When Christians Reject Christ
Mark 7:9-13
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)[d]— 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.”
Yesterday we saw the danger in trusting in tradition rather than in the heart transformation that God offers. Today we see what happens when that danger is unnoticed or ignored.
The one who relies on tradition to save them will inevitably reject Christ and everything He stands for.
In this story, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for allowing or even condoning a truly vile practice. Part of the Old Testament Law (God’s Law, not any human law) protected the elderly (and other often marginalized groups) by securing a method of provision for them. In this case, it was the responsibility of the son to take care of his parents should they need it as they age. However, the Pharisees were allowing younger men to declare that their possessions were “an offering to the Lord” (Corban). While not necessitating an immediate change in the son's lifestyle (the property would go to the religious leaders upon his death or slowly over time), the Pharisees then required the man to NOT support his parents, because then it would be taking something away that was promised to God.
Jesus offers the Pharisees a scathing rebuke for allowing or condoning this. In their efforts to so tightly follow tradition, religion, and rules of piety, the Pharisees forsook a key essential principle God’s Word teaches. Love and care for all, especially amongst God’s own people.
And before we think ourselves superior, we are just as capable of this as the Pharisees.
How many times have we seen the church fail to care for its community on the grounds of a specific sin of an individual or community, or even that community's hatred of the church?
How many times have we seen people in the church abuse authority, power, and influence to do what they think is best even when it flies in the face of what God’s Word teaches?
How many times have we seen the church callously treat the most broken people who seek Jesus out, because their sin or life circumstance is deemed too heinous or too difficult?
The answer is often, and we are not immune to that temptation, so we must watch to make sure we follow the commandments of God and not the commandments of men.
