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Chapter 42—Christ Foretells a Great Uprooting
This chapter is based on
Matthew 15:1-20
;
Mark 7:1-23
.
The mission of the Twelve, indicating the extension of Christ’s
work, had excited anew the jealousy of the leaders at Jerusalem. The
spies sent to Capernaum in the early part of Christ’s ministry were
put to confusion, but now another deputation was sent to watch His
movements and find some accusation against Him.
As before, the ground of complaint was His disregard of tra-
ditional precepts professedly designed to guard the observance of
the law. Among the observances most strenuously enforced was
ceremonial purification. Neglect of the forms to be observed before
eating was accounted a heinous sin.
The life of those who tried to observe the rabbinical requirements
was one long struggle against ceremonial defilement. While the
people were occupied with trifling observances, their attention was
turned away from the great principles of God’s law.
Christ and His disciples did not observe ceremonial washings.
The spies did not, however, make a direct attack on Christ, but
came to Him with criticism of His disciples: “Why do Thy disciples
transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands
when they eat bread.”
Jesus made no attempt to defend Himself or His disciples. He
proceeded to show the spirit that actuated these sticklers for human
rites. He gave them an example of what they were repeatedly doing:
“Full well ye reject the commandment of God,” He said, “that ye
may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honor thy father and
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thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the
death; 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. And ye suffer him no more aught for his
father or his mother.” An undutiful child had only to pronounce the
word Corban over his property, and he could retain it for his own
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