Jesus Is the Bread of Life
John 6:25-59
Jesus Teaches about What Is Clean and Unclean
Mark 7:1-23
Matthew 15:1-20
Our Matthew 15 and Mark 7 readings report Pharisees from Jerusalem coming to the Galilee region where Jesus was ministering and living to confront him about – of all things – his disciples not washing their hands before eating. We might consider the disciples (and yes, even Jesus…read Luke 11:38) to be a bit unsanitary for not washing, but these Jewish leaders were not concerned with the disciples’ health. They were upset that these men were not following a particular tradition of the elders, which required ceremonial washing of hands, cups, bowls, and such before eating.
Jesus immediately goes on the offensive, exposing the hypocrisy of the Pharisees’ question. They were offended that his disciples would ignore a Rabinnic tradition handed down by men while they themselves ignored Mosaic Law given specifically by God. Jesus eventually said that they do “many things” in this manner (Mark 7:13), but he gives one specific illustration of their inconsistency.
Jewish law permitted the earmarking of property as “dedicated to God” – a practice Mark tells us was called Corban (7:11). Once something was dedicated in this manner, it could not be used for any purpose outside of one’s own needs. So a man would have been unable to use resources deemed as “Corban” to help his parents if they were in need, since vows such as this would not have been reversible.
Jesus took serious issue with this practice. How can the tradition of man override the Law of God? It is more important for a man to honor his parents (the Fifth Commandment) and to help them if they are in need than it is for him to honor a commitment that he made based on the rules of rabbis. Jesus said concerning this hypocritical practice, “Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition” (Matthew 15:6, similar words also in Mark 7:13).
Remember, this was all in response to the Pharisees’ question concerning the ceremonial washing of hands before a meal. The disciples were uncertain what all this meant, so Jesus explained the comparison. The Pharisees were too concerned with what entered the mouth (that is, foods touched by ceremonially unclean hands) while ignoring the more important issue of what came out of the mouth (that is, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, arrogance, and folly [Matthew 15:19 and Mark 7:21-22]).
Regarding these issues, the application for us in light of the FULLER LIFE discussion is this: part of the life that we have in Christ is the recognition of and adherence to that which God has commanded and not the limitations offered by man. There is a place for certain restrictions, requirements, and expectations that are based on God’s Law and are in accordance with the holy standard found in God’s Word. But if the restrictions of man interfere with God’s directions instead of facilitating them, then they will bring death and destruction. But Jesus came that we would have life and have it to the full!
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