Why did Jesus refuse to accommodate the Pharisees insistence on washing hands before eating bread?

Question

In the New Testament we find various rules of accommodating others in the spirit of love and peace. For example:

To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. (1 Corinthians 9:20, NIV)

I understand this to mean that to those who considered themselves still under obligation to observe some ceremonies of the law, though they had begun to believe the Gospel, Paul became like them under the same obligations.

However, when the Pharisees pointed out that the disciples did not wash there hands before eating Jesus did not accommodate them at all, but used the opportunity to show that he was in direct opposition to traditional Rabbinism.

"Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat!" (Matthew 15:2, NIV)

The question is: Why was it so important to Jesus NOT to accommodate the seeming neutral rule about washing hands before eating bread? What was the harm in accommodating the Pharisees?

Answer 1

Well, they were traditions--not commandments. Jesus actually rebuked them for rejecting the commandments of God in order to keep their traditions, calling them hypocrites for doing so.

And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.” And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! Mark 7:6-9 ESV

The problem the Pharisees had was their tradition, because in following it they believed they attained righteousness before God by their own efforts. Jesus defied the traditions and called them hypocrites to reveal that they could not attain righteousness in such manner.

Answer 2

'Rules' regarding hygiene are literally a matter of life and death. The Pharisees enforced their 'rules' strictly to ensure the health of the Jewish community. The rules became laws that separated, when less hygienic gentiles started mixing with the Jews. The Galileans followed the custom of the Greeks who did not wash their hands before eating.

According to the Pharisees only Jews went to heaven. Those that did not wash their hands were deemed defiled and not Jews. This led to a conflict that was so serious that when Eleazer ben Enoch questioned the Pharisees¹ about the washing of hands he was condemned to death by stoning but he died before the sentence could be carried out.

The Pharisees sent a legal delegation to investigate if they should declare the Disciples defiled as they did regularly especially in the Galilee and amongst the poor. Jesus had to act firmly to show that man-made laws did not determine defilement.

_{¹ Mishnah, Eduyoth 5: 6}