Does the pastor have to wear a suit?

Genesis 37; Job 3; Mark 7; Romans 7

We once attended a church where one couple’s most important concern was that the pastor seldom wore a suit. Travels and other experiences exposed us to many traditions so we knew that in other churches, the pastor can be comfortable and accepted in whatever was worn in that culture. At times, I felt annoyed with that couple but now realize this was not a good response either.

Now when the Pharisees gathered to him, with some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem, they saw that some of his disciples ate with hands that were defiled, that is, unwashed. (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands properly, holding to the tradition of the elders, and when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other traditions that they observe, such as the washing of cups and pots and copper vessels and dining couches.) And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?” 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.” (Mark 7:1–8)

Jesus made a distinction between traditions in a way that we normally do not. We judge them on whether they are helpful in building families or communities or whether they are repressive, restrictive, or stifling. Our evaluations are based on the social effect of traditions and personal history rather than whether they are true.

In the New Testament, traditions are praised or criticized regarding their conformity to or departure from the Word of God. In the above passage and other places, Jesus condemns traditions that allow people to sidestep what Scripture clearly says. This makes me think twice about the what the pastor wears. There is nothing wrong with wearing a suit, but there is no command about it. Some Old Testament laws cover issues of clothing but the New Testament stress is not on rules but the heart.

Jesus said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:20–23)

The man who dresses to be attractive to women has a problem. The man who dresses to annoy those who do not like t-shirts has a problem. It isn’t about the clothes but about what is governing the heart. Paul talks about this in Romans 7 and how we have this old fleshy nature that wants to do its own thing (which is contrary to God and sinful) and the new nature that wants to obey God but he realizes that “nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:18–19)

Most Christians realize this inner battle. What most Christians struggle with is that line that says we have no ability to carry it out. From the time we are little, many of us hear, “You can do it” and our fleshy nature would love that to be true. It is not true. Paul knew it. I know it. The sooner I admit my weakness, the quicker I am to ask for help, to yield to the power of the Holy Spirit, to give up trying in my own strength and turn to Jesus to give me what I need. I can say with Paul:

For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself serve the law of God with my mind, but with my flesh I serve the law of sin. (Romans 7:22–25)

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me, but woe to me if I try to do it on my own. Traditions, habits, practice, and “it’s good enough” are no substitute for His strength perfected in weakness.