Are we as the “New Testament” church a bit more pharisaical than we realize, or even care to admit?  It struck me as I read chapter 15.  Verse 3 quotes Jesus, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?”  Wow.  Jesus was in conversation with leaders who were very concerned that Jesus’ disciples were not doing what had always been done.  Why had it always been done that way?  Why not?!  It is staggering to consider that they are talking to JESUS.  Are they at his feet to listen to his teaching so that they can not only walk away forever changed but be equipped to share that life-altering Word with others?  No.  They want to know why he is doing something differently, and just where he found the nerve to do so.

Reconcile that with Jesus’ words in chapter 28.  Verses 16-20 are very familiar to the church.  I think too familiar.  Not “too familiar” because we should not know well the Word of God but instead that familiarity does, as they say, breed contempt.  We as the church give this passage a quaint sub-title and claim it as our modus operandi.  Are we examining everything we do as the church through the lens of making disciples or are we too concerned with our own comfort and traditions?  I am understanding more and more that we the church cannot see the forest because there are so many trees in the way, and some churches (and some Christians) are fruitless because we too often “break the command of God for the sake of our tradition.”