Wash Your Hands!

Mark 7:1-13 “What’s next to godliness?”
Wash your hands! If there is one thing you need to do today, it’s wash your hands. (You’re welcome).
The narrative today from Mark 7 is all about being clean, but differently.
We will approach the text today by first asking the foundational questions about what was happening
in order to then explore the pressing question about what Jesus requires of his followers today to be
clean.
In real life places like Langley, what does it look like, for a person and for a church family to look like
Jesus?
So, before we look around at our text and ahead with application, we need to look back:
If you have followed the development of Mark, you will recall meeting the Pharisees and their crew back
in chapters 2 and 3 – they were taking note of the new Rabbi in town (Jesus) and were severely
offended. Now they are back, with a vengeance.
Earlier, Jesus was confronted for breaking a social taboo by eating with the wrong people (more on the
categories of clean/unclean in a moment) and for not properly honoring the Sabbath.
After an interval of amazing accounts in chapters 3 through 6, Jesus is again confronted by an entourage
of Pharisees and their scribes.
7 v. 1 – that “they came down from Jerusalem” suggests a direct investigation into Jesus. The term
“gathered around him” can have the connotation of ganging up, hemming him in:
They were earnest to discover:
Who is this Jesus? What authority does he really have and from whom? What in the world is
going on with these accounts of miracles?
Quick sidebar: who are these Pharisees and why does this matter?
According to commentator William Lane: Pharisees and their scribes distinguished themselves by zeal
for observance of the Law; they were deeply devoted to the law and strictly grounded their own life by
interpretation passed down by the scribal tradition. They were viewed as the arbitrators of correct
(righteous) living and as such, were mortified that Jesus could be such a lousy Rabbi. He was piling up
crimes and misdemeanors: touching a dead person (to raise them to life); eating with tax collectors and
sinners; healing a person on the Sabbath (on purpose!). He was impeding their clear and categorial
piety. Who is this Jesus?!
Back to the action: here’s the recap:
Here, in chapter 7,
The Pharisees are astonished to observe that the disciples of Jesus do not wash their hands
before breaking bread;

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there is a handy summary for the readers who are not from Jewish backgrounds about what this
means (which leads us to believe that Mark was written to an audience of people who did not
have Jewish background)
they press Jesus: “why are your disciples not walking in the tradition of the elders but eat their
bread with unclean hands?”
Jesus masterfully answers them.
There is something profound going on here that is entirely ancient but also contemporary.
Let’s look at the interaction of Jesus with these religious leaders:
- V. 6,7 Jesus reaches to the prophet Isaiah and turns the table, calling them hypocrites (actors,
playing the part) and levels the bold challenge that they are more interested in following the
traditions of people rather than the commandments of God.
o We are talking here about ceremonial cleansing, not scrubbing under your fingernails.
o Ceremony is not necessarily evil or wrong. In fact, speaking as someone keenly
interested in cross cultural mission, ceremony is something that can be a significant
cultural identity (marvel at the Japanese tea ceremony; be sure to stand for the Thai
national anthem before the movie starts; take off your hat during the Canadian national
anthem)
o The problem is that too often ceremony (traditions) can crowd out the main issues of
the Christian faith. There is a big difference between tradition and traditionalism.
(Have you seen Tevya in Fiddler on the Roof wail “TRADITION!”)
o What is the correct role for ceremony or tradition in your church? Where is the line
between living faith and lifeless institutionalism? How will you decide?
 Pick a topic: back in the day it was drums in the church service; now do we bring
in coffee cups? how to observe the Lord’s table? who is allowed to baptize
someone and by what technique; who is permitted to be baptized?! I learned
this week of a church does a triple dip baptism!
 The church I was raised in was proudly not liturgical – but the order of service
exactly the same, every Sunday. TRADITION!

We could go on all day long of examples of missing the point, dying on the wrong hill. Ironically, we too
would miss the point! Let’s get back to our text…
It seems that the Pharisees, by measuring Jesus, were themselves measured and found wanting.
Commentator David Garland emphases that in their time period, they were trying to “shame Jesus in a
culture where a good reputation is the highest authority.”
- V. 8-13 Jesus steps even closer and plainly accuses them of using their traditions to dishonor
parents.

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- Yes, honouring your Mother and Father is #5 of the 10 commandments. However, if under the
gun or without thinking, a person made a vow about their goods or property which effectively
put it out of reach by dedicating it to the temple, it is called Corban.
o Corban means “given to God.” Remember that like much of the world now, there was
no social safety net, families largely had to take care of themselves. If parents were in
need, their children were expected to step up and help.
o However, if a vow was made for goods or property to be “Corban” (given to God, to the
temple) then the traditions that ruled the day would have made the parents go without,
even if the one giving the vow regretted it and wanted to call it off. (The making of
vows does not seem to be such a big deal in our day – but in the time of Christ it was
important enough to be mentioned specifically in the Sermon on the Mount alongside
murder, adultery and divorce.)
o In our day we have different ways of straining at specks in other people’s eyes while
allowing logs within our own eyes. Unchecked, we can easily miss the point.
 I was once asked to consult with a church that was in trouble of closing due to
the lack of new people, especially young families. On my visit, learned
everything I needed to know as I walked into the sanctuary while someone was
carefully cleaning it: with one look I was clearly informed “DONT MAKE A
MESS!” I immediately thought of the cold welcome a young family would have,
coming in a bit late, GO mugs in hand, kids pulling at each other… The spotless
room had become more important than the presence of children. TRADITION!
Here is the point that we do not want to miss: the mission of Jesus was to seek and to save the lost; this
is the same mission that we are then sent to fulfill. His commission: “As you go, make disciples.” His
command: “Love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength and love your
neighbor as yourself.” Friends, as I look out your windows today, there are a lot of neighbours out there
to go and love!
Here then lies the warning: those who are found, those who become family members within local
churches, can unwittingly get distracted in matters of how to be righteous (or competitive about who is
the most righteous, and then ironically become self-righteous) and lose the priority of the mission. This
is tragically more normal than not across our land.
Oh Jericho Ridge Church– how my heart yearns for you to be a church family that is every bit as
renovated in the Lord as this tuned up building within which you meet! What good would it be to
renovate the plumbing and put down new carpeting and miss the chance to renovate your heart? It
would be like polishing the ceremonial cups and saucers…looking good, but not really clean.
As we close our time, it seems critical to look ahead with some application about how to live with the
right sense of righteousness so that we are primarily on mission with Jesus, not heading into either the
ditch of legalism OR of permissiveness.
Here are three admonishments, especially as you prepare for move in Sunday next week!

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1. Attend to your heart:
a. While legalism may be the wrong way forward, personal purity still matters to God.
Before turning to look at how other people are doing, look in the mirror at your own
heart and invite the Holy Spirit to have His way to examine and prune your life. Are you
willing to be humbled and confess where you have become compromised, judgmental
and ungracious? Where are you flirting with the edge, playing with fire? Repent: Be
forgiven, be free.
b. As you sit here today, are you willing to allow your heart to be freshly broken for the
lost? Seems to me the point of the new facility is to be able to welcome in more
neighbours!
c. The more your heart is aligned with the will and way of God, you will make room to
receive and then give the love of the Father.

2. Attend to the moment you are in:
a. As you sit here today, I do not assume that everyone has decided to follow Jesus: you
may be here for lots of reasons, but there is a moment here to not miss: are you feeling
unclean, unacceptable to God? Jesus calls you to himself to be rescued first, and then
restored. We cannot clean ourselves up to make ourselves worthy; the good news of
the gospel is that Jesus paid the price for you to meet you where you are at and save
you. Today is the day of salvation! Please do not leave today without praying with
someone to have confidence in Christ and to get started on the right path.
b. As you go from here, are you willing to allow Jesus to be Lord of your life, not just your
your savior? Are you attending to his voice? Are you willing to be interrupted by his
mission?
c. The more your heart is aligned with the will and way of God, the more you will find
opportunities (and joy!) to serve and share.
3. Attend to the peace of the household of God:
a. To the people of Jericho Ridge, as you prepare to “move in” and enjoy this new facility, I
urge you to be freshly resolved to live clean with one another, seeking to pursue the
peace of Christ within this beautiful new home. Make it your business to not gossip or
be passive aggressive – be committed to speak the truth in love. Honour one another in
how you live within community; don’t use your liberty to cause someone else to
stumble.
b. As you move into here, are you willing to make sure you don’t bring in any old sacred
cows (traditionalism) into the new worship space? Be committed to establishing the
most welcoming environment possible. David Garland, commenting on this passage
says this: “Jesus is like those who want to run the church for those who do not yet
attend. How do we include them into the family rather than exclude them?”
c. The more your collective heart is aligned to the will and way of God, please do not be
unaware of the evil one, the father of lies, who will do everything possible to challenge
your progress of peace making. In Jesus’ name, maintain a spiritually clean house, a
house of prayer, a house for the nations.

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I’d like to close with one of the best stories I’ve heard yet from our ministry team about the way that the
gospel can transform a life to become clean: listen carefully to the way the dangerous man is confronted
by the love of God:
“It is good to be with you,” pastor Elmer nodded. “I thank God that I am able to be with
Christians, and have no desire to kidnap or kill you.” As an ex-commander of one of the fronts
of the Colombian armed rebels, Elmer’s words were only half joking.
“By age thirteen I had joined the communist rebels,” he relates, “Ready to kill for the Marxist
ideological cause, especially Christians.” And so Christian churches were burned down, and
pastors shot.
“I went to each of seven churches,” he says, “And I took their buildings for our revolutionary
meetings. I forced them all to leave; they had no choice. They all feared me.” All but one.
One pastor continued to persuade armed rebels to follow Jesus. This had to be stopped. He
decided to execute the pastor himself, but when confronted with a gun the pastor remained
calm. In the face of the man’s quiet, compassionate demeanor, Elmer snapped:
“You and your prayers!” he shouted. “I see you praying for the soldiers in the state army, our
enemies! How dare you! How dare you pray for them! You make our country weak!”
“If you don’t believe in God,” the pastor asked, “Why does it matter to you if I pray?” The pastor
continued. “Yes, I pray for soldiers. But I also pray for the gangs, for the drug traffickers, for the
para-military. And I pray for you.” Deeply shaken, Elmer left the pastor alive, and returned to his
rebel base.
A few months later, Elmer and his troops found themselves in need of such prayers. He found
himself surrounded and under attack. With bullets flying, he fled down a mountain path at night.
There he almost collided with a member of a local church that he recognized. Terrified, Elmer
turned and ran, and to his horror the Christian chased after him. Elmer was sure that the man
wanted to kill him.
“Stop!” the man cried out. “God loves you! I want to save you!” But he kept running.
Coming to a crevice in the rocks, Elmer crouched in the mud to wait for morning. A violent storm
broke out. He could hear the army closing in and, knowing what might happen to him if he were
captured, he decided that suicide was his only recourse. Holding the gun to his head, he
convinced himself to pull the trigger, but a voice suddenly spoke: “Do not do this thing.”
Was it the thunder? The wind? A hallucination? Three times he raised the gun; three times the
words rang out to stop him. He dropped to his knees and asked God to rescue him.
“I felt a caress,” he says. “A hand, wiping my face, wiping away the mud.” Choking back tears,
he struggles to continue with the story. “Oh God, I was so dirty. But you didn’t even use a glove,
you touched my filth with your bare hand!”
Elmer went down the mountain that morning and surrendered. “I put myself in God’s hands,” he
says. And God showed mercy. Despite a bounty of two hundred million pesos on his head, and
sixteen charges against him, he was released by the authorities.

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“Now,” Elmer tells us, “I am like that pastor that defied me.” He preaches a gospel of peace and
reconciliation in the mountains and in the prisons of Cauca, to drug traffickers, rebels and ex-
combatants – including his own son. “We are still warriors; this is in our blood!” he says. “But
there is a better battle to be fought, as warriors for Jesus.”