151 Then come unto Jesus do they from Jerusalem—scribes and Pharisees—saying, 2 'Wherefore do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they do not wash their hands when they may eat bread.' 3 And he answering said to them, 'Wherefore also do ye transgress the command of God because of your tradition? 4 for God did command, saying, Honour thy father and mother; and, He who is speaking evil of father or mother—let him die the death; 5 but ye say, Whoever may say to father or mother, An offering 'is' whatever thou mayest be profited by me;— 6 and he may not honour his father or his mother, and ye did set aside the command of God because of your tradition.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Matthew 15:1-6
Commentary on Matthew 15:1-9
(Read Matthew 15:1-9)
Additions to God's laws reflect upon his wisdom, as if he had left out something which was needed, and which man could supply; in one way or other they always lead men to disobey God. How thankful ought we to be for the written word of God! Never let us think that the religion of the Bible can be improved by any human addition, either in doctrine or practice. Our blessed Lord spoke of their traditions as inventions of their own, and pointed out one instance in which this was very clear, that of their transgressing the fifth commandment. When a parent's wants called for assistance, they pleaded, that they had devoted to the temple all they could spare, even though they did not part with it, and therefore their parents must expect nothing from them. This was making the command of God of no effect. The doom of hypocrites is put in a little compass; "In vain do they worship me." It will neither please God, nor profit themselves; they trust in vanity, and vanity will be their recompence.