The other day, I overheard four young men engaged in a Bible study in a coffee shop. They were reading and discussing the book of Mark and were in chapter 7. They were at the point where the Pharisees asked Yeshua why his disciples were not following the tradition of the elders. In verse 5:
The Pharisees and Torah scholars questioned Yeshua, “Why don’t Your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders? Why do they eat bread with unwashed hands?”
The question to Yeshua by the Pharisees and Scribes reminded me of an incident and a question posed by the serpent in the book of Genesis Chapter 3, Verse 1:
“Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from all the trees of the garden’?”
Eve’s answer to the serpent should have been, “No, He did not say that.” Instead, she changed God’s words by adding “you must not touch it, or you will die.” Eve said in verse 3,
But of the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God said, ‘You must not eat of it and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”
The critical part of the question the serpent asked was, “Did God really say?” Although the serpent represents a dark day in human history, I believe he has given us a question that must always be in our thoughts when discussing spiritual matters, “Did God really say?”
Return to the Mark 7 scene where the Pharisees also changed God’s words by adding their traditional requirements. In Verse 5:
The Pharisees and Torah scholars questioned Yeshua, “Why don’t Your disciples walk according to the tradition of the elders? Why do they eat bread with unwashed hands?”
Yeshua replied in verse 6,
And He said to them, “Rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written,
‘This people honors Me with their lips
but their heart is far from Me.
7 And in vain they worship Me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8 Having left behind the commandment of God, you hold on to the tradition of men.”
9 He was also telling them, “You set aside the commands of God, in order that you may validate your own tradition.
Yeshua calls them hypocrites and tells them their hearts are far from Him and their worship is in vain. Throughout His time on earth, He continually had issues with them. One example is that they often required others to follow their traditions while setting aside or ignoring the word of God. He was not pleased with the Pharisees.
Considering God’s calling the Pharisees hypocrites in Verse six, I invite you to examine the items listed below and then decide: “Did God really say,” or are we following the traditions of man?
- Christmas
- Good Friday.
- Easter
- Pentecost
- Ash Wednesday.
- Palm Sunday
- Ascension Day.
- Advent
- Wearing crosses.
- Praying to Mary, mother of Jesus.
- Having statues in churches.
- Communion bread and wine become the actual flesh and blood of Yeshua.
- Not acknowledging the Sabbath.