Jesus’ Confrontations with the Pharisees
Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders), 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?” Mark 7:1-3, 5 (ESV)
Did you use hand sanitizer? It wasn’t all that long ago that many of us dutifully used hand sanitizer. We didn’t want to accidentally pass on COVID to someone else. Now that the pandemic is over, we might be less concerned. Yet we still know germs are out there!
On one occasion the eagle-eyed Pharisees noticed that some of the disciples ate with unwashed hands. It wasn’t that they were concerned about Jesus’ disciples contracting some disease or ending up sick. It wasn’t that they were germaphobes. They were very diligent in washing their hands – like the elders did. It was one of their necessary ‘additional traditions.’ It was an opportunity to look down on Jesus and His ‘dirty’ disciples.
Jesus pointed out their habit of making their traditions requirements to lay on others…while also leaving the commandments of God undone. No doubt the Pharisees had clean hands and healthy cuticles; but their hearts were filthy.
Now this does not mean you should look at your hands or imagine that you are more acceptable to God than someone else because of what you have done. We are all like an unclean thing. We have been cleansed of sin by the blood of Christ…not hand sanitizer.
Not what these hands have done Can save this guilty soul;
Not what this toiling flesh has borne Can make my spirit whole.
Thy love to me, O God, Not mine, O Lord, to Thee,
Can rid me of this dark unrest And set my spirit free.
The Lutheran Hymnal 389:1,4