I have not watched Fiddler on the Roof in a long time, maybe 50 years. I think maybe I should again, especially in light of my personal theological development and deep dives into history these past many years (including Russian history).
Fiddler on the Roof is a musical set in the early 20th century in a fictional Jewish village in Tsarist Russia. The central character is Tevye, a poor milkman, who grapples with the challenges of tradition, societal change, and the evolving relationships within his family. Tevye and his wife Golde strive to maintain their cultural and religious traditions while facing the pressures of external forces, including anti-Semitic sentiments and the influence of the Russian government.
The musical is laced with many great songs – If I Were a Rich Man; Matchmaker, Matchmaker; Sunrise, Sunset* to name a few. One morning recently the opening song, Tradition, came rushing to mind. I was reading the seventh chapter of the gospel of Mark…
A short overview of events in Mark 7: Several religious leaders had traveled from Jerusalem to the Galilee area to check out the new itinerant rabbi, Jesus. One can assume that word had gotten back to them in Jerusalem that this rabbi was doing some unique things. They might have arrived to validate Jesus’ ministry. Or they made the trek to check up on rumors that were filtering up to Jerusalem – that this rabbi was doing things differently and not following the acceptable rules of being a rabbi. In reading Mark’s narrative, I suspect the latter.
Upon their arrival, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law saw some of Jesus’ disciples (apprentices) eating food with unwashed and thus defiled hands. This was contrary to the tradition of the elders. In first-century Jewish tradition, much effort was exerted in the avoidance of defilement. To them, defilement was profanity. They weren’t concerned as much with personal hygiene as they were with setting themselves apart from the Gentiles that lived among them (Romans, et. al.). The word for “defiled,” koinos (“common”), signifies that the disciples had not set themselves apart for God by making themselves ritually pure. Since a rabbi trains his apprentices, their question was a not-so-subtle critique of Jesus’ teaching as contrary to Jewish tradition. So they flat-out asked Jesus,
“Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?” (Mark 7:5)
They challenged Jesus by using their oral traditions as a standard by which to evaluate the actions of his disciples. Jesus responded to their challenge with a challenge of his own, pointing them to the actual scripture…
Jesus replied, Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.”
As if Isaiah’s rebuke wasn’t enough, Jesus drove the point home: You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions (Mark 7:8). He went on to remind them of a particular instance where they allowed their traditions to trump their God-given responsibilities to honor and care for their parents.
The operative word in this discourse is tradition, the tradition of the elders. Adherence to these oral traditions was how the people set themselves apart for God amid foreign occupation. This orally developed “law” was not law at all. It was extra stuff that infiltrated the rich and authentic law prescribed by God – a law not meant for differentiation but as a guide for God’s people to follow faithfully.
God’s commands were trumped by tradition.
Were “traditions of the elders” simply a first-century issue? Not at all. History reveals teachings/traditions that were merely human developments (seemingly useful) which, in time, trumped God’s word. A simple example…
Over the recent Christmas break, we had a little party with our Young Life Young Adult Campaigner (Bible Study) group. I presented them with a dozen commonly-held beliefs related to our Christmas tradition in trivia form. They were simple questions like, How did Mary and Joseph travel to Bethlehem? ❄️ What did the innkeeper say to Mary and Joseph? ❄️ How many wise men came to see Jesus? ❄️ Where did the wise men find Jesus? Relying on tradition, these young people (most brought up in the Church) got these questions wrong (as did I many years ago)!
Tradition trumped scripture!
I have talked with a lot of people who are very familiar with the Word of God, but not so much with the Word that became flesh. They are familiar with the Jesus who saved us so we can join him in heaven when we die; less familiar with the Jesus who called people (us included) to follow him, to become his disciples (apprentices). Jesus’ apprentices spent inordinate amounts of time with Him, learning from him, becoming like him, and ultimately doing what he did (joining Him in his mission).
Discipleship/apprenticeship, as Dallas Willard would remind us if he were here today, has become blatantly optional. Western evangelical tradition seems to focus on our position (heaven-bound people) and not our calling to be apprenticed followers.
After Jesus told the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions, he further drove his point home with, You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!
May we become apprentices of the Word that became flesh, so as not to allow Him to be trumped by human traditions (or other ideologies).
* Which my father-in-law sang so beautifully at our wedding.
Answers:
- We don’t know how they got to Bethlehem.
- There is no mention of an innkeeper in scripture.
- We don’t know how many wise men went to see Jesus.
- In a house (Matthew 2:11)
Practical Theology Today 