Pentecost 13         Mark 7:1-23 (selectvss)                9/3/06

                             “Abandon Religion”

 

Those poor unappreciated Pharisees!  They’re always getting a bum rap!  Even Jesus doesn’t seem to love them.

 

We actually know very little about the Pharisees historically. Scholars are not even certain what the word “Pharisee” means. They were one of the several sects of Judaism that existed for about two hundred years before Christ and lasted for about a hundred years after the resurrection.  They also were not the strictest sect, and were even seen by some as too liberal.

 

While the writers of the Gospels paint them in a very negative light, making them Jesus’ chief enemies, other writers of the time express a much higher opinion of them.  In fact, even Paul seems to have held them in regard as he expresses some pride in having been a Pharisee prior to his conversion.

 

What seems to be generally agreed upon by historians is that they were deeply and sincerely religious.  They were admired by the people.  They were never great in numbers or political power.  Most surely, they were experts on the laws and traditions of the Jewish faith and practiced a truly strict observance of the faith.

 

Since the followers of Jesus were also originally a sect of Judaism and worshipped in synagogues, we can imagine the tensions that would have developed between the two sects. 

 

The Pharisees provided an important and useful function in their religion.  They were the keepers of the tradition and models for the living out of the faith.

 

As is often the case though, the Pharisees took a good act too far and lost a necessary balance.  The Law had been understood originally as a gift from a loving God.  It was intended to help the people of Israel become a community and be in relationship with God and each other.  The Pharisees were keepers of the law and also sought to preserve the Jewish identity by emphasis on the traditions of the elders. But, these were human traditions, not meant to be given the same weight as the Law.   Thus, the Law became a club and tradition became a religion.

 

This is the conflict we see in our Gospel lesson today.  The Pharisees had made a religion out of tradition and are being called to abandon religion.  Religion is not the beliefs handed down by God.  Religion is a system created by humans that they hope will make them right with God.  Jesus calls for an end to religion because He will make people right with God and all people will need to do to have this relationship is believe in Him.

 

The trouble though is that tradition gives a sense of identity, security and continuity.

With so many different conquerors and so many different cultures coming into Israel, tradition helped the people, especially the Pharisees, maintain their sense of being God’s special people.  The prescribed ceremonial/ritual activities are not just something the observant did, they defined who they were.  They made the people different and special.

 

Tradition gives security.  Once one had learned the 600+ laws that comprised the tradition, a person didn’t have to struggle with what is right and what is wrong.  And, to the degree that the law/tradition could be maintained a person could feel secure in his relationship with the Almighty.

 

Roots are important to all people.  For a people with a history of wandering and being taken repeatedly into exile, some kind of continuity was vital.  While that continuity ultimately comes from belief in the true God, some needed the traditions as a more visible form of continuity or rootedness.

 

This is still true today, and it is true in Christian denominations, with factions within denominations and within individuals churches.

 

What is necessary to be considered a Christian isn’t that complex or involved.  It can even be reduced to its basics with, “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that all who believe in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)  Time could be valuably spent considering what beyond that in our belief and practice is necessary and what is adiaphora.

 

One of the great words that came out of the Lutheran Reformation is “adiaphora”.  It means, “that which is neither commanded nor forbidden.”  These are beliefs and practices that have value, usually in terms of giving a group a sense of identity and continuity, but God doesn’t require them.  As Lutherans we follow a certain order of worship which we engage in normally on Sundays, use creeds and liturgy, have ordained clergy, baptize babies, and teach children in Sunday schools.  These are important traditions, but they are not absolutely necessary to being a Christian and when given too much emphasis can take people away from the faith that makes a relationship with God possible to the practicing of a religion.

 

The importance of tradition or adiaphora can become a matter of conflict within a denomination when different regional, ethnic or cultural traditions clash after a merger.  Much of the trouble in the ELCA in the last ten or twenty years is due to such a clash.  Centralized authority vs congregationalism, high church vs low church, a literal interpretation of Scripture vs acceptance of other factors effecting the writing – all of these traditions have value, but can also turn Christianity into a religion.

 

And all of this takes place in an individual congregation as well.  Think of the traditions we practice like, sugar waffles on the first day of Sunday school, Christmas programs, Easter breakfast, the Mother/Daughter banquet.  Each contributes to our identity as people of St. Paul’s, and our continuity with the past as well as our sense of community.  But, these along with other traditions need to be held lightly so they do not become a religion for us. 

 

The day that any tradition no matter how pleasurable or well rooted defines the people of God as much as their faith or determines whether the church will stand or fall, a religion has been established.  The faithful will then abandon that religion.  We need to be watchful of our traditions and celebrate those that add to who we are, but discard those that no longer help us in our faithfulness to God.

 

I want to end with a story about a group of the faithful who had another kind of tradition that had become a religion for them.  After you hear this story consider whether there are any traditions that threaten to become religions for us.

 

A new rabbi has arrived at the synagogue.  Not long after his arrival an argument flares up between two groups.  

One faction insists that they must pray standing up.  The other responds that
 prayer is offered while sitting.

They argue back and forth.  Finally they decide to go to the new rabbi to hear what he has to say on the matter.

The rabbi hears their arguments then responds that he will study the issue and get back with them.  

As he reflects to himself, he wonders about the tradition of the synagogue.  

So he goes to the former rabbi who is now retired, explains that two groups are arguing about the proper attitude for prayer, and asks 

what the tradition of the synagogue is.

The sage predecessor responds, "That is the tradition."

His younger colleague asks, "Which is the tradition?"

"That they argue about it."