Lesson 3284

 (Lesson 3284)(12-30-20) Mark 7:1-4

    “ Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem. And when they saw some of his disciples eat bread with defiled, that is to say, with unwashen, hands, they found fault. For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders. And when they come from the market, except they wash, they eat not. And many other things there be, which they have received to hold, as the washing of cups, and pots, brasen vessels, and of tables.”

   Today’s quote relates that the Scribes and Pharisees became upset with the followers of Jesus because they didn’t wash their hands before eating. An act that violated Judean law and tradition.

    Also found in today’s quote, other than the account of Jesus’ baptism, is the first important mention of the Judean tradition of ritual washing (cleansing by, or baptizing in, water). A ritual that was required of all Jews before they were allowed to take part in certain activities, such as was related in today’s application, eating.

    Although the word “washing”, as it is applied in today’s quote, was transliterated from the Greek word, ‘baptismous’, a word derived from the Greek root word ‘baptizo', it bears the same Greek definition as does the the word baptizo itself. Both words literally mean to place something into a certain solution or condition so as to permanently alter its character.

    My point in bringing this information out is that neither the ritual of water baptism nor the ritual of hand washing have a foundation in Christianity, but rather is a tradition of the Judean religion. That ritual was picked up and incorporated into Roman Catholicism at it’s very beginning and has been erroneously handed down, and accepted by, most all of today’s “Christian” religious sects.~