by:
06/16/2025
0
“You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men” (v8). Jesus constantly corrected the mistaken, twisted, human ideas about God and religion. Although given the true Word of God (v13), the Pharisees and other religious leaders had ignored the heart of the message and emphasized human concerns: looking righteous, cleaning the “outside”, being part of the right group. They manipulated people, encouraging them to give temple gifts rather than help their elderly parents (v12).
“This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me” (v7). Quoting from Isaiah, Jesus warns against shallow, empty religion. He wants us to fully surrender, so that he changes us completely from the inside out.