The Gospel of Mark: Tradition

Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” He said to them, “Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written,

‘This people honors me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
    teaching human precepts as doctrines.’

You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.” ~ Mark 7:1-8


What are the human traditions that we hold to that just might make us miss what God is doing?

What are the church traditions that we hold to that just might make us miss what God is doing?

To be clear, the dietary and cleanliness laws that the Pharisees kept were born out of goodness and necessity - as were their Sabbath laws.

But along the way, the commandments of God were added to and legislated in ways that lost the original purpose for them.

Lost what it was God intended them to do.

Which was to build community so that it would thrive.

The Pharisees loved their laws. They loved their traditions. In some ways, it is understandable. Living under the Roman occupiers, traditions brought comfort and security.

I think we love our laws and traditions too. Sometimes maybe we love them as much as the Pharisees did. Sometimes we cling to them for security and comfort. Sometimes we like them so well that we build on them and make new traditions to give us security and comfort.

If we have learned one thing in this year of Covid, it is that most of our traditions aren't the things that are going to save us.

The Kingdom of God is much more - and provides much more - than any law or tradition that we cling to.


Holy God, thank you for the gospel - the good news - of your Son. Open my mind and heart to this good news and enliven me with your Spirit of servanthood that I might share this good news with a world in need. Amen


Engagement Question:


How are ways in which human tradition has become more important in the Church than the Kingdom of God?

 

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