Mark 7:9-13, Traditions and Commandments Continued

9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! [To Jesus, the Pharisees falsely pretend to honor God. But their outward appearance does not align with their inward attitude of mind. In our worship, we acknowledge this fact in our Collect for Purity: Almighty God, to you all hearts are open, all desires known, and from you no secrets are hid: Cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy Name; through Christ our Lord.] 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ [At the heart of God’s law is commandment number five. Jesus will use this commandment to show how they have abused God’s law and are total hypocrites.] 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban”’ (that is, given to God)— 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.” [By a rabbinic twist of values, it was possible to vow to the temple all the money that would normally have been expended in the future on the maintenance of parents and so avoid the plain demands of duty to one’s parents. “Sorry mom and dad. I’d love to take care of you, but I’ve already promised everything in a pledge to God, so I can no longer help you.” Such human traditions make room for the depravity of the human heart that the Ten Commandments were to guard against.]