The scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem had been asking Jesus why His disciples transgressed the tradition of the elders by not washing their hands when they ate bread. Jesus answered and said unto them, "Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, "Honour thy father and mother" and, "he that curseth father or mother, let him die the death." But ye say, "Whosoever shall say to [his] father, or [his] mother, "[It is] a gift, by whatsoever thou might be profited by me, and honour not his father or his mother, [he shall be made free]." Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition." (Matthew 15:1-9)
What was happening here is the Pharisees and certain of the scribes found fault with the disciples when they saw some eat bread with defiled -- that is to say with unwashen hands. (Mark 7:1-2) At the time, the Pharisees and all the Jews except they wash [their] hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And when these come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, and brasen vessels, and of tables. (Mark 7:1-4)
We know that apostle Paul had admitted to profiting in the Jews religion, "how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God and wasted it. And profited in the Jews religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers. But when it pleased God who separated me from my mother's womb, and called [me] by His grace, to reveal His Son in me that I might preach among the heathen, immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood." (Galatians 1:14-15) But I digress.
Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Jesus, "Why walk not Thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashen hands?" (Mark 7:5)
Jesus answered, saying, "Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, "This people draws nigh unto Me, and honours Me with their lips; but their heart is far from Me. But in vain they do worship Me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Matthew 15:8-9; Psalm 78:36; Isaiah 29:13; Colossians 2:18-22)
Indeed, Jesus told them -- "For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do." (Mark 7:8) And thus, Jesus said unto them, "Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition ... but ye say, "If a man shall say to his father or mother, "It is Corban," that is to say, a gift, "by whatsoever thou might be profited by me, [he shall be free]. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or mother; making the Word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered; and many such like things do ye." (Mark 7:6-13)
But note that Jesus did not leave His listeners hanging. Rather, when Jesus had called all the people unto Him, He said unto them, "Hearken unto Me every one of you, and understand. There is nothing from without a man, that enters into him can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear." (Mark 7:14-16)
Matthew writes Jesus' response this way: "Hear and understand; not that which goes into the mouth defiles a man; but that which comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man." (Matthew 15:10-11) We know this to be true because in Peter's vision, the voice that Peter heard and spake to him a second time, and then a third time, said, "What God hath cleansed, [that] call not thou common." (Acts 10:15)
Mark records Jesus response to the people this way: Jesus called all the people unto Him and said, "Hearken unto Me every one of you, and understand. There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him, but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. If any man have ears to hear, let him hear." (Mark 7:14-15)
Nevertheless, in observing the situation, the disciples came unto Jesus when they entered into the house from the people, and said, "Know not that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?" In other words, His disciples wanted to understand the parable also. And then asked Peter, "Declare unto us this parable."
Jesus said unto them, "Every plant which My heavenly Father hath not planted shall be rooted up. Let them alone; they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch."
"Are ye also yet without understanding? Do not ye yet understand that whatsoever enters in at the mouth goes into the belly and is cast out into the draught? But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they can defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, false witnesses, blasphemies, pride, foolishness. These are [the things] which defile a man [because evil things comes from within]; but to eat with unwashened hands defiles not a man." (Matthew 15:12-20; Mark 7:17-23)
What does this all mean?
I believe I Corinthians 6 elaborates on the point Jesus was making. Apostle Paul writes, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Be not deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolators, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the Kingdom of God. And such were some of you; but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." (I Corinthians 6:9-11)
But then Paul writes, "All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient; all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any." (I Corinthians 6:12; 10:23)
"Meats for the belly, and belly for meats: but God shall both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body, and God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by His own power. Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make [them] the members of an harlot? God forbid.
What? Know ye not that He which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith He, shall be one flesh. But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit." (I Corinthians 6:12-17)
Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils. Ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. (I Corinthians 10:21) Indeed, ye cannot serve two masters. Thus, if you be entangled again with the yoke of bondage -- circumcised -- ye become a debtor to do the whole law and Christ is become of no effect unto you "whosoever of you are justified by the law ... ye are fallen from grace." (Galatians 5:1-4)
"For we through the Spirit wait for the hope of righteousness by faith, for in Jesus Christ neither circumcision avails any thing, nor uncircumcisions: but faith which works by love."(Galatians 5:6)
This is why Jesus said, "I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandmen. Every branch in Me that bears not fruit He takes away and every branch that bears fruit, He purges it that it might bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in Me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I am the vine. Ye are the branches -- he that abides in Me and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:1-5)
And if Jesus -- the King of kings and Lord of lords, Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the ending -- if He calls you to abide in Him, ye are washed, sanctified and justified in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is a reality that even the scribes and Pharisees (as sad as that is) cannot see.
Stand in the offering plate.
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