“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
(I John 1:9 ESV)
υποκρινομαι
Greek- hupokrinomai) to decide (speak or act) under a false part, i.e pretend/ feign.
Have you ever known someone who was too proud to take a gift from you? How about the guy (or gal) so set in their ways that they refused to even try anything new or different?
How about someone so steeped in tradition that they don’t even know what the symbolism of their traditions stand for even more?
There was a Jewish religious group in Jesus’ day called the Pharisees whom Jesus frequently called “hypocrites”.
Have you ever known someone who was too proud to take a gift from you? How about the guy (or gal) so set in their ways that they refused to even try anything new or different?
How about someone so steeped in tradition that they don’t even know what the symbolism of their traditions stand for even more?
There was a Jewish religious group in Jesus’ day called the Pharisees whom Jesus frequently called “hypocrites”.
Pharisees
Pharisees (Hebrew for “separated”) were pious members of a Jewish sect known as Hasidism (there are still Hasidic Jews to this day). Hasidism and the Pharisees were strict opponents of Jews who were willing to compromise their faith due to Roman and Hellenistic influences.
One distinctive feature of the Pharisees was a strict observance of Jewish law as interpreted by their Scribes. The ways in which the scribes spelled out the way the law was interpreted, the way they adapted it to fit their lives, and the time honored traditions they endorsed all became a part of the “traditions of the elders”.
One distinctive feature of the Pharisees was a strict observance of Jewish law as interpreted by their Scribes. The ways in which the scribes spelled out the way the law was interpreted, the way they adapted it to fit their lives, and the time honored traditions they endorsed all became a part of the “traditions of the elders”.
Mark 7:1-9
Mark is not trying to say that the Pharisees washed their hands and everyone else ate with dirty hands- look at where it says that the Pharisees hold to the “traditions of the elders”- instead Mark is saying that the Pharisees wash their hands in a “traditional” way before they eat.
The Pharisees had a book of traditions (that was not Scriptural) called the Mishnah and it contained many of the traditions that we see Pharisees clinging to in the Gospels that are not explicitly spelled out in the Law of Moses.
The Pharisees had a book of traditions (that was not Scriptural) called the Mishnah and it contained many of the traditions that we see Pharisees clinging to in the Gospels that are not explicitly spelled out in the Law of Moses.
Traditions
What is actually happening in Mark is that the Pharisees are making fun of people who do not wash their hands in the special traditional way that they do before eating. There are many Christian groups that do this today- they put their traditions ahead of what Scripture tells us
And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men” (Isaiah 29:13 ESV)
And the Lord said: “Because this people draw near with their mouth and honor me with their lips, while their hearts are far from me, and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men” (Isaiah 29:13 ESV)
Mark 2:23-28
Here we have the Pharisees who are so worried about traditions (not performing work on the Sabbath) that they have their Scribes interpret exactly what it means to perform work on the Sabbath. Out of this comes a complicated list of DON’TS for the Sabbath day that no ordinary person could ever possibly follow unless they stayed in their bed and didn’t move a muscle.
Out of this Mishnah tradition come such ideas as “Sabbath elevators” that stop on every single floor so pious, practicing Jews don’t ever have to push any buttons and violate the Sabbath “work” law. These “laws” can never be broken for any reason and one of the “laws” that Jesus is breaking here is the forbiddance of opening heads of grain on the Sabbath day.
Out of this Mishnah tradition come such ideas as “Sabbath elevators” that stop on every single floor so pious, practicing Jews don’t ever have to push any buttons and violate the Sabbath “work” law. These “laws” can never be broken for any reason and one of the “laws” that Jesus is breaking here is the forbiddance of opening heads of grain on the Sabbath day.
Lord of the Sabbath
Jesus tries to get them to see that their blind observance to laws and traditions above and beyond what the Scripture actually says is foolish: isn’t it more important to worry about the physical and spiritual condition of a man than to focus so much on what “law” he might have broken?
Jesus reiterates that this petty “law” focus is tomfoolery by saying that the Sabbath was made for man (so try and remember what Yahweh did for you by resting on the seventh day) instead of man for the Sabbath (try not to fall into phony ritualistic legal struggles over what “laws” you need to keep). Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath and now that sin has a hold over most people’s lives even the Lord of the Sabbath doesn’t take a day off to rest- he is at work saving souls and healing men.
Jesus reiterates that this petty “law” focus is tomfoolery by saying that the Sabbath was made for man (so try and remember what Yahweh did for you by resting on the seventh day) instead of man for the Sabbath (try not to fall into phony ritualistic legal struggles over what “laws” you need to keep). Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath and now that sin has a hold over most people’s lives even the Lord of the Sabbath doesn’t take a day off to rest- he is at work saving souls and healing men.
Finally
The book of John is full of examples of Jesus breaking Sabbath “laws” by healing lepers, paralytics, lame, blind, and mute and thus making them “work” on the Sabbath- there was a man that Jesus healed who had been paralyzed and when the man stood up and carried his bed the Pharisees were all up in arms because carrying your bed is considered work on the Sabbath day. Instead of rejoicing that the man who couldn’t move at all was now completely healed they were more worried about the “law” that had been broken.
Pharisee-ism is therefore a blind devotion to a narrow mindset. Instead of changing and following with your heart out of faith, you end up becoming so legal minded you lose your soul.
Pharisee-ism is therefore a blind devotion to a narrow mindset. Instead of changing and following with your heart out of faith, you end up becoming so legal minded you lose your soul.