Some of the most startling and hard-hitting words of Jesus are found in His conversations with the Pharisees and scribes. These individuals placed such an excessive emphasis on their traditions that they could not and would not hear or accept the Word of God. Their traditions (i.e., their own personal beliefs) had become their sole guiding authority.
As anyone would imagine, the ramifications for such are almost indescribable. In Mark 7, Jesus used an encounter over a simple matter of washing hands to convey the dreadful consequences of holding to man-made traditions rather than God-given truths. “The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders” (7:3). It was not just this one tradition about washing hands; “there are many other things which they have received and hold” (7:4). They were even so bold and blind as to rebuke Jesus, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders…?” (7:5). Jesus confronted and reproved these hypocrites head-on, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition” (7:9). They held to their traditions so firmly that they could not, at the same time, hold to God.
Today, is it possible that our personal beliefs (i.e., our devotion to our own traditions) have or can blind us to the truth of God? Is it possible that what we’ve heard, what we’ve been taught, what we’ve believed for years could be influencing our eyesight and keeping us from seeing, accepting and obeying the commands of God as He has directed?
Consider what happened to two groups in Luke 7. “When all the people heard [Jesus], even the tax collectors justified God, having been baptized with the baptism of John” (7:29). They didn’t argue with what Jesus said; they just did it. But, look at the next verse.
“But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the will of God for themselves…” (7:30). This verse contrasts the obedience in verse 29 with these tradition-bound Pharisees who, rather than acknowledging God’s justice, “rejected God’s purpose for themselves” (NASB). The obedient in verse 29 accepted God’s purpose for them and were baptized. What did those who rejected the will of God do that was so severe? The rest of verse 30 reveals the answer—“not having been baptized by John.”
Sometimes it may appear the church places an undue emphasis on baptism, however, who are we to reject the will of God by rejecting His teaching on baptism? When God says that baptism is essential, that’s not man-made! That’s God!