Obligations and Traditions
June 13, 2004 - Mark 7:1-13
The lesson for today is Matthew 15:1-9. This is the parallel passage from the Gospel of Mark 7.1-13 provides more insight and understanding.
Open It
What are some of the traditions in your church?
When did you first learn to wash your hands before eating?
What are some of your favorite traditions?
Explore It
Who was gathered around Jesus? (Mark 7:1)
What did the Pharisees and teachers of the law notice? (Mark 7:1-2)
How were the practices of Jesus' disciples different from those of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law? (Mark 7:2-4)
What were the Pharisees and teachers of the law concerned about? Why? (Mark 7:2-5)
Why were the Pharisees and teachers of the law concerned about what Jesus' disciples were doing? (Mark 7:3-4)
What did the Pharisees ask Jesus? (Mark 7:5)
How did Jesus avoid answering the Pharisees' question directly? (Mark 7:6)
What were the Pharisees doing wrong? (Mark 7:6-8)
Of what did Jesus accuse the Pharisees? (Mark 7:6-13)
How were the Pharisees being hypocritical in this instance? (Mark 7:9)
What example did Jesus give to prove His accusations against the Pharisees? (Mark 7:10-12)
Get It
What's wrong with "holding on to the traditions of men"?
What did Jesus want His audience to do?
In what ways are Christians today hypocritical?
What church traditions either can or do stand in the way of non-believers becoming interested in Christianity?
Do you hold on to any traditions that can be understood as going against the commands of God?
What can we do to place traditions-especially religious traditions-in proper perspective?
In what ways do you think it is possible to worship the Lord in vain?
Apply It
What can you do to honor the commands of God above your traditions?
What is one practice that you can eliminate or modify to help you focus on the teaching of Jesus?
What is one step you can take to guard against hypocrisy?
NOTES
Mark 7:1ff: The religious leaders sent some investigators from their headquarters in Jerusalem to check up on Jesus. The delegation didn't like what they found, however, because Jesus scolded them for keeping the law and the traditions in order to look holy instead of to honor God. The prophet Isaiah accused the religious leaders of his day of doing the same thing (Isaiah 29:13). Jesus used Isaiah's words to accuse these men.
Mark 7:3-4: Mark explained these Jewish rituals because he was writing to a non-Jewish audience. Before each meal, devout Jews performed a short ceremony, washing their hands and arms in a specific way. The disciples did not have dirty hands, but they were simply not carrying out this traditional cleansing. The Pharisees thought this ceremony cleansed them from any contact they might have had with anything considered unclean. Jesus said they were wrong in thinking they were acceptable to God just because they were clean on the outside.
Mark 7:6-7: Hypocrisy may be understood as pretending to be something you are not and have no intention of being. Hypocrisy can also be understood as the rigid following of a set of laws and traditions. Jesus called the Pharisees hypocrites because they worshiped God for the wrong reasons.
Mark 7:8-9: The Pharisees added hundreds of their own rules and regulations to God's holy laws, and then they taught people to follow these rules. These men claimed to know God's will in every detail of life. There are still religious leaders today who add rules and regulations to God's Word, causing much confusion among believers. It is especially dangerous to set up unbiblical standards for others to follow. Instead, look to Christ for guidance about your own behavior, and let him lead others in the details of their lives.
Mark 7:10-11: The Pharisees used God as an excuse to avoid helping their families. They thought it was more important to put money in the temple treasury than to help their needy parents, although God's law specifically says to honor fathers and mothers (Exodus 20:12) and to care for those in need (Leviticus 25:35-43). Helping those in need is one of the most important ways to honor God.