Messianic Judaism Quest

See previous posts on Biblical Vs. Rabbinic Authority..

…So What is So Problematic about this?

The problem for many Messianic Jews lies in the fact that most observant Jews attribute the same divine revelation, authority, and status, to the Oral Torah as is inherent in the Written Torah.

This view is often regarded as being at the center of the conflict narrated in the Gospels between Yeshua and the proto-rabbis of the first century embodied in the Pharisaic movement. The most well known passage that illustrates this conflict is found in the book of Mark (7:1, 5-7)

“The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the Law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and saw some of this disciples easting with “unclean” – that is ceremonially unwashed hands…So the Pharisees and teachers of the Law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with “unclean hands?” He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.”

Indeed, if we were simply to glance over the numerous confrontations between Yeshua and the Pharisees it might appear that any “extra-biblical” tradition would be unacceptable. The challenge, however, is to look a bit more closely to Yeshua’s principle attaks in Matthew 23 (verses 2-3) noticing that they convey something very important to us.

“The Pharisees sit in the seat of Moses, therefore whatever they tell you, you must do and observe. But do not act as they do, for they say and do not do.”

At first glance this statement viewed in light of other comments concerning the washing of hands and traditions of the elders appears contradictory. But this need not be. The critical issue in Yeshua’s mind, I believe, was that of integrity, honesty, truth, and priority. Matthew 23:23 provides us another example:

“For you (Pharisees) tithe of mint and cummin, but you have neglected the weighter matters of the Torah, which are justice, mercy, and faith. You should have done the former, without neglecting the latter.”

The custom of tithing of herbs was a Pharisaic custom. The point is simple. Those aspect of Torah observance, while legitimate, could not be used as a substitute for the central pillars of a Torah based faith.

More to come….

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