“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?’” (Matthew 15:2-3)
This is an interesting interaction between Jesus and the Pharisees.
The handwashing mentioned here is not about personal hygiene; it is about ritual purity. The tradition of the elders was a set of prescribed practices that had developed over time, which the Pharisees believed to be binding on all Jews.
The topic of this discussion was ritual handwashing, which originated as a priestly requirement in Exodus 30. From there, the elders used a series of logical steps to arrive at the expectation that all good Jews would wash their hands before eating.
The idea of washing hands before eating was not evil. But as part of a package of beliefs developed logically rather than from revelation, that was weaponized against those who didn’t follow all the package’s details, was wrong. (This is not an issue isolated to Jews!)
Because this practice was part of a larger set of rules, Jesus pivoted to one of the more problematic rules to demonstrate the fault in their system. Eventually, Jesus addressed the heart of the matter, which is the heart.
“For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.” (Matthew 15:19-20)
We may be able to follow man-made rules to give the impression that we are holy. But the real test is what comes out of our hearts.
Father, help me to be more aware of my heart affections, and to repent when they are for unrighteousness. Please help me grow in holy desires. Amen.
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