“Altitude is Everything”Devotion in Motion
Weekend Meditation
08/27/21
Matthew 15:1-20
Two blondes were flying to Miami from Cleveland. Fifteen minutes into the flight, the captain announced “One of the engines has failed and the flight will be an hour longer. But don’t worry we have three engines left”. Thirty minutes later, the captain announced “One more engine has failed and the flight will be two hours longer. But don’t worry we have two engines left”.
An hour later the captain announced “One more engine has failed and the flight will be three hours longer. But don’t worry we have one engine left”.
One blonde looked at the other blonde and said “If we lose one more engine, we’ll be up here all day”
That’s how some people are with tradition, no matter what the tradition, they don’t realize it’s losing its power. When you are flying, it’s all about Altitude.
Chapter 15 “Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders?” These Guys weren’t serious seekers. They were theological hitmen. They were the gospel gestapo. They were sent to ensnare Jesus, to find fault in His teaching, and label Him a blasphemer. And here was their specific accusation – “For (your disciples) do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
You see, The Jewish rabbis taught that in addition to the Mosaic Law, God gave further instructions that Moses didn’t write down, but passed on orally. They believed these traditions were the key to correctly interpreting the Law. By the end of the second century AD, this oral tradition was recorded and codified in a book called “The Mishnah.” To some rabbis living at the time of Jesus this oral Law was as important – if not more so – than the written Law of Moses.
And in The Mishnah 35 pages were devoted to the proper washing of hands. The Jews believed external washing was necessary for spiritual purity. Some rabbis even taught that a demon named Shibna would come and sit on a man’s hands while he was asleep. If the next day he ate without washing – the demon could enter into the man through his food and take control of his life. The rabbis had rules governing how and when to wash.
The story is told of a rabbi who almost died of thirst. While in a Roman prison he spent all his water rations on ritual washings, and had nothing to drink. At Jerusalem’s Wailing Wall today, there’s a wash basin and a spigot by the entrance, where you can wash your hands before entering the holy area. For Jews at the time of Jesus, ceremonial washing was the way to heaven, That’s where we get the saying (cleanliness is next to godliness)and the Jewish rabbis were upset over reports that Jesus didn’t follow their traditions.
Verse 3 “(Jesus) answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?”
Tradition was supposedly the key to keeping the Law. One rabbi referred to the Oral Traditions as “A fence around the Law.” But Jesus saw it as a loophole to avoid the Law’s intention. He gives an example, “For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ Kids pay attention.
These are strong exhortations from God straight from His Law. “But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God” – then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.”
The Law’s intent was for children to honor their parents, but Jesus brings up “The Law of Corban.” This was a familiar Jewish tradition… “Corban” means “gift of God.” And here’s how the Law worked… If a child knew his parents were in trouble and were coming for financial assistance, he could pronounce all his household goods as “corban,” or given to the Temple. They remained in his possession, but he couldn’t sell them or give them away for technically they belonged to the Temple.
It was all a scam to keep a family from doing their duty and caring for their parents. They could turn down their poor parents, and feel like they were pleasing God. This was just one example… Rather than a fence around the Law, their traditions were a farce. And Jesus tells them, verse 7 “Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying (He quotes Isaiah 29:13.): ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, and honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men”
Here’s a danger that should concern Christians of every generation. Often tradition gets mistaken for truth. The doctrines of men get passed off as commandments of God… Hey, tradition might not be bad. It might serve and help for a season, but a tradition should never be lifted up to the status of Scripture. Traditions eventually run their course, and outlast their usefulness, and when a tradition becomes a hindrance to faith in God, it needs to be disregarded..
Verse 10 “When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: not what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” One commentator calls verse 11 the most revolutionary vs in the New Testament… at least in Jewish eyes. Dietary Laws and outward washings were central to Judaism. And Jesus is nullifying the importance of what was all-important to the Jews. Jesus is saying that as far as God is concerned,
“At the heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.”
The purity He desires doesn’t begin on your plate or your hands – but in your heart. Righteousness isn’t an appetizer, it’s an attitude. True purity is always inward not outward. It works from the inside out, not outside in.
“Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”
In other words, “Jesus, do you realize you’re not being politically correct? You’ve offended the Pharisees.” Every pastor, every Christian faces this dilemma… “Do you know you offended someone?” I hope you know it’s not my desire to be deliberately offensive to anyone. I’m not on the attack. But there are beliefs and behaviors that quite frankly, offend God – and if I don’t speak out against them – I’ll offend Him. And as much as I love you, I would rather offend you than offend God.
Jesus answers them in verse 13. He states His opinion of the Pharisees. “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. Let them alone.” Human teachings and traditions will not last, only what’s built Him (Christ) will last. They’ll eventually be uprooted. Only the commandments of God are eternal. They alone pass the test of time. “(The Pharisees) are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.” Follow a manmade system – even a path of religion – and you’re headed for a wipe-out. Only God’s words and ways last forever.
It reminds me of the two airline pilots who entered the cockpit wearing dark glasses – guided by a seeing-eye dog. One pilot used a cane to tap his way. The passengers laughed sensing a joke. As the plane started its take-off a few of the passengers got nervous. The plane was heading straight for the water at the end of the runway. Just before it ploughed into the lake panicked screams filled the cabin. At that moment the plane 17 lifted-off. The passengers relaxed… But in the cockpit one of the blind pilots said to the other, “You know, one day they’ll scream too late and we’re all going to die.”
How’s that for the blind leading the blind! “Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.” Obviously, Peter didn’t understand what Jesus was saying. This wasn’t a parable, it was a direct truth. “So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding?” This whole notion that there’s a difference between man-made religion and Divine truth is so radical, Jesus has to repeat it a second time to Peter.
Verse 17 “Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?” Foods are consumables. They offer no spiritual, lasting sustenance. They supply a temporary benefit – not an eternal one. “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”
Look, What Jesus is saying is Godly purity is inward and spiritual.
It transforms my heart and works its way out into my life. False righteousness – self-righteousness – is outward and physical – it touches and even trains my hands – but it never tames my heart.
True purity originates not with what I eat – but it begins with the beat of my heart and in the seat of my soul.
I am always telling my grandson its all about altitude. The higher you go in your relationship with God in your day, the better your attitude magnifies itself throughout your day.
Amen
Victor Tafoya
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