The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders. When they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they wash. And they observe many other traditions, such as the washing of cups, pitchers and kettles. So the Pharisees and teachers of the law asked Jesus, “Why don’t your disciples live according to the tradition of the elders instead of eating their food with defiled hands?” Mark 7:1-5

The Pharisees were strict followers of the law. But, they added to the law “the traditions of elders.” Essentially, they created rules and made these law. If any of the people did not know the truth of the word of God, they were left to assume that the man-made rules were God’s law.

Jesus set the record straight. The Pharisees were choosing and leading people to follow human traditions versus commands of God.

You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to human traditions. Mark 7:8

This story exemplifies an importance of Biblical literacy. If one does not know the Bible, the truth, it stands to reason that there will be confusion about what it actually says. Rules and beliefs will be created by humans. Opinions will be formed about followers of Christ, and the truth will ultimately be distorted.

These manmade rules create a religion of legalism, where you work your way to God. And, the picture that this gives the outside world is anything but inviting, and rightfully so. Who would want to be part of a killjoy group of people?

This is opposite the picture of the early church found in Acts 2 and 4. People were looking at the church, seeing a group of people that they wanted to be a part of, and thousands and thousands were joining. And, at the church, there were no manmade traditions, just teaching and following the Bible.

We are all taught the famous stories like Jonah and the whale or Moses and the Red Sea, even Jesus and the cross, but, unless we dig in, we never really know what it says, never know the truth of Scripture. Every new cultural belief or manmade tradition will gain momentum, and one will be “tossed to and fro.” And, we are left to believe what others say about the Bible, like media or random posts on social media, even preachers.

so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Ephesians 4:14

An answer to stability in a world that rocks us “to and fro” is to become Biblically literate, ultimately discover what the entire book says about Jesus. Dig in and read. Knowing the truth comes from opening the book and reading it yourself. The Bible is not a killjoy, but one will never know this unless they read it themselves. The Bible is not a legalistic book of rules.

Without exception, I believe the most underutilized, underappreciated book is the Bible. Whether you are a Christian, an atheist, a believer in God, whatever, the Bible is an invaluable resource for history, a view of mankind. It is a literary masterpiece. As an avid reader of the Bible, I have learned how the practical advice of this book will lead one to a rich (not money) life.

Unfortunately, our culture has turned the Bible into a book that divides, that is full of friction. My challenge to people is to pick the book up and see what it says for yourself. The book is an underutilized gift that I discovered later in life. No matter your stage of life, wisdom of the Bible awaits.

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