Tradition and Mark 7:1-23

  

I enjoyed reading this application comment concerning Mark 7:1-23 by David Garland in his NIVAC commentary (p. 277).

"Jesus recognized that we need wineskins—forms and traditions—to hold the wine; otherwise, we will be standing in a puddle of juice. He warned only about wineskins that become old and brittle and no longer serve their intended purpose. Traditions become evil when they run counter to God's purposes expressed in the ethical commands of how to relate to others. Traditions become dangerous when persons are blind to how they undermine God’s commands. Traditions become corrupt when people become more devoted to upholding them than obeying God's direct commands."