Matthew recorded a discussion that Jesus had with the Pharisees and scribes on the subject of traditions. The Pharisees and scribes questioned Jesus about His disciples breaking “the tradition of the elders” by not washing hands before eating bread (Matthew 15:1-2). Jesus responded by questioning them about another tradition in which they neglected to care for their parents in need, but justified themselves by claiming to have given the money that would have helped them to God (Matthew 15:4-5). Jesus said that keeping their tradition caused them to “transgress the commandment of God” (Matthew 15:3). They had “invalidated the word of God for the sake of [their] tradition” (Matthew 15:6).
The Pharisees and scribes were blinded by traditionalism. While there was nothing wrong with their tradition to wash hands before eating bread, their tradition blinded them to the fact that no sin was committed by one not washing his hands. The other tradition that Jesus cited led to a direct violation of God’s law. Yet their tradition blinded them to their sin of failing to honor their father and mother.
Jesus connected their traditionalism with the prophecy of Isaiah:
“You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me. But in vain do they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men’” (Matthew 15:7-9).
If we look at the context of Isaiah’s prophecy, we can see that Jesus likened their traditionalism to illiteracy.
“The entire vision will be to you like the words of a sealed book, which when they give it to the one who is literate, saying, ‘Please read this,’ he will say, ‘I cannot, for it is sealed.’ Then the book will be given to the one who is illiterate, saying, ‘Please read this.’ And he will say, ‘I cannot read.’
“Then the Lord said, ‘Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote, therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; and the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed’” (Isaiah 29:11-14).
The vision to which Isaiah referred was a warning of judgment against Jerusalem (Isaiah 29:1-10). Judgment was coming because they had removed their hearts from the Lord (Isaiah 29:13).
This warning was said to be given to two individuals – one who was literate and one who was illiterate. Both would be told to read the warning contained in the book. Both would say, “I cannot” (Isaiah 29:11-12).
We can understand why the illiterate man would be unable to understand the warning on his own. Without the ability to read the words, the message was concealed to him. But the literate (learned, KJV) man had no excuse. He could read, but tried to excuse himself because the book was “sealed.” His reverence for God was not a genuine desire to follow the Lord according to His instructions. Instead, his reverence for God was nothing more than “tradition learned by rote” (Isaiah 29:13). His tradition had blinded him to the will of God, concealing the way that was right. In essence, his traditionalism had made him illiterate.
We must be careful that we are not so blinded by tradition that we cannot see the truth that God has revealed in His word. We must evaluate ourselves, not according to what we have always done, but according to what the Scriptures teach. The word of God is the standard by which we will be judged (John 12:48), not the practices of ourselves or those who have come before us.
Rather than holding fast to the traditions of men (Matthew 15:6-9), let us hold fast to the traditions that have been handed down from above. We must heed the instruction that Paul gave to the saints in Thessalonica: “So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us” (2 Thessalonians 2:15). Do not allow yourself to be blinded by human tradition. Instead, read the word of God (1 Timothy 4:13; 2 Timothy 2:15) and follow it faithfully in all things (Colossians 3:17).
