Jesus Illustrates His Point From A Specific Example (7:9-13).
Here Jesus takes one outstanding example of their attitude which may well have had in mind a recent case known to all which had become infamous.
Analysis.
a And He said to them, “Full well do you reject the commandment of God, so that you may keep your tradition (Mark 7:9).
b For Moses said, “Honour your father and your mother”, and, “He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him die the death” (Mark 7:10).
c But you say, “If a man shall say to his father or his mother, “That by which you might have benefited by me is Corban, that is to say, Given to God” (Mark 7:11).
b “You no longer expect him to do anything for his father or his mother (Mark 7:12).
a “Making void the word of God by your tradition, which you have delivered: and many similar things you do” (Mark 7:13).
Note that in ‘a' they are seen as rejecting the commandment of God in order to keep their traditions, and in the parallel of thus making it void. In ‘b' He cites what the Law said about parents, and in the parallel how they actually behaved towards them in particular instances. Centrally in ‘c' He gives an example of one of their interpretations.
‘And he said to them, “Full well do you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses said, ‘Honour your father and your mother', and ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother let him die the death'. But you say, ‘If a man shall say to his father or his mother, “That by which you may benefit from me is Corban”,' that is to say, given to God, you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother, making void the word of God by your tradition which you have delivered. And many such like things you do.” '
Jesus pulled no punches. He called on an example of what their tradition was actually doing. It was in effect rejecting God's commandments, even though it appeared to be honouring God, for it was altering them to fit in with their ideas. Then having done that they fixed all their attention on observing the particular rules that they had determined, even though it resulted in breaking the main principles that lay behind it. (This is something of which we can all be guilty).
Note Jesus' emphasis on ‘what Moses said'. They claimed to honour Moses and yet set aside his teaching. The quotations are taken from Exodus 20:12; Exodus 21:17, the latter demonstrating how seriously the matter was to be taken.
The principle described here is that by which a man might avoid his obligation to his parents by a religious device. Jesus may be referring to a case that had actually recently occurred and was the talk of Galilee. The man would declare that his possessions were ‘Corban', ‘given to God.' Corban constituted a solemn Jewish oath. Once a gift was ‘corban' it was dedicated to God. Thus while useable by himself he would not be allowed to use his possessions to support his parents, for those possessions now belonged to God and when he died they therefore had to go to God. Meanwhile he retained free use of them for himself, except perhaps for a portion devoted to religious use, but could avoid his responsibility towards his parents. It was a device which could be used to get out of obligations. And as certain Rabbis had declared on this, had ‘delivered' it, if he did it he was actually looked on by them as righteous, even though he was failing to honour his father and mother, and breaking the serious requirements of the word of God.
(The Rabbis themselves would in fact later accept, as recorded in the Mishnah, that no oath could so abrogate the command to honour father and mother. That may even have been as a consequence of the publication of this criticism by Jesus although they would never have admitted it).
Alternately Jesus might be indicating a situation where a man had in a rash moment made his goods ‘Corban' as against his parents and now wished to restore the position but was being told by certain Rabbis that he could not withdraw his oath. Their decision being that the goods were dedicated to God and could not be used for the parents. Either way God's prime commandment was being thwarted, whether by the man with the connivance of certain Rabbis, or by the Rabbis themselves.
We note again that Jesus saw ‘the Law' as the commandment of God. It had to be obeyed. In contrast He saw the traditions of the elders as the traditions and precepts ‘of men', as against the Pharisees who considered them as almost of equal weight. To Jesus the word of God was primary and inspired by God, but its interpretation, where there was doubt, He saw as secondary and not so inspired, simply being men's ideas about it. To the Pharisees the interpretation as made by them was equally the word of God, and equally inspired (and often thereby supplanted it). This was the main point Jesus was contending against. He was fighting for an unadulterated acceptance of the word of God.
‘Which you have delivered.' The word means ‘handed down, passed on'. The traditions of the elders were both passed down by the Rabbis and also passed on in their verdicts. They were wholly of their making. ‘Delivered' often refers to a legal verdict.