Mark 7:6Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Let us therefore hold fast to those who embody peace and righteousness, rather than to those who insincerely seek tranquility. As it is written, "These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me" (Matt. 15:8; cf. Is. 29:13), and again, "They bless with their mouths, but in their hearts they curse" (Ps. 61:5). Moreover, the Psalmist observes, "They flattered Him with their mouth and lied to Him with their tongues; yet their hearts were not right with Him, nor were they faithful to His covenant" (Psalms 77:36-37).

The Lord considers the very intent behind actions. For instance, Lot's wife, who turned back to gaze upon the wickedness of the world, was rendered numb, transformed almost into a pillar of salt, preventing her from progressing any further (Gen. 19:26). This is not merely a trivial or meaningless symbol; rather, it serves as a pungent reminder to those who possess the capacity for spiritual understanding.

The inquiry was made before the gathered crowd. The Lord, setting aside the specific matter at hand, began to emphasize the significance of traditions: “Among your traditions, there are some that contradict the commandments of God.” He highlighted the elder's regulation about the Korban, which led the Jewish people, under the guise of devotion, to neglect the foremost commandment regarding their neighbors: “Honor your father.” After revealing this inconsistency with the law, the Lord summed up His response by commenting on the nature of Pharisaic devotion, referencing the words of the prophet Isaiah regarding those who honor God merely with their speech, while their hearts remain distant.

The miraculous provision of food for 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). In this time frame, that is, following the third Passover, a day came when the scribes and Pharisees arrived to confront Jesus, having traveled from Jerusalem. These religious leaders likely made their way to Galilee after the conclusion of the Days of Unleavened Bread. Anticipating to meet the Lord during the feast in Jerusalem, they ultimately did not find Him there and instead set out for Galilee, where they sought and located Him.

The Pharisee's primary focus was to present himself as someone he was not. He sought to appear devout and righteous; however, genuine piety proved difficult to achieve. As a result, he engineered various methods to sidestep the demands of the law, twisting its interpretations to benefit himself, and even supplanting it with traditions established by those equally deceptive. Such individuals are rightly called hypocrites!

Without condemning the temple offerings (Matthew 5:23-24; Mark 12:44), the Lord criticized the tradition established by the Jewish scholars, which allowed them to compromise their conscience: ‘You nullify the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition, which you yourselves will violate. Is it right for you to neglect the Commandment of God in order to adhere to your tradition?