Mark 7:6-8

And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

⁸ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

I’ve never been much of a stickler for liturgical rubrics. In fact I’ve been turned off by some of my brother pastors who made a point of folding their hands just a certain way as they went to communion at seminary chapel. On the other hand, I truly do appreciate the forms and rituals that we have when it comes to weddings and funerals, and worship services themselves. It’s beneficial to have a path, and some substantive content to guide our minds and hearts at various times.

But I’ll never forget the day after the elders and I moved the altar and candlesticks at a church I served many years ago. Somehow this rearrangement so troubled some of the people of the church that they attempted to quote an altar guild handbook and implied that to have rearranged the placement of the altar and candles amounted to a grave upheaval to their spiritual wellbeing.

As I think about this incident years later, I can see that it would possibly have been better to have consulted with some of the stakeholders before making this change. It might have been better if I had suggested to the whole 250 member church that by moving the altar I could communicate more effectively by speaking the Words of Institution from behind the altar, for example, or praying from behind the altar so that those who had difficulty hearing could hear me better.

Sadly, however, those who were upset never approached me with a, “Help us understand what you’re trying to do, Pastor” type of conversation. It sadly became an issue of right and wrong of nearly biblical proportions. The issue was resolved only by means of a letter to the whole congregation with a postcard on which people could vote and return to the church as to whether the altar should be moved back or remain where it had been moved. The congregation “voted” by a large majority to leave the altar in its new location. (By the way, it had been moved forward in the chancel approximately three feet, perceptible only to those people who actually served on the altar guild.)

As I think today about this episode, I cannot help but to be sad that such a stir was raised by my actions. Whether it was my insensitivity to the stakeholders or the rigidity of those who were troubled by the move I wonder about our motives, and the sad attempts at one-upmanship that we were all involved in to one extent or another. While I might justifiably point the finger at those who were teaching as doctrines the commandments of men regarding the placement of the altar, I need to remember my own failures and foibles – however well-intentioned I might be.

Part of the difficulty of pointing out others’ failures is that often we are in the middle of the controversy. This was certainly true for Jesus. But that did not stop him. Sadly it did not stop his enemies from conspiring to rid themselves of him either. Jesus ultimately gave his life for the sake of true religion and worship. His self-righteous enemies, however, never acknowledged the truth of his cause.

The Temple in Jerusalem is gone today; the site occupied by the impressive Dome of the Rock Muslim mosque. Jesus’ enemies are long forgotten. Jesus, on the other hand continues to be worshiped by millions and millions of people worldwide, in thousands of languages and forms, with altars simple, great and high, free-standing and against the wall. He was discarded by those who thought they knew better than he. This is a grave mistake on their part for the word of God stands forever and the traditions of men are soon discarded.

Our covenant relationship with God never depends on our obedience and righteousness, but on his grace and truth in Christ; our identity is not established by our obedience, our obedience flows from our identity as God’s sons and daughters. Those who are the sons and daughters of God look to him and seek to reflect his values, commandments and truths, keeping in mind that tradition should always serve truth, and temples founded on anything else will crumble and fall.

Mark 7:1-13

Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, ² they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. ³ (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, ⁴ and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) ⁵ And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders,but eat with defiled hands?” ⁶ And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

⁸ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”

⁹ And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! ¹⁰ For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ ¹¹ But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)— ¹² then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother,¹³ thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”