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Gospel of Mark

Follow closely: Mark 7:9

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23rd September 2024, Horsham

For me, my relationship with Christ is deeply personal. It’s like having a one to one relationship with him. Being a ‘follower of Jesus’ is much more important to me than denominational affiliation, membership of a particular Church group, or a focus on narrow doctrinal differences. It’s not enough to casually wander behind others who speak loudly and confidently about their own views of Jesus, conforming to their views and attitudes. The requirement is to get close yourself. Follow closely.

I often mention in this series the importance of context when quoting Scripture, and therefore I rarely write about a single verse. Here’s an exception. For me, this verse seems profoundly relevant and powerful the world we live in today .

Of course, I’m not about to ignore the context. Jesus is in confrontation with some of the Pharisees and Teachers of the Law who have been critical of the behaviour of his disciples for their failure to adhere to the teachings of the Mishna (the Rabbinical interpretation of the Jewish Law). You can read my post about it here and you can read the full story at Mark 7:1-13.  Calling them hypocrites (Mark 7:6), Jesus turns the criticism back on to the Jewish leaders for putting a higher value on their interpretation than on the Law itself.

Part way through this argument we come to this verse.

‘You have let go the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.’ (Mark 7:9)

There’s something profound in this for me about being a Christian in our times. I’m constantly bombarded by the views of Christian friends, preachers and writers, many of whom think they have deep insight and the right to criticise others who hold alternative views.

This verse holds a warning for leaders who are able to dictate the view of the Church on doctrinal issues and worship style.  I’m not saying that strong leaders are always wrong, but we need to guard against the risk of elevating the traditions and views of those around us, or even our own interpretations of Scripture, to a higher level of importance than the teaching of Jesus.

History is littered with appalling, shameful actions taken in the name of Jesus, often justifies by reference to verses of Scripture torn from their intended context and invested with erroneous meaning. We live in a time when the Word of God is more accessible than it has ever been before, giving us the privilege of reading and learning for ourselves. Jesus warned that to hear his words and not put them in to practice is like building your house on the sand. To take individual verses out of context and interpret them to meet our personal or political views or ambitions is to build your house on quicksand.

To be a follower of Jesus, we need to build on the rock. As best we can, we need to put His words into practice. We need to be very cautious about accepting the views and traditions of others around us, attractive though they might seem to be, without first testing them against Scripture, always looking for the context within which it was written.

You have let go of human traditions, and hold on to the commands of God.

Avoid legalism. Recognise traditions for what they are. Avoid misunderstandings.

Follow closely. Listen to the words of Jesus. Reflect on them. Put them into practice.

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

Gospel of Mark

Laws, Traditions and Misunderstandings (1): Mark 7:1-8

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7 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus 2 and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. 3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. 4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles.[a])

5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?” 6 He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written:

“‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
7 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’

8 You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions.”

Mark 7:1-8

3rd September 2024, Horsham

The first six Chapters of Mark’s Gospel have broadly been about the things Jesus did. Places he went. People he met, and how he responded to them. Whilst that will continue, this passage brings into focus the fundamental point of difference between the beliefs of Jesus and those of the Pharisees, scribes and Jewish leaders. Rumours of Jesus’ teaching and behaviour had reached Jerusalem, and there was sufficient concern that a group of Pharisees and scribes made the 100 mile journey to Capernaum to see what was going on. These are important visitors. Their arrival in te town will have attracted attention.

To the Jewish mind, righteousness before God came from living in the strictest obedience to rules. There were the ten commandments, and there was the law of Moses, enshrined in the first five books of the Bible (sometimes called the Pentateuch or the Torah). Interpretation of the regulations was a matter of conscience, until, that is, around several hundred years before the birth of Christ. Around that time, a tradition developed which called for detailed interpretation of every command and guideline of the Law. Over several hundred years, this had developed into a collection of writings which we call the Mishnah. Developing form oral traditions, the Mishnah became a detailed and complex document which provided rabbinical guidance on how the Law was to be interpreted.

Two ‘rules’ are mentioned here. The first relates to the washing of hands. The point of issue here is not about hygiene, it’s about ceremonial washing of hands before eating. There were some rules in the Law about handwashing, but they are directed at priests and Levites, rather than all people. The Mishna had lengthy rules which all Jews had to abide by, including detailed descriptions of how the washing was to take place. The second refers to a range of regulations related to the cleaning and disposal of pots and kitchen implements. The underlying theme of both these issues is the avoidance of being or becoming ‘unclean’. The text tells us that the criticisms levelled at Jesus and his disciples relate to ‘the traditions of the elders’ rather than the Law of Moses. Those traditions raised here by the Pharisees and teachers of the Law relates to rules which are articulated in the Mishna, of whose interpretation they were the custodians.

Jesus regarded God’s Law as fundamental to having a right relationship with God, and even told his followers that the Law would be valid for all time . ‘For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. (Matthew 5:17 – 18). Jesus was obedient to God in every way, but he declined to be bound to the regulations of the Mishna. Strict adherence to these man made regulations distracted from the true meaning and undermined the purpose of Scripture. These detailed rules, Jesus was saying, are the not of God, but of man.

Jesus confronted these important Jewish visitors, calling out their hypocrisy. Jesus uses the quote from Isaiah to demonstrate that this is not a new problem. Men of old were ready to allow their own rules rather than being faithful to the Word of God. It is a perennial problem.

‘You are so busy holding on to the traditions of men that you let go the commandment of God!’ (Mark 7:8 (JB Phillips)

Those of us who call ourselves followers of Jesus would never fall into that trap. Surely?

Richard Jackson, West Sussex: LifePictureUK

(You may also be interested in Laws, Traditions and Misunderstandings (2) – Mark 7:9-13)