misuse of God’s law and even their own human traditions that set’s us up for what Jesus will address in verses 10-20.

Traditions vs. Commandments

Now, previously, we compared and contrasted human traditions with God’s divine commandments.

And one very important distinction we must always remember to make is that human traditions do not and must not bind the human conscience, only God’s divine commands can do that.

The only commands of which we are bound, by God, to obey are those given to us by the Scriptures, no matter how good, or how well intended man’s traditions may be.

Human traditions ought to serve God’s commands, therefore they cannot contradict them, nor can they be elevated above them.

However, as I said last week, we should not think that human traditions are altogether bad, and this does not mean that we cannot freely submit ourselves to, or participate in, human traditions, given they don’t contradict the Scriptures.

For example, I can participate in the annual tradition of celebrating Christ’s birth on December 25th if I so desire - I’m free to do so, but I am also free from being bound by it.

In other words, I am not obligated to participate in it.

No obligation

And others are not permitted to obligate me to such traditions, no matter how good or edifying they may be.

Yet, this is precisely what the Pharisees sought to do.

They expected Jesus and his disciples to keep the traditions of their forefathers as if they were divine commandments.

And others are not permitted to obligate me to such traditions, no matter how good or edifying they may be.

Yet, this is precisely what the Pharisees sought to do.

They expected Jesus and his disciples to keep the traditions of their fathers as if they were divine commandments.

No condemnation

And likewise I am not permitted to forbid or condemn others for practicing such traditions that are in accordance with Scripture.

Nor is it wrong to participate with others in such traditions, in fact, it may even be helpful, just not obligatory.

For example, Jesus himself, later, while in Jerusalem, seems to have no issue with celebrating Hanukkah, a feast that was not mandated by Scripture, and he would even describe himself in the Gospel of John as a fulfillment of it, describing himself as the light of the world.

Good traditions

The religious leaders in Israel had created a multitude of traditions that were not necessarily in contradiction to the Scriptures.

For instance, it would not be wrong for one to abstain from certain activities on the Sabbath in order to avoid transgressing God’s law that commands rest.

However, if I treat that tradition of abstaining from certain activities as if it had come from God, or attempt to impose it upon another, as if it were God’s law, I would be in error.

I do not have the permission or authority to make my traditions binding upon the consciences of others.

But, again, this does not mean another cannot practice the same tradition of their own free will, or that it isn’t helpful, only that it isn’t obligatory.

Traditions can be good, and some of us need to hear that, because it’s easy for us unwittingly throw all human traditions into the trash simply because they’re not commanded within the Scriptures.

We ought to have a zeal for Scripture alone as the sole rule and authority in the Christian life, but that doesn’t mean traditions outside the Bible are necessarily wrong.

The danger of traditions

But it would also be wise to recognize the pitfalls and the dangers that human traditions pose to sinful people.

We must realize that we are easily puffed up with pride.

Therefore the keeping of human traditions can easily become a vehicle for our pride, believing we’re somehow better than others for keeping our traditions.

Instead our traditions ought to deepen our affections for Christ, we should be encouraged to commune with God more frequently, meditate upon his Word more often, and challenged to love our Lord more deeply.

But we must guard ourselves against pride, that we might not corrupt good, God glorifying traditions.

And this danger exists not only with manmade traditions, but also with God’s divine commands.

As we studied through the book of Galatians in our weekly Bible study this year we witnessed the Judaizers, a group bent on forcing the church in Galatia to submit to circumcision in order to be saved.

So Paul writes this letter to the church and tells them not to submit to their demands, that rather they’re justified by faith alone.

And that the Judaizers “desire to have [them] circumcised that they [might] boast in [their] flesh.”

But we must guard ourselves against pride, that we might not misuse good, God glorifying traditions.

And this danger exists not only with manmade traditions, but also with God’s divine commands.

This danger exists not only with manmade traditions, but also with God’s divine commands.

Judaizers

The Judaizers were misusing God’s law, they were seeking to justify themselves by it, and they were trying to force the Galatians to do the same.

And Paul says that they were trying to make themselves look good by forcing these Gentile believers to submit to circumcision.

They were seeking the praise and approval of their Jewish counterparts by having the Galatians circumcised - they desired to have them circumcised that they might boast in their flesh.

They were misusing and abusing God’s law, they were using it as an opportunity to boast in their own flesh and literally in the flesh of others.

They were misusing and abusing God’s law, they were using it as an opportunity to boast in their own flesh and literally in the flesh of others.

And in much the same way these scribes and Pharisees sought to do the same with Jesus and his disciples, however, this time with human traditions, which compounded their problem.

No inward concern

There’s likely nothing inherently wrong with the oral tradition to wash one’s hands as a ritual cleansing.