But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?
Christ answered leaders who had come seeking grounds to accuse Him over ceremonial washings by charging them with setting aside the commandments given at Sinai for human traditions handed down from generation to generation. He made the word and commandment of God, not human custom, the test of teaching and practice, forbidding any tradition that overrides obedience to divine law. Such tradition burdens people with needless rituals and restrictions, mixes error with truth until tradition is taught as God's command, hardens the heart against the Holy Spirit, and leaves outward devotion that is blind to Christ and misleading to others. The same sin is repeated in every age when tradition is used to set aside God's law, as in exalting a custom originating with Rome above the Sabbath and in letting inherited disputes displace saving truth, while Christ in His youth refused to observe, study, or place Himself under rabbinic maxims and thereby taught that evil is better prevented than corrected after it gains a foothold.
Context and Accusation
The confrontation belonged to a moment when scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus seeking grounds to accuse Him after He had stayed away from the Passover gathering. They had arranged the encounter as an attack, not as an inquiry, and His answer exposed their own guilt rather than conceding their charge.
His question charged the religious leaders with transgressing the commandment of God by their tradition, putting human tradition above the commandments given at Sinai. Inventions and rabbinic customs handed down from generation to generation were treated as more important and more binding than the Ten Commandments and the living word of God. The teachings and precepts of men were dwelt upon as more valuable than the words of the living God, while unrequired rituals burdened the people and drew attention away from the great principles of the law. By strictly enforcing ritual rules while setting aside divine precepts, they set aside and made void the law of God.
The traditions in view included ceremonial rules for washing hands and numerous added oral and human rules that God never commanded. Those multitudinous traditions, ceremonies, meaningless forms and maxims required departure from the will of God and exalted the words of men above the word of God. Yet disputes over such human rules and ceremonial details for washing were given misplaced priority, and that course helped lead to killing Christ.
The answer establishes the word and commandment of God, not human tradition, as the authority and test of religious teaching and practice. Human tradition must not be used to transgress or set aside God's commandment, nor accepted in place of God's word so as to lead into disobedience. Religious tradition cannot override obedience to divine law, and teaching that uses tradition to make God's law void stands exposed as deceptive.
How Tradition Breaks Law
The verse meets a state in which truth had become so mixed with error that tradition was taught in place of the commandments of God. Customs received by tradition had been repeated from age to age and from generation to generation until they accumulated, and long age was pleaded to turn hoary error into truth, but age does not change error into truth. Christ came to take away traditions and maxims and to remove the rubbish, to rescue truth that had been made to serve in the enemy's lines to strengthen error, to restore it to its native loveliness and set it before the people to give recovery of sight to the blind and liberty to those who are bruised.
Such tradition lays upon people unrequired rituals, needless ceremonies, meaningless usages, and clumsy and senseless restrictions. It turns the law, and especially the Sabbath, into a yoke of bondage, drawing attention away from the great principles of the law. Yet the commandments of God can consistently be kept by all without these additions.
It also distorts Scripture and burdens the divine commands by interpreting Scripture to support unrighteous conduct. It obscures clear teaching about Christ and thereby weakens respect for God's law. It treats minor matters as supremely important while undervaluing matters of eternal importance, and so undermines true morality.
Holding to human tradition instead of the word of God hardens the heart against the Holy Spirit and prevents recognition of the voice of God. This leaves outward ceremony and apparent devotion joined to spiritual blindness, separation from God, and unpreparedness to recognize the Messiah. Those in this condition mislead the people with corrupted teaching.
The customs and maxims handed down from generation to generation through the rabbis were made all-essential and were regarded as having more force than the Ten Commandments, so that the precepts and teachings of men were dwelt upon as more valuable than the words of the living God. Even Christ's disciples were constantly kept back by these maxims and customs from the advancement they might have made in supplying their great lack and becoming efficient in usefulness. The disciples rejected the elders' tradition and lifeless formalism that taught human commandments rather than divine truth.
One instance of setting aside the commandment is exalting monastic life above the duty of children to honor, love, and obey father and mother. It leads children to enter the cloister without their parents' knowledge and consent and contrary to their commands, trampling a weeping father and nursing mother underfoot to go onward. It makes homes desolate and deprives parents of the society of their sons and daughters.
Breaking the commandments by human traditions and the maxims of men leaves the soul unclothed and polluted with sin. This is the opposite of putting on the beautiful robe of Christ's righteousness and being clothed with white raiment, for divine righteousness never covers a soul left polluted with sin. The remedy is to obtain Christ's righteousness, to let sin be taken away, to lay hold by belief on the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour so as not to perish, and to prove loyalty by upright keeping of the commandments.
Warning for Later Generations
The warning reaches beyond the Pharisees, for religious leaders in every age repeat their sin whenever human tradition is used to set aside the commandment of God, rejecting the word of God to preserve tradition, hardening the heart against the Holy Spirit and losing the ability to recognize the voice of God. One such setting aside is exalting monastic life above the duty of children to honor, love and obey father and mother, leading children to enter the cloister without parental knowledge and consent and contrary to parental commands, trampling a weeping father and nursing mother underfoot, making homes desolate and depriving parents of the society of sons and daughters.
Following human tradition in place of God's commandment is transgression, and the verse applies to Sunday observance as a custom originating with Rome and promoted above divine commands, reflecting the spirit of papal conformity to human traditions and to worldly customs. Protestant churches are adopting the practice, and when church customs are backed by the state they repeat the means Rome used to exalt Sunday, joining with papal power in the coming conflict in opposing those who uphold the Sabbath and keep it. The same condemnation Christ pronounced on scribes and Pharisees for turning from the greatest Teacher to the traditions and maxims and sayings of men rests on present disloyalty shown by transgressing the holy Sabbath, caviling over the plainest statements of the word, misinterpreting and wresting the Scriptures from their true meaning, and making desperate efforts to harmonize disobedience with Scripture. The lesson the Jews failed to learn is for each person individually to heed divine authority in a Thus saith the Lord, to know what is truth, and to change from following human tradition to obeying God.
The verse warns against letting attention to inherited traditions displace attention to God's word and its saving truths, and against letting disputes over unimportant matters distract from questions that concern salvation. Those given the glorious light of truth must not let their mouth be stopped and must not accept falsehood put into the mouth because of tradition, but must speak the truth as it is in Christ Jesus, letting the Spirit of God speak without mixing in self and human ideas and opinions. Truth had been so mixed with error that tradition was taught for the commandments of God, with customs received and repeated from age to age and generation to generation until age was pleaded to turn hoary error into truth, yet age does not change error into truth, and Christ came to take away traditions and maxims and remove the rubbish, to rescue truth from serving error, restore it to its native loveliness, and bring recovery of sight to the blind and liberty to the bruised. Instead of worthless and harmful human theories, including medical theories compared with the traditions and maxims of the scribes and Pharisees, the Bible is to be studied as counselor and lesson book for greater spiritual health and clarity, with true education apart from worldly customs and human tradition, using nature as the school and the Old Testament as the lesson book to keep heart and mind open to heavenly impressions for pure character.
The same hindrance appeared in the time of John the Baptist, when the most learned rabbis brought in such a mass of human tradition in interpreting the Scriptures that traditions and maxims were exalted above the word, customs handed down from generation to generation were made all-essential and regarded as having more force than the Ten Commandments, precepts of men were dwelt upon as more valuable than the living word of God, few understood the true requirements and practiced pure principles, seekers expecting proper education became confused, and even Christ's disciples were kept back from advancing, supplying their lack and becoming efficient workers. That transgression must not be repeated in schools, which must study the word critically as the great lesson book and become what obedience makes possible, instead of patterning after already established schools or traveling again over ground gone over where evil was introduced and sanctioned, as at Battle Creek. In his youth Christ refused the multitudinous traditions, ceremonies, meaningless forms and maxims of the rabbis because they required departure from the will of God and exalted the words of men above the word of God, refusing to interest himself in them, observe them, rehearse them, become a student in their schools, or place himself under their instruction, but moving independently of their reiterated requirements, shutting their sentiments and formalities out of his mind and giving them no place to influence him. He made no direct attack in youth and would not needlessly conflict with the rabbis in a way that would weaken his later influence with the people, yet he rejected what he afterward decidedly condemned, and by not leading others where they would be corrupted he taught that it is better to prevent evil than to attempt correction after it has gained a foothold in the mind.
Christ answered leaders who had come seeking grounds to accuse Him over ceremonial washings by charging them with setting aside the commandments given at Sinai for human traditions handed down from generation to generation. He made the word and commandment of God, not human custom, the test of teaching and practice, forbidding any tradition that overrides obedience to divine law. Such tradition burdens people with needless rituals and restrictions, mixes error with truth until tradition is taught as God's command, hardens the heart against the Holy Spirit, and leaves outward devotion that is blind to Christ and misleading to others. The same sin is repeated in every age when tradition is used to set aside God's law, as in exalting a custom originating with Rome above the Sabbath and in letting inherited disputes displace saving truth, while Christ in His youth refused to observe, study, or place Himself under rabbinic maxims and thereby taught that evil is better prevented than corrected after it gains a foothold.
Context and Accusation
The confrontation belonged to a moment when scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus seeking grounds to accuse Him after He had stayed away from the Passover gathering. They had arranged the encounter as an attack, not as an inquiry, and His answer exposed their own guilt rather than conceding their charge.
His question charged the religious leaders with transgressing the commandment of God by their tradition, putting human tradition above the commandments given at Sinai. Inventions and rabbinic customs handed down from generation to generation were treated as more important and more binding than the Ten Commandments and the living word of God. The teachings and precepts of men were dwelt upon as more valuable than the words of the living God, while unrequired rituals burdened the people and drew attention away from the great principles of the law. By strictly enforcing ritual rules while setting aside divine precepts, they set aside and made void the law of God.
The traditions in view included ceremonial rules for washing hands and numerous added oral and human rules that God never commanded. Those multitudinous traditions, ceremonies, meaningless forms and maxims required departure from the will of God and exalted the words of men above the word of God. Yet disputes over such human rules and ceremonial details for washing were given misplaced priority, and that course helped lead to killing Christ.
The answer establishes the word and commandment of God, not human tradition, as the authority and test of religious teaching and practice. Human tradition must not be used to transgress or set aside God's commandment, nor accepted in place of God's word so as to lead into disobedience. Religious tradition cannot override obedience to divine law, and teaching that uses tradition to make God's law void stands exposed as deceptive.
How Tradition Breaks Law
The verse meets a state in which truth had become so mixed with error that tradition was taught in place of the commandments of God. Customs received by tradition had been repeated from age to age and from generation to generation until they accumulated, and long age was pleaded to turn hoary error into truth, but age does not change error into truth. Christ came to take away traditions and maxims and to remove the rubbish, to rescue truth that had been made to serve in the enemy's lines to strengthen error, to restore it to its native loveliness and set it before the people to give recovery of sight to the blind and liberty to those who are bruised.
Such tradition lays upon people unrequired rituals, needless ceremonies, meaningless usages, and clumsy and senseless restrictions. It turns the law, and especially the Sabbath, into a yoke of bondage, drawing attention away from the great principles of the law. Yet the commandments of God can consistently be kept by all without these additions.
It also distorts Scripture and burdens the divine commands by interpreting Scripture to support unrighteous conduct. It obscures clear teaching about Christ and thereby weakens respect for God's law. It treats minor matters as supremely important while undervaluing matters of eternal importance, and so undermines true morality.
Holding to human tradition instead of the word of God hardens the heart against the Holy Spirit and prevents recognition of the voice of God. This leaves outward ceremony and apparent devotion joined to spiritual blindness, separation from God, and unpreparedness to recognize the Messiah. Those in this condition mislead the people with corrupted teaching.
The customs and maxims handed down from generation to generation through the rabbis were made all-essential and were regarded as having more force than the Ten Commandments, so that the precepts and teachings of men were dwelt upon as more valuable than the words of the living God. Even Christ's disciples were constantly kept back by these maxims and customs from the advancement they might have made in supplying their great lack and becoming efficient in usefulness. The disciples rejected the elders' tradition and lifeless formalism that taught human commandments rather than divine truth.
One instance of setting aside the commandment is exalting monastic life above the duty of children to honor, love, and obey father and mother. It leads children to enter the cloister without their parents' knowledge and consent and contrary to their commands, trampling a weeping father and nursing mother underfoot to go onward. It makes homes desolate and deprives parents of the society of their sons and daughters.
Breaking the commandments by human traditions and the maxims of men leaves the soul unclothed and polluted with sin. This is the opposite of putting on the beautiful robe of Christ's righteousness and being clothed with white raiment, for divine righteousness never covers a soul left polluted with sin. The remedy is to obtain Christ's righteousness, to let sin be taken away, to lay hold by belief on the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour so as not to perish, and to prove loyalty by upright keeping of the commandments.
Warning for Later Generations
The warning reaches beyond the Pharisees, for religious leaders in every age repeat their sin whenever human tradition is used to set aside the commandment of God, rejecting the word of God to preserve tradition, hardening the heart against the Holy Spirit and losing the ability to recognize the voice of God. One such setting aside is exalting monastic life above the duty of children to honor, love and obey father and mother, leading children to enter the cloister without parental knowledge and consent and contrary to parental commands, trampling a weeping father and nursing mother underfoot, making homes desolate and depriving parents of the society of sons and daughters.
Following human tradition in place of God's commandment is transgression, and the verse applies to Sunday observance as a custom originating with Rome and promoted above divine commands, reflecting the spirit of papal conformity to human traditions and to worldly customs. Protestant churches are adopting the practice, and when church customs are backed by the state they repeat the means Rome used to exalt Sunday, joining with papal power in the coming conflict in opposing those who uphold the Sabbath and keep it. The same condemnation Christ pronounced on scribes and Pharisees for turning from the greatest Teacher to the traditions and maxims and sayings of men rests on present disloyalty shown by transgressing the holy Sabbath, caviling over the plainest statements of the word, misinterpreting and wresting the Scriptures from their true meaning, and making desperate efforts to harmonize disobedience with Scripture. The lesson the Jews failed to learn is for each person individually to heed divine authority in a Thus saith the Lord, to know what is truth, and to change from following human tradition to obeying God.
The verse warns against letting attention to inherited traditions displace attention to God's word and its saving truths, and against letting disputes over unimportant matters distract from questions that concern salvation. Those given the glorious light of truth must not let their mouth be stopped and must not accept falsehood put into the mouth because of tradition, but must speak the truth as it is in Christ Jesus, letting the Spirit of God speak without mixing in self and human ideas and opinions. Truth had been so mixed with error that tradition was taught for the commandments of God, with customs received and repeated from age to age and generation to generation until age was pleaded to turn hoary error into truth, yet age does not change error into truth, and Christ came to take away traditions and maxims and remove the rubbish, to rescue truth from serving error, restore it to its native loveliness, and bring recovery of sight to the blind and liberty to the bruised. Instead of worthless and harmful human theories, including medical theories compared with the traditions and maxims of the scribes and Pharisees, the Bible is to be studied as counselor and lesson book for greater spiritual health and clarity, with true education apart from worldly customs and human tradition, using nature as the school and the Old Testament as the lesson book to keep heart and mind open to heavenly impressions for pure character.
The same hindrance appeared in the time of John the Baptist, when the most learned rabbis brought in such a mass of human tradition in interpreting the Scriptures that traditions and maxims were exalted above the word, customs handed down from generation to generation were made all-essential and regarded as having more force than the Ten Commandments, precepts of men were dwelt upon as more valuable than the living word of God, few understood the true requirements and practiced pure principles, seekers expecting proper education became confused, and even Christ's disciples were kept back from advancing, supplying their lack and becoming efficient workers. That transgression must not be repeated in schools, which must study the word critically as the great lesson book and become what obedience makes possible, instead of patterning after already established schools or traveling again over ground gone over where evil was introduced and sanctioned, as at Battle Creek. In his youth Christ refused the multitudinous traditions, ceremonies, meaningless forms and maxims of the rabbis because they required departure from the will of God and exalted the words of men above the word of God, refusing to interest himself in them, observe them, rehearse them, become a student in their schools, or place himself under their instruction, but moving independently of their reiterated requirements, shutting their sentiments and formalities out of his mind and giving them no place to influence him. He made no direct attack in youth and would not needlessly conflict with the rabbis in a way that would weaken his later influence with the people, yet he rejected what he afterward decidedly condemned, and by not leading others where they would be corrupted he taught that it is better to prevent evil than to attempt correction after it has gained a foothold in the mind.