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The Tradition of the Elders was an episode in the Ministry of Jesus, according to the Gospels of Mark (7:1–23), and Matthew (15:1-20).

Overview

Jesus did not abolish the Mosaic dietary laws, but offered an interpretation of them different from that provided by the oral tradition of the Pharisees.

The rejection of the Tradition of the Elders is one of major disagreements between Jesus and the Pharisees.

The Tradition of the Elders in ancient sources

Gospel of Mark

Mark 7:1-23 (NRSV) -- 7) Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, 2 they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. 3 (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; 4 and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) 5 So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, "Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?" 6 He said to them, "Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, 'This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; 7 in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.' 8 You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition." 9 Then he said to them, "You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition! 10 For Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother'; and, 'Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.' 11 But you say that if anyone tells father or mother, 'Whatever support you might have had from me is Corban' (that is, an offering to God)-- 12 then you no longer permit doing anything for a father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God through your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many things like this." 14 Then he called the crowd again and said to them, "Listen to me, all of you, and understand: 15 there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile." 16 17 When he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about the parable. 18 He said to them, "Then do you also fail to understand? Do you not see that whatever goes into a person from outside cannot defile, 19 since it enters, not the heart but the stomach, and goes out into the sewer?" (Thus he declared all foods clean.) 20 And he said, "It is what comes out of a person that defiles. 21 For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, 22 adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. 23 All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person."

Gospel of Matthew

Matthew 15:1-20 (NRSV) -- [1] Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, [2] "Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat." [3] He answered them, "And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.' 5 But you say that whoever tells father or mother, 'Whatever support you might have had from me is given to God,' then that person need not honor the father. 6 So, for the sake of your tradition, you make void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said: 8 'This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; 9 in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.'" 10 Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, "Listen and understand: 11 it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles." 12 Then the disciples approached and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?" 13 He answered, "Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit." 15 But Peter said to him, "Explain this parable to us." 16 Then he said, "Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? 18 But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. 19 For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. 20 These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile."

Cf. Gospel of Barnabas

[32] One skilled in the law invited Jesus to supper, in order to tempt him. Jesus came thither with his disciples, and many scribes, to tempt him, waited for him in the house. Whereupon, the disciples sat down to table without washing their hands. The scribes called Jesus, saying: 'Wherefore do not thy disciples observe the traditions of our elders, in not washing their hands before they eat bread?'

Jesus answered: 'And I ask you, for what cause have ye annulled the precept of God to observe your traditions? Ye say to the sons of poor fathers: "Offer and make vows unto the temple." And they make vows of that little wherewith they ought to support their fathers. And when their fathers wish to take money, the sons cry out: "This money is consecrated to God"; whereby the fathers suffer. O false scribes, hyprocrites, doth God use this money? Assuredly not, for God eateth not, as he saith by his servant David the prophet: "Shall I then eat the flesh of bulls and drink the blood of sheep? Render unto me the sacrifice of praise, and offer unto me thy vows; for if I should be hungry I will not ask aught of thee, seeing that all things are in my hands, and the abundance of paradise is with me." Hypocrites! ye do this to fill your purse, and therefore ye tithe rue and mint. Oh miserable ones! for unto others ye show the most clear way, by which ye will not go.

'Ye scribes and doctors lay upon the shoulders of others weights of unbearable weight, but ye yourselves the while are not willing to move them with one of your fingers.

'Verily I say unto you, that every evil hath entered into the world under the pretext of the elders. Tell me, who made idolatry to enter into the world, if not the usage of the elders? For there was a king who exceedingly loved his father, whose name was Baal. Whereupon, when the father was dead, his son for his own consolation, caused to be made an image like unto his father, and set it up in the marketplace of the city. And he made a decree that every one who approached that statue within a space of fifteen cubits should be safe, and no one on any account should do him hurt. Hence the malefactors, by reason of the benefit they received therefrom, began to offer to the statue roses and flowers, and in a short time the offerings were changed into money and food, insomuch that they called it god, to honour it. Which thing from custom was transformed into a law, insomuch that the idol of Baal spread through all the world; and how much doth God lament this by the prophet Isaiah, saying: "Truly this people worshippeth me in vain, for they have annulled my law given to them by my servant Moses, and follow the traditions of their elders."

'Verily I say unto you, that to eat bread with unclean hands defileth not a man, because that which entereth into the man defileth not the man, but that which cometh out of the man defileth the man.'

Thereupon, said one of the scribes: 'If I shall eat pork, or other unclean meats, will they not defile my conscience?'

Jesus answered: 'Disobedience will not enter into the man, but will come out of the man, from his heart; and therefore will he be defiled when he shall eat forbidden food.'

Then said one of the doctors: 'Master, thou hast spoken much against idolatry as though the people of Israel had idols, and so thou hast done us wrong.'

Jesus answered: 'I know well that in Israel to-day there are not statues of wood; but there are statues of flesh.'

Then answered all the scribes in wrath: 'And so we are idolaters?'

Jesus answered: 'Verily I say unto you, the precept saith not "Thou shalt worship," but "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, and with all thy heart, and with all thy mind." Is this true?' said Jesus.

'It is true,' answered every one.

The Tradition of the Elders in Scholarship

The Tradition of the Elders in Fiction

External links

• [ Wikipedia]