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Transgression of the Commandments of God

Text: Matthew 15 : 1 - 20

The scribes and Pharisees charged the disciples of Jesus with the “sin” of not washing their hands before partaking of food! They saw the “speck” of dust in the eyes of the disciples, but they did not see the plank that was in their eyes! Jesus had to solemnly charge the scribes and Pharisees with real sin!

“He answered and said to them,
‘Why do you also transgress the commandment of God
because of your tradition?'”
MATTHEW 15:3

The disciples of Jesus may have indeed infringed the tradition of the elders by not washing their hands in the prescribed ritualistic manner. As far as Jesus was concerned, that was not tantamount to sinning against God! What was most serious was the problem of transgressing the commandment of God! What made this problem even more serious was that transgression was committed because of the so-called “tradition of the elders”! If the tradition of men can cause sin, then that whole system is suspect!

Was Jesus being mean or was He just being plain and honest in His indictment of the scribes and Pharisees? Would He actually be able to prove that they had indeed transgressed the commandments of God? Let us consider what He said to substantiate His charge.

“For God commanded, saying,
‘Honour your father and your mother’;
and, ‘He who curses father or mother,
let him be put to death.'”
MATTHEW 15:4

Jesus was quoting the fifth commandment of the Decalogue (Cf. Exodus 20:12). The Decalogue was something that even children knew well. The Ten Commandments were taught to children from a very young age!

He then went to cite the penalty of breaking this clear commandment of God. The judgment of the transgressor is most severe! Death could be pronounced on the wicked perpetrator found guilty of cursing father or mother. Jesus knew the Written Law well. He was citing from memory what Moses wrote to explain the significance of the fifth commandment (Cf. Exodus 21:17). Jesus charged the scribes and Pharisees of breaking the fifth commandment! If they were to be judged they would be deserving of the death penalty!

HOW THE LAWS OF GOD WERE SUBTLY BROKEN

Jesus knew very well just how the scribes and Pharisees went about breaking the laws of God. They did not break them in a crude manner. They used great subtlety in breaking the commandments of God. Jesus exposed the manner in which the scribes and Pharisees broke the Written Law through their traditions.

“But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother,
“Whatever profit you might have received from me
is a gift to God” –
then he need not honour his father or mother.’
Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect
by your tradition.”
MATTHEW 15:5-6

1. Awareness of the Written Law

The scribes and the Pharisees were obviously aware of the Written Law. They could plead ignorance of the fifth commandment!

2. Invention of a special oral law

Some of the teachings of the oral law were good. Some leave much to be desired! This was one of them.

a) Invention of a law called “Gift of God” (Corban)

The oral tradition provided an “escape clause” for people not to give necessary support to their parents! They invented a law called “Corban”. They could deny support for their aged parents under this law. They can tell their parents that they have no money to give to them because the money had been offered to God as a gift!

b) God’s laws were never meant to deprive people!

God’s laws were never meant to be used in this manner! The essence of the fifth commandment was to ensure that parents in their old age would never suffer the indignity of being abandoned by their children. The law required children to show filial piety to their parents! They had to provide for them as much as possible! They are certainly not allowed to leave them without a roof over their heads! They are not to allow them to starve to death! The scribes and Pharisees by their promotion of the oral tradition of Corban effectively cut off needed support for aged parents! This was clear violation of the Written Law!

3. The commandment of God rendered ineffective

The oral tradition could be deadly at times. In this particular instance, the commandment of God was vitiated by the oral law!

a) Actual or verbal “cursing” may not be uttered

The oral tradition interpreted the Written Law in the most wooden manner. As long as a person had not actually pronounced a verbal curse on his parents, he is not deemed to have broken the law.

b) Rendering the law ineffective is transgression

As far as Jesus was concerned, they were guilty of transgressing the law by their attempts to manipulate the law.