Bible Verse Lookup
Mk 7:3-4
Chapter 7
3
Now the Pharisees, and indeed all the Jews, never eat without washing their hands because they follow the tradition passed down from their ancestors.
4
Nor do they eat anything when they come from the market without first rinsing themselves. And they observe many other traditions as well; for example, the ritual washing of cups, pots, and plates.
Commentaries
On Tradition – On True Purity.
Jesus does not dismiss the traditions of his people, but he challenges the legalistic attitude of those who judge, discriminate, and exclude. He responds to the criticism of the scribes and Pharisees primarily with the Scriptures (6-8): prophetic tradition condemns the hypocrisy of worship without justice and of believers in the Word without consistency in their lives (cf. Is 1:10-18; 29:13; 58:1-12; Jr 7:1-28; Am 5:18-25; Zec 7). Secondly, he exposes their misuse of the Word of God for personal gain (9-13). Then, calling the crowd to him, he states that nothing in creation (external things) can defile a person; what defiles or purifies is what comes from within (14-23).