TRADITION OF THE ELDERS OR TRADITION OF GOD?

During Jesus' ministry, Christ encounters many challenges from the scribes and Pharisees. Blatant attacks against His teachings and followers all attempt to move people from considering following Him to focusing on following the Pharisees and the scribes from their comfortable positions atop the Judaic hierarchy. One of the many instances of this blatant abuse of power and influence is found at the beginning of the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew where the Pharisees question Jesus in regard to why Jesus' “disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat” (Mt 15:2, RSV). Jesus is about to use this moment to teach a lesson that forever changes the understanding of the Law and how it is to be cared for.

[15:1] “Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem [...]” From its beginnings, the evangelist wishes for us to understand the setting of our location, for it has a significance. In the previous chapter, Jesus arrives at Gennesaret, which is located on the “northwest shore on the Sea of Galilee.”¹ Many gathered after His arrival, and the people brought all who were diseased and needed to be healed. These were not the only to arrive to visit Our Lord and hear His words. The mention of the location points to the Pharisees went out of their way to pay Him a visit: they made a point to come all the way from Jerusalem, a long journey, which is estimated to be sixty miles away.

[15:2] After arriving the evangelist wastes no time in showing how the Pharisees and scribes have come to question and dampen this mission. Immediately they ask, “Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat” (Mt 15:2). It is important to note that “[t]he Pharisees, as a heightened expression of piety, applied this priestly standard of purity to all Israel, requiring even laypeople throughout the land to cleans their hands before taking a meal.”² Simply put, this is an extra law. A law that is not from God, but rather from man, which serves to be a rather big issue as the discussion unfolds. Nevertheless, the intellectual battle has begun, the leaders of Israel have questioned the author of the Law. Thus, the teacher, the Man Who speaks with Authority will begin to teach by questioning.

In regard to the subject of the precepts of the extraordinary laws, St. Thomas Aquinas had much to say. St. Thomas Aquinas wrote: “Deuteronomy 4, 2: 'You shall not add to the word that I speak to you, neither shall you take away from it.' Hence, by adding traditions, they were acting contrary to the Law; not because it was not allowed to make an ordinance, but because they were ordering that their decrees be observed just like Lord's Law.”³ This has serious ramifications, when seen in its context, the Pharisees are adding “ordinances” that they are claiming to be equal to the Law of the Lord. If the Law of the Lord is held equal to the law of men serious ramifications will follow, because man and his understanding are not equal to that of God. Therefore, this is an early indicator that the Pharisees, in practice, lack the humility of fully understanding the Law from its heart and, therefore, cannot enforce and regulate its practice justly or prudently.

The Philosopher also sheds light on why the Apostles did not wash their hands: “It was because they were so preoccupied with the word of God that they did not even have time: hence, due to their preoccupation for spiritual things, they were not washing their hands in the manner that the Jews did, as it is stated in Mark 7, because all the Jews do not eat without often washing their hands: for that reason, the disciples were not washing their hands according to their ritual.”⁴ The Apostles were worrying about things more important than the external, the internal. With the serious focus, the Apostles ate the words of the Word, and were being purified by His Message. The Lord, by His Message, sanctifies those who hear and believe. Just as the Gospel of John states, “And from his fulness have we all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses: grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (Jn 1:16-17).

[15:3] “And why do you transgress the commandment of God for the sake of tradition?” This practice of questioning is common amongst the rabbis of Jerusalem. The unlearned carpenter from Nazareth is utilizing their methods of discussion. Jesus is immediately showcasing His expertise, cunning, but, most importantly, His Authority over the Law.

[15:4] “For God commanded, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother let him surely die.'” The Lord's words are very strong and are very familiar to the Pharisees and scribes because it is straight from the Scriptures they hold so dearly. Despite two clear lines distinctly being noted, Christ is referencing four different pieces of Scripture: Exodus 20:12, Deuteronomy 5:16, Exodus 21:17, and Leviticus 20:9. These four verses share the same basic idea, but must be looked at to understand the fullness of the Scriptural background. Exodus chapter twenty, verse twelve, commands honoring of mother and father in order “that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you” (Ex 20:12). This verse flows continuously from the original ideas found as early as Abraham that one who follows the ways of the Lord shall be blessed. Deuteronomy reiterates the main idea of the previous verse, while adding “and that it may go well with you, in the land which the LORD your God gives you” (Dt 5:16). The reiteration serves to remind the people of the seriousness and sacredness of these words, which do not come from man, but from YHWH. Additionally, this idea being mentioned in two books is no coincidence, and brings to mind the idea of a nation/Kingdom that had once been established and was anticipated to be reestablished by all in Israel. Recalling infidelity to the Law, Jesus calls further on the curses of not obeying the precepts. The Pharisees and scribes recall the lessons that when a man who breaks the covenant between God and His people will incur struggles and an end: death (cf. Ex 21:17). This is only furthered by a memory of “one who curses his father or his mother shall be put to death; he has cursed his father or his mother, his blood is upon him” (Lev 20:9). Leviticus is taking it further to recall that it is not permitted to work dark magic wishing the demise of their family. Thus, Jesus is calling the Pharisees and scribes out in regard to fidelity in both word and deed, and the bait has been hooked, with all eyes and ears attentively awaiting the next words.

With the suspense built, Jesus moves on to state, “But you say, 'If any one tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is given to God, he need not honor his father'” (Mt 15:5). Jesus has drawn the intellectual sword and thrust it through the Pharisees and scribes' complacent guarding of the Law. Jesus is bearing witness to a teaching that the scribes passively promoted, “By dedicating his property to God, i.e., to the temple, a man could avoid having to help his parents, without actually giving up what he had. The scribes held such a vow to be valid without necessarily approving it” (Mt. 15:5, footnote). The Book of Proverbs, also, sheds a great deal of light on this matter stating: “He who robs his father or his mother and says, 'That is no transgression,' is the companion of a man who destroys” (Proverbs 28:24). This, clearly, is avoiding the fourth commandment. Simultaneously, the teaching shares a serious case of adverse selection and moral hazard on the part of the scribes and Pharisees. Of course, Jesus does not waste much time.

Jesus ushers in His closing remarks to the scribes and Pharisees before He teaches to the crowds and disciples saying, “So, for the sake of your tradition, you have made void the word of God” (Mt. 15:6). The beginning of the closing statement. An accusation from the Author of the Law has been issued. Christ indicates that the “word of God,” which can also be translated as “the law of God,” has been left, forgotten, and absconded by those who claim to hold it so dearly to their heart. The Catechism of the Catholic Church speaks to matters of the law by saying, “The perfect fulfillment of the Law could be the work of none but the divine legislator, born subject to the Law in the person of the Son. In Jesus, the Law no longer appears engraved on tables of stone but 'upon the heart' of the Servant who becomes 'a covenant to the people,' because he will faithfully bring forth justice.'”⁵ Thus, Jesus has the Law written on His Heart, and the Apostles have followed Him and trusted Him in all things. Therefore, the Apostles have followed the Law by following the Living Law, Christ.

Closing, Jesus points out how the Pharisees and scribes have fulfilled a prophecy in a way that no good Jew would want to. Jesus exclaims: “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said: 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men'” (Mt 15:7-9). The term hypocrite, widely misunderstood, has a clear, precise, burn to it as Jesus shouts in passion. The Lord is declaring them to be “Men […] who entered into the theater, and had one personality and pretended to have another by using masks. Therefore, these men are hypocrites, who outwardly pretend to be something different than they are inwardly; hence, they were inwardly intending profit, and outwardly they were inducing men to offer gifts to God.”⁶ This bold assertion not only communicates a question of individual fidelity to the Law, but outright puts a question of whether or not their motives are really centered on God. Jesus is removing the darkness over the people's eyes and showing how the Pharisees and scribes are using a holy structure for personal gain. Which points to the heart of the problem that St. Thomas points out “the more greed there is, the less charity there is (cf. Jer 12:2).”⁷

As clearly seen, the prophecy is a message of the hypocrisy of the scribes' teaching about avoiding honoring one's father or mother, as well as taking the law into their own hands. As a master of the word, He points out that their words mean nothing, as stated in earlier pieces of Scripture for they do not follow the precepts of the Lord, and their heart is not after YHWH's, but rather is after their own precepts: “the precepts of men.” By these laws, they claim their ordinances to be equal with that of God's. This calls to mind Job's admonition stating, “I will not level God with man” (Job 32:21). Later this is solidified in the Acts of the Apostles which states, “We ought to obey God rather than man” (Acts 5:29). Thus, their worship and all things, while not living the covenant, is in vain. As supported by the Book of Sirach, which states, “The Most High is not pleased with the offerings of the ungodly; and he is not propitiated for sins by a multitude of sacrifices” (Sir. 34:19).

N. T. Wright expounds on the idea of the heart saying, “Jesus, in the course of cryptically subverting the Jewish food laws, explains that what really matters is not physical substances that pass into someone's body, but thoughts and intentions that emerge from (what we would call) the personality. This distinction between outward act and attitude of heart was quite frequent in the Hebrew Bible, and there is no reason at all why Jesus should not have used the idea and indeed made it central to this part of his agenda [… This makes] him a good Jew, recognizing that YHWH desires to recreate human beings as wholes.”⁸ Therefore, Jesus' lesson stands as a proof of His position as an authority of the Scriptures. This moment serves as a very important moment between Christ, the Pharisees, and the scribes. The scribes and Pharisees traveled a long way to ask a question, which was intended to cause Christ's stumble, but rather led to the self-inflicted wound of hypocrisy.

This passage serves as a very serious and necessary reminder that precepts of the Lord must be learned, practiced, but truly lived. Christ looks for those who desire to find the truth in practicum, while also sharing a heart to know the Law. Ultimately, Christ is looking for disciples who are so caught up in Him and His message that they might forget to follow little practices, but are still at the feet of the Master consumed by His Life and willing to transform their lives to live like Christ. Of course, this is found in daily life. As N. T. Wright points out, the good Christian, like the good Jew must always be searching for holistic human growth, and not simply the outward appearance. Additionally, Christians must carefully examine their lives in regards to legalism and find a healthy balance of a true, Christian life of works amplified by love with integrity.

In regard to the Church teachings immediately relevant is the Church teaching on honoring our father and mother according to the fourth commandment. The Church teaches, “Adult children should give their parents material and moral support whenever they find themselves in situations of distress, sickness, loneliness, or old age.”⁹ Of course, when one practices living like Christ, Christ points towards caring for His mother, even at His death. Therefore, it is not something that is lost, but finds new life in a Christian's heart.

Thus, despite Christ's many challenges from the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus topples the oppositions' argument and, consequently, begins to establish His Authority as the Messiah. In the fifteenth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew where the Pharisees question Jesus in regard to why Jesus' “disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat” (Mt 15:2, RSV). Jesus, in His Infinite Wisdom, transformed an attempted intellectual ambush into a moment of evangelization and a call to a conversion of heart. With the visit from the Pharisees and scribes, the Messiah not only spread His Message further, but also taught a oneness of heart, mind, and soul conformed to the precepts of the Lord and not of man. Thus, Christ teaches the purpose of the Law: the unity of the personal and Divine hearts, minds, and souls. Furthermore, Christ provides an example in the Apostles, who although may have been distracted away from the custom of washing the hands, were truly immersing themselves in the Word of God, which all are called to do.

Bibliography Page

Aquinas, St. Thomas. Commentary on the Gospel of Saint Matthew. 2012. (accessed March 10, 2014).

Catechism of the Catholic Church. Washington, D.C.: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, (accessed January 20, 2014).

Compendium. Washington, D.C.: Libreria Editrice Vaticana, (accessed January 20, 2014).

Mitch, Curtis, and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2010. (accessed January 20, 2014).

Wright, N. T. Jesus and the Victory of God: Christian Origins and the Question of God, Volume 2. London: Great Britain Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1996. (accessed January 20, 2014).

1Mitch, Curtis, and Edward Sri. The Gospel of Matthew. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2010. (accessed January 20, 2014).

2Ibid.

3Aquinas, St. Thomas. Commentary on the Gospel of Saint Matthew. 2012. (accessed March 10, 2014).

4Ibid.

5CCC, 580.

6Aquinas, St. Thomas. Commentary on the Gospel of Saint Matthew. 2012. (accessed March 10, 2014).

7Ibid.

8Wright, N. T. Jesus and the Victory of God: Christian Origins and the Question of God, Volume 2. London: Great Britain Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 1996. (accessed January 20, 2014).

9Compendium of the Catholic Church, 459.