Letter of the Law

Introduction

• Mark 7:1-13

• • Jesus tells the Pharisees they substitute God’s law with their own tradition

Analysis

• How did we get here? – A History of the Pharisees

• • • Second Temple period – after the Babylonian captivity
      • Oral tradition
      • Burnt stones
    • Rise of Pharisees 
      • Pharisees vs Sadducees (Oral vs. Written)
        • Sadducees (Torah) First five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy
        • Pharisees (Torah + Talmud & Mishnah): Commentaries
          • Making the commentaries on the law part of the law

• Mark 2:23-28

• • • 23 One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat. 24 But the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?” 25 Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? 26 He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was a high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions.” 27 Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. 28 So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”

• Matthew 22:36-40

• 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[b] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

• Deuteronomy 4:1-2

• • 1 “And now, Israel, listen carefully to these decrees and regulations that I am about to teach you. Obey them so that you may live, so you may enter and occupy the land that the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you. 2 Do not add to or subtract from these commands I am giving you. Just obey the commands of the Lord your God that I am giving you.

Application

• Someone who overly plans the vacation

• • • Man smuggling “sand”

• Signs of modern Pharisees
  • You believe showing up for worship every Sunday makes you right with God

• Ephesians 4:17-24 

• • • • 17 With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. 18 Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. 19 They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. 20 But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. 21 Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, 22 throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. 23 Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 24 Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy.
    • You spend more time talking about what you are against, not what you are for
      • Longstanding tradition records the head of a Jewish household would start their day each morning with this prayer: Thank you, God, that I am not a Gentile, a woman, or a slave.  To the devout Jewish man, all three of these groups were suspect, subordinate; and second-class. Into that context, Jesus enters the first-century world speaking with, teaching, healing, and even eating with (God forbid!) Gentiles, women, and slaves. His followers eventually came to see these were not one-off isolated events, but rather God’s intention to widely and fully accept all into His kingdom.
    • You don’t repent of sin because you believe you don’t have any “serious” sin to repent of
      • Pharisees strained their water to avoid eating a gnat but did the equivalent of swallowing a camel by refusing to help those in need

• The scariest verse in the Bible – Hope for the future

• Matthew 7:21-23

• • • 21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!
      • God loves us so much that He sent Jesus; he’s not angry, disappointed, or ashamed of us. Like a father longing to see his children again, He runs to meet you along the road as you return out of shame and feeling like you aren’t worth His love but he throws a robe around your shoulders places a ring on your finger, and demands a feast be made for you because his child is home! He doesn’t care where you’ve been or what you’ve done he just wants you! He wants his children to return home!

Sermon Reflection Questions

1. Why did Jesus criticize the Pharisees for their reliance on tradition? Reflect on the passages from Mark 7:1-13 and Mark 2:23-28. How did the Pharisees’ emphasis on oral traditions and additional laws affect their relationship with God and others? How does Jesus’ response challenge our own views on religious practices and traditions?
2. How can we recognize “modern-day Pharisee” tendencies in ourselves or within the church? Consider the examples given, such as believing attendance at worship makes you right with God or focusing more on what you are against rather than what you are for. How can we guard against these attitudes and instead live out the greatest commandments Jesus highlights in Matthew 22:36-40?
3. What does it mean to truly repent and seek a relationship with God? Reflect on Matthew 7:21-23 and the idea that not everyone who calls Jesus “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven. How can we move beyond a superficial faith and genuinely align our lives with God’s will? How does understanding God’s love and acceptance, as illustrated in the sermon, impact your view of repentance and grace?