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Day 156

2 Peter 1:7 "To godliness brotherly kindness..."

Day 156 – Mark 7

“To godliness brotherly kindness…” 2 Peter 1:7

ANOTHER MAJOR CLASH

The scribes and Pharisees went on the offensive in this latest clash. No more snide remarks. No more whispers among themselves. They took Jesus head on.

“Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him,
‘Why do Your disciples not walk according to
the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with
unwashed hands?'”
MARK 7:5

1. Attack on the Disciples

How should we understand this statement? Why did they single out the disciples instead of Jesus Himself? To speak against the disciples was virtually to speak against Jesus Himself. If the disciples were proven guilty, then Jesus Himself would have been at fault, for He would have been proven deficient in teaching.

2. The tradition of the elders

The scribes and the Pharisees assumed that the traditions referred to had sufficient authority. To them, this appeal was enough to make the disciples guilty of transgressing the tradition of the elders- and by implication, they had broken the laws of God!

AN IMPORTANT DEFENCE MADE BY JESUS

Jesus was not intimidated in the least! His defence must have astounded the scribes and the Pharisees. They were sadly mistaken, if they thought Jesus could be faulted so easily.

“He answered and said to them,
‘Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:
‘This people honours Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”
MARK 7:6

1. Refusal to subscribe to the traditions of the elders

Jesus did not subscribe to the traditions of the elders, as the scribes and Pharisees did! This was made painfully obvious in this text.

2. The traditions of the elders were but commandments of men

Jesus’ evaluation of the “traditions of the elders” was drawn from the writings of Isaiah the prophet. These traditions were but “commandments of men”.

3. Not of the same authoritative value as the written Scriptures

This was a vital point that Jesus needed to impress upon all who heard the accusation of the scribes and Pharisees. Only the Scriptures had Divine authority!