Jn. 7:1 After these things Jesus walked in Galilee, for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him.
Segment #076 is a turning point. On one hand many of the disciples outside the inner group no longer follow Him as a result of the discourse on the Bread of Life. Secondly, eleven of the twelve reaffirmed their faith. But, in the case of Judas, this was the beginning of his apostasy.
Mt. 15:1 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying,
Mk. 7:1 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.
Mk. 7:2 Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is unwashed hands, they found fault.
This is still part of the Stage of Interrogation. The Sanhedrin is still sending representatives to investigate this movement. Yeshua has really gotten their attention. So, the attack over the issue of defilement is being instigated by some of the leaders from Jerusalem.
There are many similarities between the teachings of Yeshua and the School of Hillel. It is thought by some scholars that in His contentions with the Pharisees Yeshua is simply taking the side of the School of Hillel against the School of Shammai. Many Rabbinic scholars have pointed out that School of Hillel would have permitted the prayer for the sick on the Sabbath, while the School of Shammai would not (BT:Betsa 8a; M:Shabbath 17:14;). A similar situation is found here where the Shammaite Pharisees are complaining to Yeshua that His disciples did not wash their hands before eating.
Mk. 7:3 For the Pharisees and all Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding to the Traditions of the Elders.
Mk. 7:4 When they came from the market place, 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.
Mt. 15:2 “Why do Your disciples transgress the traditions of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
Mk. 7:5 “Why do Your disciples transgress the Traditions of the Elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
Traditions of the Elders mentioned here is another name for the Mishnah (Oral Law). The meaning of “washing their hands in a special way” refers to washing the hands up to the wrists. M:Yadayim 2:3 says, “The hands receive both pollution and purification up to the wrists.” M:Chaggigah 2:5 says, “They wash their hands for common food, for tithes, and for the heave offering. And for holy things and for the sin offerings they bathe.” In many cases some of the Pharisees took the Oral Law as having equal validity with the Scriptures. Washing one’s hands was taken very seriously (perhaps too seriously) back then. BT:Sotah 4b says, “One who neglects washing his hands is worse than a murderer. Three things bring poverty after thee, and neglecting hand washing is one of them.” BT:Berachoth 19a says, "A man who despises the washing of hands before a meal is to be excommunicated.” This tells you how seriously they took the matter of washing hands.
Sources: M:Chagigah 2:5; Yadayim 2:3; BT:Berachoth 19a; Sotah 4b
The main thing the Pharisees had against Yeshua was His refusal to accept some of the Traditions as being authoritative and binding. Yet, they themselves were guilty of the very thing for which they condemned Yeshua. In trying to bring about the speedy death of Yeshua through a kangaroo court, they violated a number of their own laws. The Mishnah had become, in the eyes of the Pharisees, of equal but not greater authority than the Mosaic Law itself. The disciples are not being accused of any violation of the Law, since the Law did not demand that hands be washed every time prior to eating, but the Mishnah does. In Pharisaic Judaism you could not eat anything unless you first washed your hands. So, the conflict is not over the breaking of the Mosaic Law.
Matter of fact, they will never be able to accuse Yeshua of violating any point of the Mosaic Law, because He kept the Law perfectly. But, He does violate the Mishnaic Law repeatedly. The disciples are being accused of violating the Traditions of the Elders. They are actually more guilty, in the eyes of the Pharisees, than if they had broke the Mosaic Law.
Mt. 15:3 But He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?”
In a Rabbinic discussion we again see the response to a question with another question. Only this time Yeshua’s question is far more serious than the one asked of Him by the Pharisees.
Mt. 15:4 “For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother; ‘ and ‘He who curses father and mother, let him be put to death.’”
Sources: Exod. 20:12; 21:17; Deut. 5:16;
Mt. 15:5 “But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me has been dedicated to the Temple.”
Mt. 15:6 “‘Is released from honoring his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.”
Mt. 15:7 “Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophecy about you, saying,
Mk. 7:6a He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophecy of you hypocrites, as it is written:
Mt. 15:8 “‘These people draw near to Me with their mouths, and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.’”
Mk. 7:6b “‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.”
Mt. 15:9 “‘And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
Mk. 7:7 “And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
This verse is a quotation from Isaiah 29:13. The context of this passage is an actual historic event where Israel rejected the prophetic word that was sent to them. By quoting it, Yeshua is saying that Israel’s rejection of Isaiah’s prophetic word was a type of Israel’s rejection of His prophetic word now.
Source: Isaiah 29:13
Kavvanah (directed intention) is a phrase used in Rabbinic literature to denote a state of mental concentration and devotion at prayer and during the performance of Mitzvot (commandments). Although the demand for kavvanah as any obligatory component of religious prayer and action is not explicitly mentioned in the Pentateuch, it is clearly referred to by the prophets. Isaiah, for instance, condemns those who make a sham of devotional prayer. The Lord quoted the words of Isaiah to describe the motivations of the people He was dealing with.
Mk. 7:8 “For laying aside the commandments of God, you will hold the traditions of men — the washing of pitchers, and cups, and any other such things you do.”
Mk. 7:9 And He said to them, “All too well you rejected the commandments of God, that you may keep your tradition.”
Yeshua warns the Pharisees that some had put such emphasis on certain Traditions as to nullify the Scriptures. These Traditions (fences) were supposed to be a safeguard to help keep from breaking the commandments. The Pharisees had just taken things too far in a lot of instances. This is not to say that Yeshua was against the Traditions altogether. There are hundreds more of the fences in the Mishnah that Yeshua did not come against. We can only assume that was because He did not have a problem with them. In the beginning the concept was good. The men of the Sanhedrin Hagodal (Great Sanhedrin) were only trying to help the people to obey the Mosaic Law. Their disobedience of 70 plus years earlier had been very costly to them. The Sages were simply trying to protect them from that happening again. Some of the Jewish people, just like some of us, simply carried things too far. It was not the fence itself that was wrong, but the authority they attached to it. Nothing is equal to, or greater than, the Word of God.
Mt. 15:4 “For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother;’ and ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’”
Mk. 7:10 “For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’”
“Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you” (Exod. 20:12; 21:17; Deut. 5:16). To the Jews “honoring your father and your mother included taking care of them in their old age. In these verses we have what appears to be a conflict between the Torah and the Mishnah. M:Nedarim 9:5 says, “Whosoever shall say it is korban, a burnt offering, a meal offering, a sin offering, a thank offering, or a peace offering, whatsoever I might eat with you (his parents) or give for your support, he is bound.” BT:Nedarim 1:6 says, “A son saying what he should give for his aged, it is korban. He is bound to keep his vow and was free from the obligation of giving that support to infirmed parents, it is korban. He is bound to keep his vow and was free from the obligation of giving that support.” There is really no conflict here, as much as there is a misapplication.
Sources: Exod. 20:12; 21:17; Deut. 5:16; M:Nedarim 9:5; BT:Nedarim 1:6
One of the Ten Commandments in the Torah required a son to take care of his parents. He was not supposed to use that money for any other purpose. To get around this, the son would declare his support money as korban. Now it couldn’t be used as support money for his parents. But, since God is Spirit, He really couldn’t use the money, so the son would go and spend it for Him – on himself.
Mt. 15:5 “But you say, ‘whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me has been dedicated (korban) to the Temple.”’”
Mk. 7:11 “But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might receive from me os Korban (that is, dedicated to the Temple);’”
Korban was also the term used for the Temple treasury, which was a great amount. Historians differ as to the amount in the Temple treasury, but some say that Licinius Marcus Crassius, the first Roman to take money from the Temple, took somewhere between 2,000 and 8,000 talents of gold. Crassius was a prominent Roman during the Republican Period, who served with Pompey. He died in 54 B.C.E. According to “Vine’s Dictionary” a talent weighed approximately 114 pounds.
Yeshua instituted a change with regard to O.T. regulations on clean and unclean foods. In the coming of Yeshua and the New Covenant set in motion by His death, the ritual and ceremonial aspects of the Mosaic Law were no longer technically binding. Yet, they could have been of spiritual value for the Gentile believers. That is, although they were not mandatory for a right relationship with God, they could have helped the Gentiles to understand their faith properly. But again, it is important to stress that these laws were not prescriptive or obligatory. Rather, they were but shadows of the better things to come. Thus Christians were now free from the responsibility of Jewish ceremonial ordinances.
Mt. 15:6a “‘”Is released from honoring his father or mother.”’”
Mk. 7:12 “And you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother,”
Mt. 15:6b ”Thus you have made the commandments of God of no effect by your tradition.”
Mk. 7:13 “Making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.”
Mt. 15:10 Then He called the multitude and said to them, “Hear and understand.”
Mk. 7:14 And when He had called all the multitude to Him, He said to them, “Hear Me, everyone, and understand.”
Mt. 15:11 “Not what goes into the mouth defiles the man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”
Mk. 7:15 “There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man.”
Yeshua speaks to the masses in a parabolic form so that they will not, or cannot understand. But, notice the difference of method with the disciples. To the masses He speaks in parables in order to hide the truth, but the parables for the disciples were to illustrate the truth, and privately He expounds them.
Yeshua’s response to their question concerning the Pharisees is three-fold. First, Pharisaism is a plant that was not planted by God. Having not been planted by God there is no need to be overly concerned about offending them. Secondly, they were blind guides leading the blind. And third, both shall fall into a pit, the pit being the 70 C.E. judgment that will come as a direct result of the unpardonable sin.
Some of the Pharisees had become “blind leaders of the blind.” Tragically, through lies, distortions and manipulations they had mislead the people. Because of their own self-righteousness, they didn’t believe they were doing anything wrong. Now, Yeshua comes along to show them the error of their ways. This does not make them happy.
Mk. 7:16 “If anyone has ears, let him hear.”
Mt. 15:12a Then His disciples came and said to Him,
Mk. 7:17 Then His disciples came and said to Him,
Mt. 15:12b “Did you know the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”
Mt. 15:13 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My Heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.”
Mt. 15:14 “Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall in a ditch.”
Mt. 15:15 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”
Mt. 15:16 So He said to them, “Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from the outside cannot defile him?”
Mt. 15:17 “Because it does not enter his heart, but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods.”
Mk. 7:19 “Because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods.”
Mt. 15:18 And He said,“What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.”
Mk. 7:20 And He said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.”
Mt. 15:19 “For from within, out of the heart of a man, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,”
Mk. 7:21 “For within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adultries, fornications, murders;”
Mk. 7:22 “Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.”
Mt. 15:20 “These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”
Mk. 7:23 “All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
The issue here is exactly where does defilement begin? The answer, of course, is with the True Righteousness of the Mosaic Law. The Pharisaic interpretation of the Law is that righteousness is external. You were not guilty of the sin itself until you had committed the sin. For instance, the Mosaic Law says that you shall not eat pork. So, to eat pork under the Mosaic Law was a sin. But, Yeshua said the righteousness of the Law went much deeper. Before one eats pork, he must first make a decision to eat pork. Once he had made that decision to eat pork, he had made the decision to violate the Law. He has sinned. The physical act of eating pork is simply the carrying out of the inner commitment to break the Law that has already been made. So, defilement begins inside, because the righteousness of the Law was a demand for internal righteousness. If the internal righteousness is there, the external righteousness will naturally follow.
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