Matthew 15:1-9

Rachel Workman: 15 Some Pharisees and teachers of religious law now arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus. They asked him, ² “Why do your disciples disobey our age-old tradition? For they ignore our tradition of ceremonial hand washing before they eat.”

³ Jesus replied, “And why do you, by your traditions, violate the direct commandments of God? ⁴ For instance, God says, ‘Honor your father and mother,’^[a] and ‘Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.’^{[b] 5} But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, ‘Sorry, I can’t help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.’ ⁶ In this way, you say they don’t need to honor their parents.^[c] And so you cancel the word of God for the sake of your own tradition. ⁷ You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote,

⁸ ‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.
⁹ Their worship is a farce,
    for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.’^[d]”
Jesus answered this way because he knew their hearts. He knew they were looking to accuse him instead of asking out of a desire to understand. I think it's important for us to remember that God knows our hearts. Sometimes a no isn't because we haven't asked or that we don't deserve it. We haven't asked with the right intent. God knows our intentions even if sometimes we don't.
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John Burnett: 15 Then some Pharisees and scribes *came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, ² “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” ³ And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴ For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother is to ^[a]be put to death.’ ⁵ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been ^[b]given to God,” ⁶ he is not to honor his father or his mother^[c].’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. ⁷ You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:

⁸ ‘This people honors Me with their lips,
But their heart is far away from Me.
⁹ ‘But in vain do they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.’”  Knowing that Isaiah prophesized about you as being far away from God should sting.  It stung so much, they thought like Satan, that they could kill Him and He would go away.  Little did they know that they were defeating themselves. 

This is one reason I am not a fan of denominations.  They each have their own traditions and have strayed so far from the gospel.  I need to hear the gospel every Sunday because I have this tradition of sinning. 

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Allen Michaels: 15 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, ² “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!”

 

Over the centuries since the Jew’s return from Babylonian captivity, hundreds of religious traditions had been added to God’s laws. It’s important that we never assume that because our traditions have been practiced for years they should be elevated to a sacred standing. God’s principles never change, and his law doesn’t need additions. Traditions should help us understand God’s laws better, not become laws themselves.

 

³ Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴ For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ ⁵ But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ ⁶ they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. This was the practice or Corban which literally means “offering. (see Mark 7:11 below). Corban had become a religiously acceptable way to neglect parents, circumventing the child’s responsibility to them. Although the action—giving money to God—seemed worthy and no doubt conferred prestige on the giver, many people took the Corban vow disregarding God’s command to care for needy parents. These religious leaders were ignoring God’s clear command to honor their parents

 

But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God)—(Mark 7:11 NIV)

But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, 'Sorry, I can't help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.' (Mark 7:11 NLT)

⁷ You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

 

⁸ “‘These people honor me with their lips,
    but their hearts are far from me.

⁹ They worship me in vain;
    their teachings are merely human rules.’” (Quoted from Isaiah 29:13) “And so the Lord says, "These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.” (Isaiah 29:13 NLT)

 

When we claim to honor God while our hearts are far from him, our worship means nothing. It is not enough to act religious. Our actions and our attitudes must be sincere. If they are not, Isaiah was speaking directly to us as well.

 

The Pharisees knew a lot about God, but they didn’t know God. It is not enough to study about religion or even to study the Bible. We must respond to God himself and live by His Word.