Beyond Traditions, Part One

As mentioned with the Gospel devotionals already, Jesus taught many of the same themes in various settings with different listeners and varied examples to make His points clear. One of the more prevalent themes was Going Beyond Tradition into the Desires of the LORD. Today is an overview of more than a dozen passages addressing the weaknesses of traditions when it comes to knowing and have a heart after God’s.

And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! ¹

Many of us grew up with the mentality given us by our parents and teachers that knowing the right answer, doing the right thing was the most important lesson in life—or at least, the best way to keep them happy. Then we take that lesson and make that the will of the LORD. But, our perception of ‘Right’ or ‘Correct’ usually has more to due with tradition than the actual heart’s desire of God. Remember from the Old Testament that Jesus quoted as to what His motivation was—not so many elements of the Law but to do the desires of God:

Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, “Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.’” ²

Jesus in His teaching is focusing on the true person and not the outward appearances which are what most people judge. He drives this home in explaining the parable of traditions to His disciples,

Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” ³

Jesus warned the followers of relying upon the wisdom and traditions so prevalent among the Jews:

Jesus said to them, “Watch and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” And they began discussing it among themselves, saying, “We brought no bread.” But Jesus, aware of this, said, “O you of little faith, why are you discussing among yourselves the fact that you have no bread?
…How is it that you fail to understand that I did not speak about bread? Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” Then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.⁴

In Matthew 23:1-39⁵ and Luke 11:37-54,⁶ Jesus further elaborates upon the errors of the traditions of these sects and the consequences of how they keep seekers from the truth of what God really desires. They, like some of us, had fashioned work-arounds to justify parts of the heart of God that they did not appreciate or want to comply with for whatever reasons. Self-justification took the place of God’s heart and made them acceptable in their own eyes. Jesus pronounced a series of ‘woes’ upon these practices.

Tomorrow’s devotional, July 2 Beyond Traditions, Part Two will continue about the conflict between the elite and Jesus.