2 Peter 1:8 "For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Day 158 – Mark 7
“For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:8
FROM DEFENCE TO ATTACK
The influence of the scribes and the Pharisees on Israel was considerably deep. Jesus knew that it was not enough to merely appeal to the Scriptures to refute them. Swiftly, He attacked the hypocritical scribes and Pharisees.
“For laying aside the commandment of God
you hold the tradition of men-
the washing of pitchers and cups,
and many other such things you do.”
MARK 7:8
1. More than just hypocrisy
Hypocrisy is in itself bad! A hypocrite is a mere pretender. He pretends to be what he is not.
2. Laying aside the commandments of God
This was an even more serious accusation Jesus made against the scribes and the Pharisees. How should we understand this statement?
a) This accusation comes from One who can read the true state of the heart.
Jesus as Lord knew the depths of the heart of the scribes and Pharisees. Would the scribes and Pharisees dare to attempt to make a reply to this accusation? Their denials would be useless.
b) The tradition of men upheld against the commandment of God.
i) It is a fact that nowhere in the Scriptures is there a commandment for ritual washing.
ii) It is a fact that ritual washing was a man-made tradition.
iii) It is a fact that if one were to enforce the traditions of men, he would be in danger of laying aside the commandment of God.
c) The obvious and dangerous sin of rejecting the commandment of God.
i) King Saul found out the price of disobeying the commandment of God. It cost him his kingdom (Cf. 1 Samuel 15:22-23)
ii) The history of Israel was a most checkered one (Cf. Psalm 78). One of the main problems lay in the fact that the nation had time and again rejected the commandments of God! The scribes and the Pharisees were guilty of repeating this same sin of laying aside the commandment of God.