Our Lord’s conversation in this text involves the subject of tradition. And this conversation is appropriate for our consideration, because if there is any season of the year more filled with tradition than the one in which we find ourselves, I’m not aware of it. There are families who observe Christmas traditions, while others refuse to do so, condemning them. But at the same time they observe their own seasonal traditions. What makes one tradition honorable while the other is sinful? The question and its answers are complicated. Unfortunately, this message may muddy the waters more than it clears them.
We have to begin by realizing that tradition is not necessarily evil in itself. If tradition is sin, then we might all be in trouble with our God, because we all have our own. Today, each of the families in our church received a pretty calendar from the Oldfields. I have been buying and giving away those calendars for many years. And I give them out on the Fellowship Sunday in December so you can have them before January. It has become a tradition. Is it sinful? On Thanksgiving Day, the Oldfield’s usually invite one or two church members to our home for a meal. I know that some of you have things which you traditionally do every year at this time. Some might deny that such things are traditions at all – “These are just things that we do regularly.” But isn’t that one of the definitions of “tradition”?
There may not be much of a difference between tradition, habit and doctrine. Let’s think about these three things in regard to attending the House of God this afternoon. Is there a scripture which requires us to be here one Sunday afternoon every month? Is it a sin, to have Sunday School and worship in the morning and then another service at 6:00 p.m. every Sunday except the third Sunday of the month? Are you aware that some Baptists believe it is a sin to have Sunday School? Where is it commanded that we have prayer and Bible study on Wednesday evening? Is there a word about these things in our church statement of faith? Might we not call our meeting this afternoon, one of the current “traditions” of our church? The word “doctrine” refers to “something which is taught” – “teaching.” Doesn’t the Bible warn and teach us – “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” Gathering together regularly and consistently for prayer and Bible study is a Christian doctrine. Doesn’t that make a mid-week service – whichever day we choose – one of our doctrines? Attendance on Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night are acts of obedience to the exhortation of the Word of God. But isn’t it also true that most of us are in the HABIT of attending church on those days? For most of us, we attend – not out of tradition or doctrine – but it’s just something that we do – habit. But isn’t it a fact that our attendance here this afternoon has at least something to do with tradition?
Tradition, habit and doctrine are all cousins of sorts. The word “tradition” is found 13 times in the New Testament, and they all come from one Greek word. But the word “paradosis (par-ad’-os-is) is actually used 14 times in the Textus Receptus. It is always translated “tradition” except in I Corinthians 11:2 – “Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ORDINANCES, as I delivered them to you.” The translators tie together “tradition” and “ordinance” – and that makes some sense. Christ Jesus condemned the Jews for their tradition of exorbitantly washing hands. And Christ’s apostle praised the Corinthians for their tradition of keeping the ordinances. This is why I say that a “paradosis” is neutral – neither righteous nor sinful in itself.
The Jew’s hand washing was one of their many traditions. Multitudes of those people had ritualistically washed their hands so often that it became just one of their quirky habits. They just did it without thinking. But some washed because it was commanded of them; it was one of the doctrines of the Pharisees. Christ freely mixes the words “tradition, “commandments of men” and “doctrines” in these verses. He said, “In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” – that is “the traditions of men.” “Ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your traditions” – by “your man-made commandments.”
One of the problems with problem traditions begins with their ORIGINS.
“Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders for they wash not their hands when they eat…” The first thing to notice is that the Pharisees knew they were talking about tradition – not scripture. Nowhere in the Law of God is there a command about special washings before eating common meals. Nevertheless both major branches of the Pharisees agreed with some of the more ancient Jewish doctors of the law – it should be done.
But what difference would it have made if God had ordained and commanded hand-washing? It would have made all the difference in the world. If God had said to Israel, “Wash your hand before every meal using lye soap,” then even Christians would have to consider its importance. The SOURCE of the tradition, whatever it is makes it important or unimportant.
Think about the average church service here at Calvary Baptist. Can you tell me how many hymns we sing? How often do we deviate from that number? When do we pray during the average service? After the first hymn, before the message, and after the last hymn. When do we stand? When do we sit? How consistent are we in these things? Now show me where in the Bible that such patterns are required by God. Some people criticize the Anglicans and Catholics for standing, kneeling and sitting on cue. But don’t we do the same thing? Shouldn’t we say that this form of service is a tradition? Is there sin involved in our consistency? Perhaps there is, but it’s not in the tradition itself.
Thinking about the current season of the year; from where do all the Christmas traditions originate? Do we find any of them – do we find a single one of them in the Bible? Not so much as a hint. Every single one are mere traditions of the elders, not the apostles and prophets. The tree, the lights, the gift-giving to each other, Santa Claus, candle-light worship services on the 24th. Not only do these originate with men, but some of them originate with heathen men. Their origins do not necessarily make them evil, but at the very least it makes them questionable.
One of the problems of traditions is their PURPOSE.
“Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? they wash not their hands when they eat bread.” What were the Pharisees trying to do in applying that question to Christ and His disciples? They were condemning them.
John Gill says, “the Scribes and Pharisees were more tenacious of these than of the Scriptures; and indeed they preferred them before them: most extravagant are their praises and commendations of these unwritten traditions.” And then he quoted some of their own statements: “Know then, that ‘the words of the Scribes’ are more lovely than the words of the law: If a man transgresses the words of the school of Hillell (tradition), he is guilty of death, because he hath broke down a hedge, and a serpent shall bite him. The words of the law have in them both prohibition and permission; some of them are light, and some heavy, but “the words of the Scribes” are all of them heavy” – weightier are the words of the elders,” than the words of the prophets.”
How serious was it not to wash in the proper Pharisaic way? One rabbi wrote – “whoever eats bread without washing of hands, is as if he lay with a whore.” Another said that “he that blesseth (his food) with defiled hands, is guilty of death.” Rabbi Akiba was highly praised because he chose rather to die, rather than to transgress this tradition. It is important to the understanding of Matthew 15 that the Pharisees believed that the disciples were worthy of death for their crime of not washing their hands. This was not a matter of personal hygiene and cleanliness; it was all about sin – and essentially salvation. You can see why the Saviour responded with a little more vehemence than usual.
I have many acquaintances who know that I pastor a Baptist church. It seems that with each religious season, whether Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas, I hear questions about what special things our church is doing to celebrate the special day. And 98% of them are shocked when I tell them that we aren’t doing anything out of the ordinary. Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t Christmas and Easter a part of the salvation of many irreligious people? “What!!! How can you not have a candle-light service on Wednesday night before Thanksgiving?” “Isn’t eating a pork roast on Easter some sort of sin?” “Can someone be a good Christian without spending $200 decorating a Christmas tree?” A Christmas tree or a nativity scene has nothing whatsoever to do with whether I am a Christian. Burning a cinnamon-scented candle may be a part of one person’s worship, but I can burn a candle without worship. Even though some traditions may be rooted in heathenism, that root may have nothing to do with its practice today. When I call the 7th day of the week “Saturday,” I am not becoming an idolatrous worshiper of Saturn. When I speak of the 1st month of the year, I have not sinned against God, even though originally January made reference to “Janus” – the Roman god of beginnings.
There are several things which I do around the first of the year. Some of them are practical and some seem to be pointless, and several might be considered traditional. For example, I clean up several departments in my computer – my sermon files for example. And speaking of files, I take 12 file folders and get them ready for next year’s receipts and paper-work. I could do those things at any time during the year, but tradition dictates that I do them soon. Is there any sin involved? My OCD heart tells me there is sin in NOT doing these sorts of things.
One of the problems of traditions is their APPLICATION.
One of the important ingredients in many traditions is the word “command.” Many traditions are enforced by commands – and in this they move well beyond habits. Jesus said, “In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments (traditions) of men.” The Pharisees were saying that those who did not wash their hands properly were worthy of death – not only in this world but in the next. They commanded obedience to this long-held tradition. How much of this sort of thing still exists?
Millions of people have been told by their modern-day Pharisees that if they refuse to be baptized, they cannot be saved. Like these Jews’ hand washing, this tradition declares that the water somehow washes away their sin. So they are dipped – “baptized” – just like those Jewish hands and arms, in order to be ceremonially cleansed. Others are sprinkled with holy water – again somewhat like the Pharisees – only “holy water” will do. From where did this idea come? From the misinterpretation and misapplication of a few scriptures mingled with the ideas of men.
Is it a doctrine, or a tradition, that within the bread served in some church’s communion there exists the flesh of the Lord Jesus Christ? Is it a doctrine or a tradition that the wine in the Lord’s Supper is the actual blood of Christ? Isn’t there a blending of tradition and doctrine in these ideas? “In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments (traditions) of men.” How many false religions teach that communion is essential to a person’s salvation? “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?”
The list of current traditions – said to be essential to a person’s salvation – is long and tedious. Have you ever heard that those who worship the Lord on Sunday are all condemned to Hell? It is the doctrine of some cults and religions that Sabbath Day worship is necessary to prevent the wrath of God on a person’s soul. That idea comes from the misapplication of Old Testament laws which applied only to Israel, and which had nothing to do with their salvation in the first place. Are those cults which teach this doctrine passing down tradition or teaching false doctrine? Is there a difference? The Mormon religion is filled with as much tradition as Catholicism. How many of their traditions do they consider essential to their eternal bliss? Is their holy and holey underwear a part of their salvation? Undoubtedly their church membership is necessary. That is a traditional requirement in hundreds of religions. Is the traditional clothing of the Amish, the Hutterite, and the strict Mennonite essential to their salvation? Pacifism is a tradition in some religion – is it a part of their salvation? “In vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments (traditions) of men.” “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?”
In the context of this chapter, the Lord Jesus refers to just one such commandment – “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.” But in this we are reminded that there are many other things which the Lord has commanded us. Some of those things are directly involved in our eternal position before the holy God. But others, like this one relate to our days upon the land which the Lord our God has given to us. Nevertheless, every command the Lord has made, prove us all to be sinners and in need of salvation.
Some people might try to deny that there are any traditions in their lives, but their denials are in vain. Our responsibility in the light of our traditions is to make sure we are trying to honor the Lord in them. Why are we in the house of God this afternoon? Tradition, habit, command? If our heart is not as much in this service as our bodies; if we have no desire to worship and fellowship with the Lord and with his people, whatever our reason for being here is essentially sinful. We have the ability to make our traditions glorifying to God and edifying to ourselves. And we have the ability to make our traditions sinful and weights upon our souls. We have a choice – we have a responsibility in the sight of God.