Chapter 28. Famous People Who Suffered
Loneliness And Depression
Chapter 28: More Examples Of Loneliness And Depression In The New
Testament
THE BIBLE OR TRADITION? FROM THE WYCLIFFE BIBLE COMMENTARY
1 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who
had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and
2 saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were
"unclean," that is, unwashed.
3 (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands
a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders.
4 When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash.
And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups,
pitchers and kettles.)
5 So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, "Why don’t
your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of
eating their food with ‘unclean’ hands?"
vs 1-5 What command in the Bible were the Disciples
violating? What was the source for this rabbinical teaching? Name some
Christian traditions that aren’t found in the Bible.
Grant points out, "The devout Jewish practice of hand
washing before meals, for purposes not of cleanliness but of consecration,
was a ceremonial elaboration.... But like other pious ceremonies, the
practice could become a mere form, a rigid regulation enforced by appeal to
the authority of ‘the tradition of the elders.’ ...it was one of those
relatively new scribal-Pharisaic regulations which worked hardship upon the
ordinary rank and file of working people...."
The Pharisees had elevated tradition to the same category
as scripture. There is nothing wrong with tradition. All churches have
traditions, and many of the things we do each Sunday morning are based
indirectly on centuries-old traditions. The problem comes when we claim
these traditions are as important as God’s word. This is what the
Pharisees were doing.
6 He replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied
about you hypocrites; as it is written: "These people honor me with
their lips, but their hearts are far from me."
vs 6 Where in Isaiah is this verse found? How do
Christians today "honor God with our lips but our heart is from
him"?
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