Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 15:1-2

"Then there come to Jesus from Jerusalem Pharisees and scribes, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread." — Matthew 15:1-2 (ASV)

Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

A very remarkable omission certainly, but it seems to have struck them as a very great crime.

"They wash not their hands when they eat bread"—as if the commands of God were not enough, men must overload us with their own commands.

And sometimes, the very people who would see us break God's commands without being at all distressed are dreadfully shocked if we do not keep theirs, showing clearly that they have a higher estimate of themselves than they have of God.

Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands, when they eat bread.

When our Lord was busiest, His enemies attacked Him. These ecclesiastics “of Jerusalem” were probably the elite of their group and, counting on their great reputation, they expected an easy victory over the rustic preacher. Perhaps they were a delegation from headquarters, sent to refute the new Teacher.

They had a question to raise that may have seemed important to them, or perhaps they only pretended to think so to serve their own purposes. The traditions of the elders were very important to them. To transgress these traditions was, in their view, a serious crime indeed.

Washing hands is appropriate enough. One might wish it were practiced more often, but to elevate it into a religious rite is a folly and a sin. These “scribes and Pharisees” washed their hands, whether they needed washing or not, out of a supposed zeal to be free from any particle that might render them ceremonially unclean.

Our Lord’s disciples had advanced so far in Christian liberty that they did not observe the rabbinical tradition: they wash not their hands when they eat bread. Why should they wash if their hands were clean?

Tradition had no power over their consciences. No one has any more right to institute a new duty than to neglect an old one. The issuing of commands is for the King alone.

Yet these religionists inquired why the Lord’s disciples broke a law that was no law. It will be well if our opponents are unable to bring against us any worse charge than this.

When our Lord was busiest, His enemies attacked Him. These ecclesiastics “of Jerusalem” were probably the elite of their group, and based on their great reputation, they expected an easy victory over the rustic preacher. Perhaps they were a delegation from headquarters, sent to confuse the new Teacher. They had a question to raise, which they may have considered important—or perhaps only pretended to, to serve their own purposes. The traditions of the elders were very important to them. To violate these traditions was, in their view, a serious crime indeed. Washing hands is appropriate enough. One might wish it were practiced more often, but to elevate it into a religious rite is foolishness and a sin.

These “scribes and Pharisees” washed their hands, whether they needed washing or not, out of a supposed zeal to remove any particle that might make them ceremonially unclean. Our Lord’s disciples had so far entered into Christian liberty that they did not observe the rabbinical tradition, “they wash not their hands when they eat bread.” Why should they wash if their hands were clean? Tradition had no power over their consciences. No one has any more right to institute a new duty than to neglect an old one. The issuing of commands is for the King alone. Yet these religious formalists ask why the Lord’s disciples break a rule that was not a true law. It will be well if our opponents are unable to bring any worse charge against us than this.