Question: Was Jesus a traditionalist?

     Answer: Our question this week is tricky in that in requires careful qualification. The word "tradition" is used in both a good and bad sense. Paul wrote, "…stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught…" (2 Thes. 2: 15). Tradition is from the Greek paradosis, a handing down. In this case, the handing down was from God through the apostles. In Mark 7, the tradition was a handing down by man (not God) and was condemned (vss. 1-13). Such tradition when bound and observed instead of God’s commandments, nullifies God’s word (vs. 13).

     Jesus was not bound by popular thinking. It was a popular belief (handing down) that all suffering was because the sufferer himself had sinned. Jesus went against such human teaching (Lk. 13: 1-5, Jn. 9: 1, 2, 34). It was common and popular to favor the rich, but Jesus denounced such a practice (Matt. 19: 16-25). Jesus was not bound by handed down teaching regarding perverted teachings of the law (Matt. 12: 1-4, 10, 13, 5: 43). Jesus not only refused to accept such thinking, but he condemned it (Matt. 5: 43, 44). Jesus crossed racial, cultural, and social boundaries which collided with the modern thinking of his day (Jn. 4: 1-27, Matt. 9: 10-13; 14-17).

     Jesus was bound by God’s law. It is indeed sad that some picture Jesus as a flagrant breaker of God’s law. Some even believe Jesus taught laying aside God’s commandments and living an unrestrained life! Jesus said, "My meat is to do the will of him that sent me…" (Jn. 4: 34). Jesus committed no sin (Heb. 4: 15). Since sin is lawlessness (failing to keep law, I Jn. 3: 4), Jesus perfectly kept the law.