Devotional
for the Week 18 February 2008
Worship
Can be Obscured by Tradition
Scripture
Text: Matthew
15:1-9
Then
some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from
Jerusalem and asked, "Why do your disciples break
the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands
before they eat!"
Jesus
replied, "And why do you break the command of God
for the sake of your tradition? (Matthew 15:1-3)
Introduction
In
today’s scripture passage, the Pharisees & Scribes
speak of a “tradition of the elders”. This
“tradition of the elders” was a body of extra-biblical
law (in addition to Moses’ Law) that began from
the time of the Babylonian captivity. The “tradition
of the elders” was formulated to help interpret
the law of Moses and place additional measures (on top
of the Law itself) that would help the people observe
the law of God in a strict disciplined manner.
One
of these traditions was the need to wash one’s hands
before eating. In Matthew 15:1-2, the Pharisees and Scribes
looked at the unwashed hands of the apostles and saw ill-discipline
and broken rules. However, Jesus had a different perspective.
He looked at the unwashed hands of the apostles and saw
the apostle’s great hunger and mankind, in need
of teaching and mercy. Through this incident, Jesus addressed
the fact that while the tradition of the elders may have
been intended to draw people closer to God, it has lost
its focus.
This
was because the tradition which had existed to help bring
people closer to God was pushing people farther from Him
through unnecessary regimentation. In other words, the
Pharisees had turned the extra-biblical laws into measurements
of their personal holiness, and tools that judged and
condemned those who stumbled in following the laws.
Jesus
saw this contradiction and asked why the “tradition
of the elders” allowed people to declare Corban
at the expense of relinquishing their duties to their
parents (Matthew 15:4-6). Corban was the practice where
one made a vow to God, declaring that all he/she owned
was the Lord’s. It did not need to be given immediately
to the Lord, but by declaring “Corban”, it
set all of one’s possessions as God’s and
no other person could receive of it. This practice was
misused by children who were unwilling to provide for
their aged parents.
Conclusion
It
is important to note that Scripture records Jesus saying
that the Pharisees worshipped God (Matthew 15:9). However,
their worship was in vain and empty. The “tradition
of the elders” that was meant to draw people closer
to God failed to do so and instead pushed people farther
away from God. There was never any need for extra-biblical
laws. The Bible is all sufficient.
Let
us check ourselves today with regards to the traditions
we hold. These traditions may be about the way we carry
out worship, dress codes, hymns or songs that can be sung.
Whatever our course of action, let us make sure that they
do not push us or others farther away from God.
Prayer
Lord, I pray that today, I worship you in Spirit and in
Truth. You are the Light that draws all men to Himself.
Lord, I pray that I will bear Your Light within me and
lead many more to You and not be a stumbling block to
others in any way or form.
Devotional
based on sermon by Pastor Joel Yong