Mark 7:11-15
Mark 7:11 (KJB)
But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to
say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free.
Corban was a gift and when a person declared that the gift was Corban, then that
gift could not be used for any other purpose than the temple. If a child did not
want to help his parents, he could circumvent the command by claiming that he is
making a vow to consecrate his goods for the work of the temple. Their tradition
had stated that one could pledge their goods to the temple and be absolved from
responsibility to others. Of course, the Pharisees would not have a problem with
this because they were becoming rich by people pledging their goods to the
temple. This tradition was even worse than its theory. Children not only
neglected their own parents but were able to abscond with the money for their
own benefit. The temple vow allowed any funds or goods pledged to the temple,
which otherwise would have gone to parents to be considered Corban. The parents
received nothing while the children retained the gift for their own.
Mark 7:12 (KJB)
And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother;
This tradition had circumvented the fifth commandment. When a son did not want
to honor his parents and he took the vow that it was Corban, then because of the
vow he was also disallowed from helping them. People were not required to make
vows but if they did, they were to be kept. Therefore, those who partook of the
tradition games of the elders would not be able to help their parents. They
would not be allowed to help because the scribes would declare the vow
irrevocable and binding. So the religious leaders were actually working hand in
hand with a wicked son to prevent a mother or father from receiving biblically
mandated honor and support which was due them.
Mark 7:13 (KJB)
Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have
delivered: and many such like things do ye.
In the most favorable of circumstances, a pledge to the temple was voluntary
while the caring for the parents was a commandment. People had conveniently used
traditions to avoid what God expressly commanded in His law. The traditions of
the elders had pronounced a person free of helping their parents which was in
total opposition to the word of God. These traditions had a double delusion and
that was first, people thought that they were obeying the commandments of God
and it also led people to disregard the plain teachings of the word of God. This
is something which Christians must be on the guard for today. There are many
teachers in the world with their own religious systems and the majority of them
are against the word of God. The Pharisees had used the oral law to override the
written law of God and as a result, it cancelled out the effect of the
commandment of God which was obedience to God’s law over and before anything
else. The other delusion is that because a person does not obey God’s law and
chooses to obey a false system, they are still accountable for the laws they
fail to obey.
Mark 7:14 (KJB)
And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto
me every one of you, and understand:
Up to this point, Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees and Scribes in response to
their accusation that the disciples did not wash their hands according to the
tradition of the elders. Then Jesus calls the multitude as He begins to explain
what has just transpired and to warn them against the false religions and their
methods of disobeying God. He wants them not only to hear, but to hear and
understand so they will not be taken in by these hypocrites. They need to
understand the eternal consequences in following false religion. The opponents
did not say anything else but the fact that they were offended would be enough
to raise their ire.
Mark 7:15 (KJB)
There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but
the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.
Jesus then continues His comments on the ceremonial washing of the hands which
the Pharisees taught would make any food unclean for consumption. Jesus
clarifies that belief by stating that it is not food which defiles a man. The
word “defile” here denotes a person being “ceremonially unclean or defiled.”
Jesus is trying to disabuse the belief that food can make one clean or unclean.
He then goes on to state that the words which comes out of a man’s mouth is what
makes him unclean. The reason for this is that the words a man speaks normally
comes out of his repository of beliefs. If a man believes in evolution, he will
espouse evolution. If a man believes in creation, he will espouse creation.
Jesus is saying that the food has nothing to do with the sinful nature but it is
a heart issue. Those who are unsaved have unregenerate hearts and they will
oppose the truth of God with it. (Rom 1:21 KJV) Because that, when they knew
God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in
their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.