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Mark 7:1-4
The news of Jesus had spread across the land (Mark 3:7-8) and as we have already learned in Mark 2:23-3:6 that the Pharisees have questioned the actions of Jesus as per what is lawful on the Sabbath. In Mark 7:1-4 the Pharisees have come from Jerusalem to investigate the actions of Jesus once again. This time they have found fault with Jesus and His disciples not following the tradition of the elders. Their focus is on Jesus’ disciples not washing their hands before they eat. The Pharisees had special rituals for washing their hands and other things such as utensils and even furniture; when they witnessed the disciples of Jesus not following these traditions, they used it against them as fault in not following the ways of the LORD.
This is an example of the differences between the rituals of man in striving for self-righteousness and the sincerity of the heart that God teaches us through His One and only Son Jesus.
The way of the Law in the Old Testament was to follow all the rules, and if one could accomplish this, then righteousness would be the reward. The problem is that no one is or was capable of following all the rules and regulations of the Law given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19-31; Leviticus). Over time, the man-made intention (tradition) became a contest to keep more of the Law than someone else as the perception became (through the eyes of man) to be more righteous than another, thus being more righteous. But this was only an attempt of man to accomplish what he could not, and the focus of the sincerity of striving for it became obsolete – striving to obey the God-given Law became nothing more than a contest between man – a pecking order for righteousness in the eyes of man.
Jesus came to provide a way of gaining righteousness for all mankind; a way of admitting that we cannot gain righteousness in the eyes of God on our own – we need help. But we must first admit that we need help – we must admit that we are not capable of fulfilling the requirements of the Law of the Old Testament. But God knows this and He came in the flesh to do what we cannot do for ourselves, for us. He came in the form of a human to be the requirement unto righteousness for us. All we have to do is believe in Him by putting our faith in Him – in Jesus – that He fulfilled the requirements of righteousness for us on the cross and moreover in His resurrection from the dead, defeating sin, death, and Satan for all who will believe in Him.
Dear LORD,
It is in our earthly nature to compete for a prize – to challenge one another to see who is better than another. Please help us to see that salvation is not a competition but a gift – a gift to all who will believe that You have accomplished all the requirements for us, and in doing so, You love us so much that You offer us the gift of life and righteousness in Christ Jesus. Please help us to realize, understand, and believe this message – the message of the gospel – in Christ! In Jesus name I pray, amen.