You Pharisee!

Scripture Reading: Mark 7:1-13

Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. ² Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. ³ For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders. ⁴ When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.

⁵ Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”

⁶ He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written:

‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
⁷ And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

⁸ 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.”

⁹ He said to them, “All too well you ^[e]reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. ¹⁰ For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ ¹¹ But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban”—’ (that is, a gift to God), ¹² then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, ¹³ making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

Calling someone a “Pharisee” is one of the most misused and misunderstood criticisms in Christendom. We have this caricature set in our heads of a stuff-shirt Baptist when we think of Pharisees. We think it is someone who is strict and legalistic and holds to God’s word. Mostly, we just use the put-down whenever someone challenges us or someone else on their sinful choices. In short, having moral convictions is being a Pharisee in the modern church.

When you pay attention to what Jesus said about them, you see that the problem wasn’t that they held the law of God too highly, instead, they played fast and loose with it. They spent their energy figuring out ways around the law. They looked for loopholes and when they couldn’t find any, they made them up.

Their traditions became more important to them than the word of God.

Notice in verse nine that Jesus says somewhat sarcastically, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God…” They were good at it. Pay attention though to what they were actually doing. They were rejecting God’s commandments not holding to them strictly.

Yes, there are modern-day Pharisees. No, the Pharisees are the people who hold fast to God’s word. They are the ones playing games to get around what the Scriptures actually teach. Watch out for them. They are often so good at it they can fool you if you let them.

pharisee