Troubling Traditions – Matthew 15:1-9

We are quite the rule-makers. At work we find it necessary to make rules to operate by in order to prevent harassment, safety problems, and theft. At home we often have stated and unstated, but nonetheless understood, rules to keep harmony, guide behavior, and smooth the flow of family life. But sometimes these rules come to be sacrosanct laws which, though enacted to deal with specific situations, have come to have the moral authority of divine legislation. Only, they are not moral absolutes.

Jesus found much of Judaism at the time of his first coming to be cluttered with such human devised laws disguising themselves as divine law. He had to address it.

Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

“‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”  

(Matthew 15:1-9 ESV)

What commandments do we break by keeping our own traditions?  What doctrines of men have we used as permission to violate God’s word?  Why are we so ready to make commands out of practices we have found helpful but which nevertheless were not commanded by God?  Beware making commands out of practices or even wisdom, and beware finding excuses for not keeping God’s commands.

And what about this command to honor father and mother. We most typically don’t have concerns about this command unless our parents are in some way dishonorable. Then we are looking for ways around this commandment. Does honoring an abusive parent mean staying in their presence and taking the abuse? Maybe, if by so doing we are able to minister to them. Does it mean praying for the dishonorable parent? For sure (Matthew 5:44). Does it mean caring for them as able? Yes, even the dishonorable parent (1 Timothy 5:8). Does it mean forgiving them? Yes, even if they don’t ask for it (Luke 23:34).

Honoring dishonorable parents does not mean honoring what they do that is dishonorable. Jesus asked the Father to forgive those crucifying him, but he did not approve them doing it. Here is the genius of God. He can love and honor people as people, even those who angrily reject Him, and His love can often soften the hardest of hearts. Everyone is redeemable.