Jesus Faces Up To The Scribes From Jerusalem And Warns Them Against A False Emphasis On Their Traditions Instead Of On The Commandment of God (7:1-8).
Here Jesus makes clear that ‘the traditions of the elders' are not binding on men because they are not a part of the Scriptures, but are the traditions of men. All societies build up traditions, but all need to recognise that in the end they have no binding force, and do not apply to all. It is otherwise with the word of God.
Analysis.
a And there are gathered together to Him the Pharisees, and certain of the Scribes, who had come from Jerusalem, and had seen that some of His disciples ate their bread with defiled, that is, unwashed, hands (Mark 7:1-2).
b For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands diligently, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders (Mark 7:3).
c And when they come from the marketplace, except they bathe themselves, they eat not; and many other things there are, which they have received to hold, washings of cups, and pots, and brass vessels (Mark 7:4).
b And the Pharisees and the Scribes ask him, “Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with defiled hands?” (Mark 7:5).
a And He said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honour me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. But in vain do they worship me, Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men. You leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men” (Mark 7:6-8).
Note that in ‘a' the Pharisees and Scribes grumble because His disciples do not follow the traditions of men, and in the parallel Jesus cites Scripture demonstrating that the traditions of men lead men away from the commandments of God. In ‘b' the Pharisees and all the Jews wash their hands, holding the traditions of the elders, and in the parallel they ask why His disciples do not do so. Central in ‘c' is the list of some of the things that they do.