0560514 Jesus rebukes traditions of men – Matthew 15:1-11, Mark 7:1-16, A.D. 28 Capernaum
Then there came the Pharisees and some of the scribes, who gathered together to Jesus, having come from Jerusalem. And now when they saw some of his disciples eating bread with defiled, that is, unwashed, hands, they took issue. And the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, saying, “Why do your disciples disobey and not walk according to the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” (For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they wash their hands and forearms, holding to the tradition of the elders. And they do not eat when they come from the marketplace, unless they bathe themselves, and there are many other things, which they have received to hold to: washings of cups, pitchers, bronze vessels, and couches.)
And he answered and said to them, “Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? For you set aside the commandment of God and hold tightly to the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and you do many other such things.” For God commanded and Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘If a man and whoever may say to his father or his mother, “Whatever help and profit you might otherwise have gotten from me is Corban, that is to say, a gift given and devoted to God,” he shall not honor his father or mother,’ then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother. You have made the commandment and the word of God void because of your tradition, which you have handed down. You do many things like this.” You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, saying,
‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
But in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrine rules and the commandments made by men.’”
And he called all the multitude to himself, and said to them, “Hear me, all of you, and understand. There is nothing from outside of the man, that going into him can defile him; and that which enters into the mouth does not defile the man; but the things that which proceeds out of the mouth of the man, are those that defiles the man.” If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
