Life Lessons from Mark by Max Lucado

Author:Max Lucado
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: 2018-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

LESSON SEVEN

GOD’S TRUTH VERSUS TRADITION

[Jesus] continued, “You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!”

MARK 7:9

REFLECTION

Tradition. Habits carved in stone. Familiar patterns of behavior. Traditions almost always have a colorful history, but many who practice traditions faithfully have no idea how and why they started. Traditions often take on the aura of law. What may have been a specific way to express certain core values becomes much less effective if the values have been forgotten. Which of your family traditions would you find difficult to change? Why?

[Your Response Here]

SITUATION

Jesus’ popularity sparked envy and concern among the religious leaders of his time. He was breaking too many rules. His disciples were playing fast and loose with tradition. A huge collection of rules for living had gradually developed that were supposed to reflect the central teaching of God’s Word. In fact, many of these turned out to be subtle ways to deflect and contradict God’s instructions, as Jesus illustrated in the following episode.

OBSERVATION

Read Mark 7:1–23 from the New International Version or the New King James Version.

NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION

1 The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus 2 and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, 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 defiled hands?”

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.

7 They worship me in vain;

their teachings are merely human rules.’

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