The inspired Word of God is useful in so many ways. Paul told Timothy that it was good for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and even training in righteousness. God’s Word equips us to do the good works he’s prepared in advance for us to do. I think that’s why in looking at the way the Old Testament is quoted in the New Testament, I’m always amazed at how the same verse can be used to speak to different issues or make completely different points. That’s what we have today as one of the Ten Commandments is quoted both by Jesus and Paul.
Attacked from Within
Jesus was gaining a following, and the religious leaders of his day did not take kindly to the teaching of this radical rabbi. Some of the Pharisees even dared to leave the comfort of Jerusalem to check things out for themselves, and Matthew and Mark both recorded the encounter. I’m going to use Mark’s account, as I like how he worded things.
In their attempt to catch Jesus out and find a cause to accuse him of breaking the Law of Moses, they noticed that some of his disciples were eating bread without first washing their hands. Mark makes a note to his readers that the Pharisees were very persnickety about being ceremonially clean, so it’s obvious that it was important to them.
“Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders, instead of eating bread with ceremonially unclean hands?”
Mark 7:5 CSB
The Response from the Word
Jesus wasn’t surprised at their line of attack, and he wanted them to be clear that God had a comeback.
He answered them, “Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines human commands.
Mark 7:6-7
In quoting Isaiah 29:13, Jesus is letting them know that their “ceremonial” washing has no correlation to the state of their hearts. He then takes them further back to The Law that God gave to Moses in contrast to the traditions of men that the Pharisees made into laws to oppress the people.
He also said to them, “You have a fine way of invalidating God’s command in order to set up your tradition! For Moses said: Honor your father and your mother; and Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death. But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or mother: Whatever benefit you might have received from me is corban’” (that is, an offering devoted to God), “you no longer let him do anything for his father or mother. You nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many other similar things.”
Mark 7:9-13
By referring to the fifth commandment, Jesus is telling the Pharisees that they have twisted and nullified God’s Word by their own traditions. I like the way the CSB translates verse 9: “You have a fine way of invalidating God’s command.” The Pharisees were certainly good at their deceit in suppressing the people. They are the hypocrites, not his disciples. Living by the Ten Commandments is central to keeping all laws, and they had chosen to neglect them.
Commandments for Gentiles
Moving to Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus, the same verse is also used in guiding this Gentile church in Christian living. Again, the Ten Commandments are applicable to not only Jewish life but Christian life.
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, because this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with a promise, so that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life in the land. Fathers, don’t stir up anger in your children, but bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.
Ephesians 6:1-4
The instructions Jesus gave to adult Pharisees, Paul gives as guidance to Gentile children. Not only is it important to honor one’s father and mother, but in doing so, God brings blessing. This is found within the original Ten Commandments, and it’s important to share with our children today. God sees the honor of parents as a good thing, worthy of blessing. Parents have their instructions too, but it starts with the child.
Commands for Our Day
The blessing found in obedience to the fifth commandment holds true for us today. The parent-child relationship is central to the blessing and security of society. No wonder that much of our media, movies, and TV shows turn this commandment on its head, as children make fun of parents, disobey them, and reverse the roles intended by God. Thus, the downfall of the family is set in motion and life expectancy drops, as the nuclear family structure is destroyed from within.
Let us return to the fifth commandment, turning from our own acts of hypocrisy in trying to create our own rules for living, and remember that it’s only in following God’s law that we receive blessing.
Grace and Peace
If you missed the last Learning from the Past post, click HERE, or start the series from the BEGINNING.
One thought on “Learning from the Past: Ten”
Comments are closed.