Mark 7:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Christ instructs us to ‘Have mercy on the poor’ (cf. Matt. 19:21; Mark 10:21; Luke 14:13). In contrast, Mammon urges us to ‘Strip him also of what he has.’ Christ commands, ‘Distribute what is yours’ (cf. Matt. 16:24; Mk. 8:34; Lk. 9:23), while Mammon entices, ‘Take what does not belong to you.’ This reveals the profound contradiction and the inner conflict that arises. It demonstrates the difficulty of following both paths and suggests that one must ultimately be forsaken. Christ teaches, ‘If anyone does not renounce all his possessions, he is not my disciple’ (cf. Lk. 14:33), whereas Mammon advocates, ‘Take the bread from the hungry man.’ Christ admonishes, ‘Clothe the naked’ (cf. Matt. 25:34-40; Is.

You instruct the children to tell their parents this: What you seek from me is corban, meaning set apart for God. The Pharisees, in their desire to exploit the possessions of the common people, taught the children (when these children had any belongings and their parents sought them) to respond with: I have already devoted that to God, and you must not ask for what is dedicated to God. By misleading the children and persuading them to offer part of their property to the Lord, the Pharisees caused them to disregard their parents, while they themselves used what was meant for God’s purposes. This is the very transgression the Lord condemned, as they violated God's commandments for their own selfish gain.

Those who are aware yet fail to act will face a more severe judgment. Nevertheless, committing sin out of ignorance is still perilous.

A question was raised in front of the crowd. The Lord, bypassing the specifics of the situation, initiated a discussion on the significance of traditions: ‘Among your customs, some are in conflict with the law of God.’ He highlighted the elders' regulation regarding Korban, which allowed the Jews, under a guise of reverence, to neglect the foremost commandment concerning their neighbors (Honor your father). By revealing this inconsistency with the law, the Lord wrapped up His response with a broader commentary on the essence of Pharisaical devotion, referencing the words of the prophet Isaiah about individuals who honor God merely with their words, while their hearts remain distant.

The miraculous feeding of the multitude occurred shortly before the Passover. "After this Jesus walked through Galilee, for He would not go through Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him" (John 7:1). Following the third Passover, there came a day when the scribes and Pharisees arrived from Jerusalem to question Jesus. They would have traveled from Jerusalem to Galilee after the days of unleavened bread had concluded. It is likely they anticipated finding the Lord during the feast in Jerusalem, but not finding Him there, they journeyed to Galilee, where they sought and ultimately discovered Him.

The scribes and Pharisees criticized the disciples of Jesus for not adhering to their traditions, yet Jesus highlighted their intentional violation of the Law and their misleading interpretations that misguide the people. He asked them, "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?" The commandment given states: "Honor your father and mother," and it warns that anyone who speaks ill of them faces death. However, you instruct people to deny their parents’ needs while claiming to dedicate that support to God; by following your tradition, those who do this are released from the obligation of one of God's foremost commandments.