- Jesus, in Matthew 12, rebukes Israel. Up until that point He had given them every sign possible and enough proof that He was the Messiah. Yet, they still did not believe and attributed the power of the Holy Spirit working within in Him as the power of Beezulbul, the ruler of demons.
- Jesus turns his focus from proving himself to the nation of Israel to preparing his disciples for what is to come, specifically after He leaves.
- The Pharisees are constantly plotting to trap Jesus. These plots will eventually result in plotting to kill Him.
Jesus is with his disciples. The Pharisees come down from Jerusalem to try and trap Jesus. The Pharisees want to know why Jesus and his disciples don't wash their hands before they break bread. If you look to the side of your bible at your study notes you will find that there is no Old Testament reference listed for this tradition. Why? It is not a commandment of God. Its a tradition that the Pharisees had established. This ceremonial act was a tradition of religion not the direct words of God. Jesus was not having anything of it.
He simply asks the Pharisees why they are so worried about a tradition when they themselves directly defy the word of the Lord. In Jesus' words it goes like this:
Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 "For God said, `HONOR R564 YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,' and, `HE R565 WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE F343 PUT TO DEATH.' 5 "But you say, `Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever I have that would help you has been given F344 to God," 6 he is not to honor his father or his mother.' F345 And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 (Verses 4-6)
Look to your study notes and see that Exodus 20:12 is listed. Jesus holds men to the standard of God's words. He does not hold people to the standard of man's traditions. You see, the Pharisees were doing a good job at being "ceremonially clean" before they eat bread but they were disobeying God's word of honoring their mother and father. How? When you are older you will probably have the opportunity to honor your father and mother by providing for them in their old age. As adults age they cannot work or provide for themselves as they once could and God asks their children to help them. I think we owe it to them anyway. I can't even list all the ways my parents have provided for me. In those days the Pharisees were of high status and great wealth. The Pharisees were not helping their parents. They justified it by saying "whatever I have to help you has been given to God." (verse 5) They were hoarding their wealth and making it sound spiritual. (on a side note: have you ever done that before? Convicting isn't it?)
Jesus makes it clear here that God's word is always more important that the traditions of men. Traditions of men are not necessarily a bad thing. These are usually disciplines instituted by men based on a conviction in scripture or as an act of worship to God. The problem is when we hold others to that standard and its not a big deal to God at all. His word is a big deal. It is what unifies all different denominations with all their different traditions. The standard that Jesus followed was God's word and God's word alone. I am sure he followed traditions when he felt it was necessary, but He never measured a man according to man's traditions. For that I am thankful. I couldn't keep up if He did.
Jesus quotes Isaiah 29:13 here. The Pharisees were prophesied by Isaiah hundreds of years earlier. His prophecy doesn't just end with them. There are many out there that are doing these same things. Is it you?
Ask yourself:
- Do you hold others to men's standards instead of Gods?
- Are the beliefs you hold traditions of men or commandments from God? If you don't know start searching out that topic in scripture. Ask a mentor or someone who knows God's word to help you.
- What is more important to you...religion or your relationship with God?
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