It is a fact that we are going to face opposition to what we believe – to what we ‘are’ in Christ Jesus. Most of this opposition comes from outside the church – however, what we are not geared up for is the battles we can face from inside Christianity, often from a source we would least expect. This paper tells of one such battle the Lord Jesus had with the Pharisees and the scribes at the time of His ministry.
Scripture: - Mark 7:1 – 23
The narrative of this piece of scripture begins with rules and regulations.
The Pharisees and the scribes had brought to the attention of the Lord Jesus that His disciples were eating without washing their hands!
However, as you read the passage you will become aware that this argument was not over a health hazard or the breaking of any health or safety regulations
They were really trying to trap Jesus by bringing a challenge to the issue of breaking a tradition!
Mark 1:1-3
“Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. Now when they saw some of the disciples eat bread with defiled, that is unwashed hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way”
You see there is nothing wrong with washing pots and pans – the world would perhaps be a much healthier place if the simple rules of hygiene were followed.
But that was not the real issue in question.
It was a clear case of the logic of the Pharisees that was wrong.
They had grown into performing this act of washing – it had become a ritual – that had developed out of a tradition!
They had set out to trap Jesus and in turn found themselves being trapped!
In their desire to confront the Lord, they had allowed Jesus to put His finger on a more serious problem!
And in consequence it was the Pharisees and scribes who found themselves on trial.
The prosecution was now on the defence.
IN RELATION TO THIS MESSAGE – I WANT TO ASK THREE KEY QUESTIONS?
Question 1 Did their worship (the Pharisees) come from their lips or did it come from their hearts!
Mark 7:6 HE (JESUS) answered and said to them, ‘Well did Isaiah (Isaiah 29:13) prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: this people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me’.
Praise from the lips should always begin in the heart, but for these people it was not from the heart at all.
Note: You see their hearts were not in their religion. They went through the motions of worship. They honoured God in what they said, it was words only!
It was not a sincere worship to the Almighty God! And sincerity is what God seeks – it had all become a ritual.
God was not in their hearts; their traditions were based on the laws of men!
Remember Isaiah 29:13
“And their fear towards me is taught by the commandments of men.
Question 2 THE SECOND QUESTION – IS ABOUT TRADITIONS
Mark 7:7-9
Things do not become sanctified by age. Let me repeat that statement. Because we do something constantly, it does not make it holy. Only the Blood of Christ can do that!
There are things we do in our churches that are not found in scripture. However, because we have done them for so long; we come to believe they are the commandments of God. – We think they come straight from the pages of scriptures, without checking.
To be fair, they may seem good or godly, they may even be helpful. I don’t want to knock it. But we must understand that they are simply traditions and not the Commandments of God!
Traditions come secondary – we can always change them for a new idea. It is the scriptures (the Word of God) that set the principles by which we must live.
Question 3. THE THIRD QUESTION – WHERE DID THEIR ATTITUDE COME FROM?
Mark 7:15 “There is nothing that can enter a man from outside that can defile him: But the things that come out of him, those things that defile a man”.
Here we have two pieces of news: the Good and the Bad?
THE GOOD NEWS
The Lord said, we are not bound by the Mosaic law of diet and regulations.
THE BAD NEWS
Jesus said the things that come out of a man. These are the things which defile a man.
The bad things we do. Things which we often blame others for, the unnecessary gossip, back biting, and the struggle for power, to be honest if we cannot say anything good about a person, we would be better not saying anything at all. All of these things come from within!
James 1:26
“If anyone thinks himself religious and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his own heart. This man's religion is useless”
Yet to be fair, the disciples did not even understand this concept. They asked the Lord for an explanation.
Read Mark 7:17
This is how Jesus replied
Read Mark 7:18- 23
CONCLUSION
The sad fact is that even today, some of the greatest opposition to the plan and purposes of God come from within as well as outside.
From within the
church as well as outside
From within
ourselves, as well as outside
Our faith and our trust in Christ for our eternal salvation come from our heart.
Our praise, worship, reverence and our daily relationship with Christ or with each other -
Is it lip service or does it comes from our lips only?”
Do we really mean what we say when we say that Jesus is lord?
