What Defiles A Man?

OPPOSITION to Jesus becomes stronger. Not only do many of his disciples leave but Jews in Judea are seeking to kill him, even as they did when he was in Jerusalem during the Passover of 31 C.E.

It is now the Passover of 31 C. E. Likely, in accordance with God's requirement to attend, Jesus goes up to the Passover in Jerusalem. However, he does so cautiously because his life is in danger. Afterward he returns to Galilee.

Jesus is perhaps in Capernaum when Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem come to him. They are looking for grounds on which to accuse him of religious lawbreaking. "Why is it your disciples overstep the tradition of men of former times?" They inquire. "For example, they do not wash their hands when about to eat a meal." This is not something required by God, yet the Pharisees consider it a serious offense not to perform this traditional ritual, which included washing up to the elbows.

Rather than answer them regarding their accusation, Jesus points to their wicked and willful breaking of God's Law. "Why is it you overstep the commandment of God because of your tradition?" He wants to know. "For example God said, 'Honor your father and your mother;' and, 'Let him that reviles father or mother end up in death.' But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother: "Whatever I have by which you might benefit from me is a gift dedicated to God," he must not honor his father at all.' "

Indeed, the Pharisees teach that money, property, or anything dedicated as a gift to God belongs to the temple and cannot be used for some other purpose. Yet, actually, the dedicated gift is kept by the person who dedicated it. IN this way a son, by simply saying that his money or property is "corban" -a gift dedicated to God or to the temple-evades his responsibility to help his aged parents, who may be in desperate straits.

Next time: Conclusion of What Defiles A Man?

The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived, 1991