10 Feb 26 | When Tradition Replaces Obedience
Jesus exposes how religious tradition can quietly undermine God’s command when it protects appearance over love.
The Gospel: Mark 7:1-13
When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem
gathered around Jesus,
they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals
with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands.
(For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews,
do not eat without carefully washing their hands,
keeping the tradition of the elders.
And on coming from the marketplace
they do not eat without purifying themselves.
And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed,
the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.)
So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him,
"Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders
but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?"
He responded,
"Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites,
as it is written:
This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
In vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines human precepts.
You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition."
He went on to say,
"How well you have set aside the commandment of God
in order to uphold your tradition!
For Moses said,
Honor your father and your mother,
and Whoever curses father or mother shall die.
Yet you say,
'If someone says to father or mother,
"Any support you might have had from me is qorban"'
(meaning, dedicated to God),
you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother.
You nullify the word of God
in favor of your tradition that you have handed on.
And you do many such things."
Today’s Focus
This Gospel confronts the danger of allowing religious tradition to replace obedience to God. Jesus exposes how practices meant to safeguard faith can become tools for avoiding responsibility, especially when they shield us from concrete love and sacrifice. The dispute is not about ritual cleanliness, but about authority, integrity, and the alignment of the heart with God’s will. True holiness is revealed not in outward observance or religious language, but in faithful obedience that honors God through love of others.
In the Margins
Here we have Jesus and His Disciples eating while others are around. Specifically, scribes and Pharisees. These individuals would have come from Jerusalem, the center of religious authority, not local observers. They question why Jesus and His disciples do not follow the “traditions of the elders” regarding cleanliness. They are not concerned with cleanliness or the spreading of germs, this is about authority. Throughout the Gospel, they repeatedly test Jesus’ authority and teaching.
These practices emerged especially after the Exile, when Israel sought to preserve identity through detailed observance. Over time, practices meant to protect the Law began to function as the Law itself. These handwashing practices are not commanded explicitly in the Torah, particularly in Leviticus, but developed through later tradition. Mark signals this clearly through his parenthetical explanation to the reader.
Jesus does not appeal to His divine authority to shut down these critics. Instead, He quotes Scripture, specifically Isaiah 29:13. In this section of Isaiah, he is addressing people who worship correctly, but they maintain distant hearts in doing such. Jesus is noticing the same pattern here. Their lips are engaged while their hearts remain far. Jesus is calling them hypocrites.
Jesus takes it further, showing that they are ignoring actual commandments from God, but choosing to focus on these traditions. Jesus is showing the hypocrisy and misalignment of priorities.
To make His point, Jesus refers to the use of “qorban.” During this period, one could declare “qorban” and would be exempt from their requirement. It would work when a person had an obligation to financially support their parents. The person was obligated to honor them and provide their material needs. Instead of giving the support, the man would say “whatever benefit you were supposed to receive from me is qorban.” This tied up the money and support under a vow the money that should have gone to the parent would be forbidden for use for the parents. The man would still control the property and use it for himself even.
Jesus is upset with this practice as the practice itself was nullifying the word of God. It was a loophole they had used to not do what God intended. It would be like someone today having plenty of financial means, but saying “I cannot support my parents because I am giving all my inheritance left to God,” and then immediately spending said inheritance. It appears outwardly devout, while inwardly evading responsibility. Jesus is saying that the Pharisees repeatedly do these types of things.
This passage invites examination of how Jesus’ warning applies today. Jesus calls for us to follow obediently and numerous times the Old and New Testaments call for us to live in the image of God and to do His will. While it might be possible to find a loophole, we know this is wrong. Jesus’ warning is not that obedience is impossible, but that appearance without obedience is dangerous. The Gospel presses us to examine whether our religious practices lead us toward concrete love or provide cover from it.
Jesus is emphasizing the importance for us to live truly, not just on the surface. Entry into Heaven requires holiness, which we cannot achieve on our own but receive through grace. Something that none of us can achieve on our own. Jesus became the one and true sacrifice. There is no point in trying to look like we have it all figured when the intent is just for the sake of looking Holy. We should look internally and find how we can be obedient to Him regardless of how it makes us look.
Reflection Question
Where might my religious habits, language, or traditions be protecting my image of faith rather than leading me into real obedience and concrete love?
A Small Invitation
If this reflection helped you, consider sharing it with someone who may be carrying more than they were meant to.