Christian Quest
Study 15
Tradition versus the Law

Reading:
Matthew 15:1-31
Mark 7:1-37

Scribes and Pharisees
As they began, it was the specific duty of the Scribes to copy and organize the Scriptures for Israel. As such, they were considered the chief authorities and interpreters of the Law. By the time of Jesus, however, there was very little distinction between Scribes and Pharisees. The Pharisees were a middle-class group who believed that the law of Moses was a progressive code that required constant interpretation or even re-interpretation. They relied primarily on the Scribes for interpretation, and from that issued teachings which they believed to be divinely inspired. Unlike the Sadducees, the Pharisees did believe in immortality of the soul, the resurrection of the dead and in demons and angels.

The common country people of Judea looked to the Pharisees for teaching and guidance. The teachers among them, called rabbis, were not really professional teaches and generally worked at other menial jobs for a living. These Pharisee rabbis interpreted the Law so strictly that it sometimes went beyond common sense. For example, there is a famous tract in which they actually debated whether or not it was right to eat an egg that a hen had laid on the Sabbath. They made the standards for cleanliness into a religious code of purity insisting on strict personal hygiene. Food had to be cleansed and eaten off cleansed plates with washed hands. While this is not unlike the general standards for cleanliness and hygiene we are accustomed to, the difference is that the Pharisees held it to be God's law, such that to eat without first washing one's hands was a sin to dealt with harshly. In fact the Jewish code from the Pharisees would not allow them to eat in the houses of people considered to be sinners so as to avoid contamination. From this it is not difficult to realize why they sharply criticized Jesus for eating with sinners and tax collectors..

Roman Rule and Herod
It was Rome's custom to place a friendly king on the throne of any country in their domain which they had no desire to govern. They called these rulers 'client kings'. Sometimes the original king was left in charge, or he might be removed and another king appointed who was more acceptable to Rome. In Israel, Caesar had appointed Herod to be King owing allegiance to Rome. He was left free to run the Jewish kingdom as he wished as long as it did not interfere with Roman authority, except any foreign policy required approval.. If Herod failed in his duties to keep things in order, he would be deposed. Consequently, any hint of a political uprising or a movement to establish another king among the Jewish people posed a threat to Herod's position, power and wealth. Since resentment toward Rome was very prevalent among the Jews, Herod was keenly interested in any signs that might mean a rebellion was brewing among the people. The fast-growing popularity of John the Baptist and of Jesus posed just such a threat; especially the rumours of being the Messiah, "King of the Jews".

As Jesus' reputation spread the rumours quite naturally drew Herod's paranoid attention. Coinciding with this, Jesus was becoming more and more unpopular among Israel's own religious leaders, the Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees, who were already seeking a way to dispose of him. Even though it was illegal in Israel to claim to be a king, as that would be defiance against Herod and Caesar, people were nevertheless inclined to want to make Jesus their king by force, obliging him to leave a place. Consequently, we see Jesus moving from one place to another with increasing frequency. Some scholars believe this moving about and instructing people not to tell about his miracles and healings was for the express purpose of eluding Herod and the possible consequences until his time was due.

Synopsis

Matthew 15:1-9; Mark 7:1-13
Some Scribes and Pharisees made a trip from Jerusalem and came to Jesus. They came to him and asked why his followers were violating the tradition of the elders by eating without first washing their hands. Jesus responded by accusing them of violating God's laws with their tradition, especially for requiring to give money to the Sanctuary that was needed for taking care of their parents.

Matthew 15:10-20; Mark 7:13-23
Jesus turned to the followers and explained that what proceeds out of the mouth (spoken word) is more defiling that anything that goes in the mouth. The disciples asked what he meant, and he explained that what a person speaks reveals what is in their heart and can defile [the soul], but eating without washing would not.

Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-30
Jesus moves on to the district of Tyre and Siddon where a Canaanite woman recognized him and begged him to heal her daughter from demons. Jesus refused at first because his mission was to his own nation, not to heathens. Jesus' analogy of feeding children before the dogs sounds a bit harsh to western ears because we are accustomed to hearing people referred to as dogs as an insult. However, in the derrogatory sense, the reference is generally referring to strays not to the pets for which people have affection. Jesus consistently spoke using analogies that people could readily understand, such as the way a dog will sit at the master's feet hoping for morsals while he is eating at the table. Jesus was in effect saying people feed their children first and their animals what is left over--which is very true; it is as simple as that. It would not have sounded as demeaning to us if Jesus had said: "It is not good to take the children's bread and give it to the animals."

Jesus and the Apostles did not feed or heal themselves by miracles. The specific purpose of their miracles was to identify Jesus to the Israelite nation as the promised Messiah from God, so that they would see by his works that He had authority from God. By that they would believe when He told them the Kingdom of God was at hand and that would fulfill the covenant to them through Moses. From them this Kingdom message would be spread to the rest of the world. The time for redemption was at hand--the turning point in all history for mankind--and by divine authority from God Jesus would bring Israel into a new covenant wherein salvation was assured by his ransom. The nation of Israel had been used by God to bring focus on God's plan and on the Redeemer; that was their purpose. Jesus understood His mission very well in this regard. Canaanites were regarded by the Israelites as a nation of heathen idolators. So what Jesus was really saying to the Canaanite mother is that his mission and his works were for the nation of Israel before other nations, whose time would come after the children of Israel were nourished for God's purpose. Nevertheless, the woman beseeched him saying that even one's pets are grateful for the crumbs that fall from their master's table. Jesus was moved to compassion by the faith of this pagan mother and granted her plea.

Matthew 15:29-31; Mark 7:31-37
Jesus now departed from the region and returned to Galilee within the region of the pagan Decapolis. He was sitting on a mountain and crowds came to him for him to heal their afflicted. He healed a deaf mute and many others. Jesus again ordered people not to go about telling of his healings, but they continued to spread the word about him.

Optional research:

• How many palaces and fortresses did Herod have and where?
• Which is the most famous and why?

Review questions:

• What was the main difference between Scribes and Pharisees?
• How did they differ from the Sadducees?
• Why might Herod have been concerned about the popularity of Jesus?
• Why was Jesus not concerned about his disciples washing their hands before eating?
• What did Jesus criticize the Pharisees for doing?
• Where did Jesus go after the confrontation with the Pharisees?
• What did you find most interesting about this study?

Optional discussion:
Why might Jesus have resisted the idea of curing the child of the Canaanite woman in Tyre?