Why did the Pharisee marvel at Jesus not washing before the meal? Setting the Scene • Luke 11:38 tells us, “But the Pharisee was surprised to see that Jesus did not first wash before the meal.” • Jesus has accepted a dinner invitation from a Pharisee—someone zealous for religious purity and tradition. • The meal takes place after Jesus has been teaching the crowds, exposing hypocrisy, and proclaiming the kingdom of God. What the Pharisee Expected • Pharisees followed “the tradition of the elders”—extra-biblical rules meant to build a protective hedge around God’s Law. • Mark 7:3-4 explains: “The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands ceremonially… And on returning from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.” • This ritual was not about basic hygiene; it was a ceremonial act signifying separation from defilement picked up in everyday life. • Seeing Jesus skip that ritual felt shocking; to the Pharisee, it looked like spiritual carelessness. Jesus and the Mosaic Law • Nowhere in the Law does God command every Israelite to wash hands before meals. Required washings were for: – Priests before serving at the altar (Exodus 30:17-21). – Cleansing after certain defilements (Leviticus 15). • By Jesus’ day, those priestly washings had been generalized into man-made rules for everyone. • Jesus never violated Scripture’s commands; He did ignore human additions that obscured the Law’s intent (Mark 7:8, 13). Why Ritual Washing Meant So Much to Them • Symbolic purity had become a badge of spiritual status. • For the Pharisee, skipping the wash signaled disregard for holiness—and threatened his own ceremonial cleanliness at the shared table. • Traditions had become intertwined with identity: to break one felt like breaking covenant with God, even though God hadn’t required it. Jesus’ Purpose in Overlooking the Tradition • He exposed misplaced priorities: external rituals vs. inner righteousness. – Isaiah 29:13: “These people draw near to Me with their mouths… but their hearts are far from Me.” – Matthew 23:25-26: “You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.” • He upheld the sufficiency of Scripture alone for life and godliness. • He demonstrated that true holiness flows from within a transformed heart, not from ceremonial performance. • His perfect obedience to the Father showed that man-made traditions cannot improve on God’s perfect standard. Lessons for Today • Scripture is our final authority; human customs must submit to it. • External acts of piety are empty without genuine love and obedience to God. • God looks past ritual to our motives: “For man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). • Like Jesus, we can move in freedom when we root our lives in God’s Word, confident that purity begins in a heart cleansed by Him. |
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