6 and he answering said to them—'Well did Isaiah prophesy concerning you, hypocrites, as it hath been written, This people with the lips doth honor Me, and their heart is far from Me; 7 and in vain do they worship Me, teaching teachings, commands of men; 8 for, having put away the command of God, ye hold the tradition of men, baptisms of pots and cups; and many other such like things ye do.' 9 And he said to them, 'Well do ye put away the command of God that your tradition ye may keep;
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Mark 7:6-9
Commentary on Mark 7:1-13
(Read Mark 7:1-13)
One great design of Christ's coming was, to set aside the ceremonial law; and to make way for this, he rejects the ceremonies men added to the law of God's making. Those clean hands and that pure heart which Christ bestows on his disciples, and requires of them, are very different from the outward and superstitious forms of Pharisees of every age. Jesus reproves them for rejecting the commandment of God. It is clear that it is the duty of children, if their parents are poor, to relieve them as far as they are able; and if children deserve to die that curse their parents, much more those that starve them. But if a man conformed to the traditions of the Pharisees, they found a device to free him from the claim of this duty.