Mar 7:6-13 | KingComments | STEP | In His answer, the Lord is not going to discuss the origin of the tradition, nor to prove its uselessness. He directly demonstrates the influence of tradition on obedience to God. For this He quotes the Word of God through Isaiah. He calls them hypocrites because of the insincerity of their striving. The Pharisees and the scribes are concerned with people’s honor and the feeling of self-satisfaction. Outwardly, they strive for perfection, while their hearts are far from God and cold. If people’s teachings become the basis for worshiping God, that worship will remain empty and fruitless. It is completely useless to Him, no matter how much man himself enjoys and is content with it. He who gives up what comes from God falls into the hands of men. Keeping people’s tradition instead of obeying God’s commandment brings about a dramatic reversal in the relationship between people. Tradition not only causes disobedience to what God has said, an ignoring of His Word, but also sets aside God’s Word. Traditions reveal itself as enemies of God’s commandment. The Lord Jesus illustrates His words with the commandment that God gave to His people through Moses regarding the respect He demands for their father and mother. He presents this commandment to them in a positive sense, honoring them, and in a negative sense, speaking evil of them. It is a clear commandment and not open to two interpretations. The leaders had invented something that allowed them to circumvent God’s commandment to honor the parents. If the parents were poor, the children had a duty to take care of them. But because of this, money was lost in the eyes of these depraved people that they could take. In their wickedness, they had designed a program to secure possession for religious purposes, while at the same time appeasing people’s conscience toward God. The Israelite, who had to help his needy father or mother with his money, simply had to pronounce the word ‘corban’ over that money. The word ‘corban’ determined that they had given their money and goods to God. God is higher than father or mother. So their money and goods fell to the religious leaders and the parents remained without help from the children. With hypocritical piety the money was consecrated to God and withheld from the parents, while it disappeared into the pockets of the Pharisees and the scribes. What diabolical manipulation lies in their invention of pronouncing the word ‘corban’ over money or goods with which people should help their parents. Here we see tradition opposed to Scripture. The Lord here treats the tradition of saying ‘corban’, not merely as something wrong toward the parents, but as a rebellious act against an explicit commandment of God, depriving it of its power. And this is just one example. The Lord could have added so many more. He does not do so, for if this example does not convince, none of the other demonstrable cases will do so, nor will all the cases taken together convince them. Their hearts are too hardened for this.

‏ Mark 7:6-13

Setting Aside the Commandment of God

In His answer, the Lord is not going to discuss the origin of the tradition, nor to prove its uselessness. He directly demonstrates the influence of tradition on obedience to God. For this He quotes the Word of God through Isaiah. He calls them hypocrites because of the insincerity of their striving. The Pharisees and the scribes are concerned with people’s honor and the feeling of self-satisfaction. Outwardly, they strive for perfection, while their hearts are far from God and cold.

If people’s teachings become the basis for worshiping God, that worship will remain empty and fruitless. It is completely useless to Him, no matter how much man himself enjoys and is content with it. He who gives up what comes from God falls into the hands of men. Keeping people’s tradition instead of obeying God’s commandment brings about a dramatic reversal in the relationship between people. Tradition not only causes disobedience to what God has said, an ignoring of His Word, but also sets aside God’s Word. Traditions reveal itself as enemies of God’s commandment.

The Lord Jesus illustrates His words with the commandment that God gave to His people through Moses regarding the respect He demands for their father and mother. He presents this commandment to them in a positive sense, honoring them, and in a negative sense, speaking evil of them. It is a clear commandment and not open to two interpretations.

The leaders had invented something that allowed them to circumvent God’s commandment to honor the parents. If the parents were poor, the children had a duty to take care of them. But because of this, money was lost in the eyes of these depraved people that they could take. In their wickedness, they had designed a program to secure possession for religious purposes, while at the same time appeasing people’s conscience toward God. The Israelite, who had to help his needy father or mother with his money, simply had to pronounce the word ‘corban’ over that money.

The word ‘corban’ determined that they had given their money and goods to God. God is higher than father or mother. So their money and goods fell to the religious leaders and the parents remained without help from the children. With hypocritical piety the money was consecrated to God and withheld from the parents, while it disappeared into the pockets of the Pharisees and the scribes. What diabolical manipulation lies in their invention of pronouncing the word ‘corban’ over money or goods with which people should help their parents.

Here we see tradition opposed to Scripture. The Lord here treats the tradition of saying ‘corban’, not merely as something wrong toward the parents, but as a rebellious act against an explicit commandment of God, depriving it of its power. And this is just one example. The Lord could have added so many more. He does not do so, for if this example does not convince, none of the other demonstrable cases will do so, nor will all the cases taken together convince them. Their hearts are too hardened for this.