The Pharisees sought to exhibit their religion. They were attention seekers, presenting themselves as godly, but their inward motivation was always questionable. Although they claimed to adhere to the laws, their laws were man-made, heavy, and difficult to follow. More than that, these laws kept them away from the law given by the Lord. Thus, Jesus said, “You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition” (Mark 7:8). So, what is the commandment of God?

There had been an ongoing debate among the Israelites about which law was the most important and which is the highest law. This was a legitimate question due to the existence of numerous laws. Moses introduced 613 laws, which are recorded in the first five books of the Bible (Torah). Not content with these laws, in an attempt to provide further instruction, they developed the Mishnah, a collection of 63 books known as the tradition of the elders. To further explain these laws, they compiled 20 volumes of work called the Talmud. Though the summary of the laws is mentioned in the Bible, and Jesus himself reiterated it, people were still drawn to or pressured by these multiple commandments and their interpreters. They believed that true religion was based on following these countless commandments, which was nearly impossible.

Though Jesus heavily criticized the traditions of the elders, He said He did not come to destroy the law given by Moses but to fulfill it. By living a perfect life, Jesus fulfilled the moral laws; through His sacrificial death, He fulfilled the ceremonial laws. Christ came not to destroy the old religious system but to build upon it. He came to fulfill the Old Laws and establish the New. The New is Jesus Himself: “…we might be justified by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified by the works of the law” (Gal. 3:16). We are no longer bound by these innumerable laws but are called to have faith in Jesus. True religion is to fight the good fight to remain followers of Jesus.

God bless!