Laying Aside God's Commandment for Tradition - Mark 7:8

Mark shared how the Pharisees and certain of the scribes asked Jesus, “Why walk not your disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands? He answered and said unto them, Well has Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men”, and in chapter seven and verse eight of his book, Mark wrote how Jesus told the Pharisees and scribes how they are, “laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men” where we read:

For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men,

as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things you do.

The verse reads, “For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men, ...” Mark began with the words, “for laying aside” which means “even as and indeed disregarding, leaving, omitting and neglecting” “the commandment of God” which means “the order, charge, precept and injunction that belongs to the Godhead bodily and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit”, “you hold the tradition” which means “the Pharisees and certain of the scribes are chiefs, masters and possessors of the precepts, ordinances and substance of teaching” “of men” or “belonging to human beings whether male or female”. Mark shared how Jesus said these religious leaders “disregard” God's law and produce their own “ordinances”.

The verse goes on to say, “... as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things you do.” Mark continued with the words, “as the washing” which means “as the purification and ablution” “of pots” or “and sextarius which are vessels for measuring liquids holding about a pint or one half a liter or a wooden pitcher or ewer from which water or wine is poured” “and cups” or “and drinking vessels”: “and many other such like things” or “and other similar practices” “you do” which means “the religious leaders perform and produce”. Mark shared how Jesus referred to the “religious leaders” way of “ceremonially cleansing” “pots, pans and other things”.

When we think through Mark's words in this verse, we see how Jesus indited “the Pharisees and certain of the scribes” for their “disregarding” God's laws and prioritizing their own. They were making their own contrived rules equal to and sometimes even greater in importance to God's. God's desire is to show every person how they have violated His law, and therefore have sinned. Sin has a penalty of “death”, and Jesus came to die on the cross to pay that penalty. Those who are wise will prioritize the law of God and understand how He wants them to yield their lives to His Son Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord”.

Next time Mark shares how Jesus tells the Pharisees and scribes, “full well you reject the commandment of God”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".