Symptom Practice
Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.
3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;
6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.
7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,
8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
10 And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand:
11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.
12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying?
13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up.
14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. 15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable.
16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding?
17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught?
18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man.
19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:
20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
Matthew 15:2-20
Alright, now I have for you some questions.
What is the question?
First, the Pharisees came with a question which was this: why don't the disciples wash their hands before they eat?
What is the issue?
At first you might be tempted to say the issue is personal hygiene or handwashing. On second thought, is it really? Jesus then goes off about a secondary issue, the treatment of the elderly. That is not the issue then either. The main issue it seems can be seen in his last statement that whatever comes out of man defiles him. This can be bad attitudes, behaviors, germs, and the like.
What are the main symptoms?
First the Pharisees went off about an issue then Jesus did too. There are equal but opposite responses then to be seen. Both sides then got everybody together and had a big meeting about handwashing and the treatment of the elders. However, both issues are equally wrong because they are all examples of the larger main issue. The symptoms then seem to be spreading from one person to the next. Perhaps addressing the whole really would solve the issue but I doubt it. It might even end up giving it to everybody since nobody has been spared the disorder.
What is Jesus doing?
Jesus is showing an example and also trying to teach. In simpler terms, he is mimicking the Pharisees' behavior when touching the issue.
Has he avoided the question?
Discussing something else while occasionally coming back to the main topic of discussion, the handwashing, is still avoiding the issue. Never in the history of evers has a question been answered by a question, response to it, long lengthy diatribe, and a nice philosophical debate.
Is there another issue behind it?
Yes, there is another issue behind it, one that he is currently feeding to the people gathered to listen. Now we have some upset Pharisees and some people worried about hand hygiene, their insides, and the elders. In addition, they have come to Jesus for the response to a question publicly that was set forth somewhat privately. In simpler, more human terms he has blown any chance he would ever have had at gaining their trust. Sure, Jesus wasn't here to make friends but rather to do the will of the Father. But this right here goes far beyond that. A popularity, disrespect, and a social influence contest isn't solving anything either, now is it.
What is really bothering the Lord?
If I had to guess what bothered the Lord, it was the sheer hypocrisy and the blind eyes turned to the issue. More than likely, if all these things were addressed, the problem would resolve and with it their physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health.
Is he really upset about the treatment of the parents or the treatment of themselves?
Ignoring a generational issue that has been swept under the rug and carefully tended with episodic guidance really isn't helping anyone's health. Here Jesus has created an episode to deal with the carefully hidden issues in the hopes of restoring both the treatment of their parents as well as the treatment of themselves as people.
Is it the fact that the people have missed something about the greater physical and spiritual condition?
The physical condition is made up of a collection of symptoms. These are things like pain, fever, nausea, and a whole host of other complaints. These are usually experienced by the body in response to disease. We have already seen the mental condition as being what troubles you down deep inside. A good example is Jesus sharing his thoughts in teaching the crowd. On a deeper symptomatic level, these complaints would be things like loud murmuring or great dispute in response to a situation. Emotional distress then are the things that you feel. These can be anything from sadness, to happiness, to anger, and hurt or anywhere in between. So also, these express themselves in a variety of ways. By washing their hands obsessively, the people had overlooked all these other complaints. Washing the hands then was a coping skill to help them regain control in the situation. The spiritual condition then is linked because the thoughts and beliefs and emotions affect things on a deeper level. It is what allows you to rest after a long day knowing you will not take ill after one time of washing your hands for God can keep you.
How are they linked?
That then is the link between the two and it is a fine one indeed.
How are they different?
The physical condition may affect the spiritual state of affairs by influencing what is seen, felt, tasted, and handled but it cannot replace the need for objective measurement and treatment of physical symptoms. Just as the spiritual, these can all lie. Therefore, you can decide something about your spiritual state based on your present situation and vice versa. That is to say, if I had a bad day today, I might assume that tomorrow will be equally worse. In fact, I might even lose hope on having another tomorrow. This then is the problem with leaving the spiritual and the physical untended.
How would you suggest the matter be tended?
Jesus has handled the issue perfectly, I believe, since he is God. If I had to be asked though, which God I am not, I would suggest answering the matter privately before proceeding to a public forum to address the additional issue.