Post by Mark on Nov 26, 2009 4:45:11 GMT -8
It’s important to understand a lot of things about Jewish culture in 1st Century Israel to get the sense or flavoring of what was often going on. Theological understanding and religious observance was not a constant, nor was the understanding and interpretations of
consistent everywhere. When the text reads, "the Jews said" it’s important to understand that there is no implication that the statement(s) represents all of Judaism. It was generally assumed that the most pious, learned and righteous lived and spent all of their time in Jerusalem. The farther from the City you traveled in any direction was assumed a diminishing of theological reason. Just as light fades and diminishes the farther away you get from the source, the credibility or integrity of a person’s righteousness was assumedto diminish the farther one physically lived from the Temple.
When Messiah Yeshua brought these hokey bumpkins from way up Galilee into religious epicenter of Jerusalem, it was like Chicken Little leading his flock right into the den of foxes. The slaughter was about to begin... or so they thought.
There were a great number of theological divisions within Judaism; but also a number of consistencies- if only out of deference. Many interpretations of obedience to the commands of Moses were hotly debated as to their proper application, while many traditions had become so commonplace that an impropriety might be utterly scandelous.
One such tradition was a ceremonial washing of the hands before engaging in any common meal.
The practice of mikvah, the submerising in water as a renewal and rededication to serviceability toward God, was a common practice among many sects of Judaism. The Essenes were most well known for this in that they required this ceremonial cleansing at least every day. Other sects did not consider themselves less clean or less pious- in fact more the opposite. Since the cleansing was considered by most a ritual act representing a heart renewal, it was the common practice to wash one’s hands as sort of a mini-mikvah before the common meals. Such was a public demonstration that one has done his business with God and is righteous- fit company for those seeking to live righteously.
Since, in the northern farm country, such ritual would have been luxurious, if not extravagant, it was less and less a practice the farther away from Jerusalem, thus lending to the earlier assumption. This kind of disparity made Yeshua’s disciples easy pickins.
"Why do your disciples abandon the traditions of the elders by not washing ther hands?" the Pharisees in particular demanded.
It’s worth noting that this accusation was not lowered on the basis of their own expectation. It was the "tradition of the elders" that they were protecting. Messiah’s response doesn’t deflect from their intent:
"Why do you violate the commandment of God by your own tradition?"
It’s normal to be concerned about the way others perceive you. It’s important to be gracious and respectful of the customs of those with whom you are associating. But more importantly, we must always be aware of whose servant are we really.
