Jesus Fails to Attend the Third Passover: Scribes Reproach Him for Disregarding Tradition.

{^b 13 making} void the word of God by {^a because of} your tradition. ^b which ye have delivered: and many such like things ye do.

  14 And he called to him the multitude again, and said unto them [Having been accused by the scribes and Pharisees of a breach of their tradition, Jesus points out to them generally the iniquity of tradition, for it lay within their power as leaders to remedy the whole system of things. Having done this, he turns to the multitude and answers before them as to the offense with which he is specifically charged. Thus he gives to the leaders general principles, and to the common people the single instance], Hear me all of you, and understand:

  ^a 11 Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which proceedeth out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

  ^b 15 there is nothing from without a man, that going into him can defile him: but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man.

  17 And when he was entered into the house from the multitude,

  ^a 12 Then came the disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying?

[The entire speech offended them. He charged them with hypocrisy. He showed that their tradition, which they reverenced as a revelation from God, led them into sin, and he disturbed their self-complacency by showing that the ceremonial cleanness, which was founded on tradition, and in which they prided themselves, was worthless in comparison with the moral cleanness required by God's law, which they had ignored. It grieved the disciples to see Jesus offend these reverend gentlemen from Jerusalem. Like many modern disciples their respect for men counteracted their zeal for truth.]

  ^a 11 Not that which entereth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which proceedeth out of the mouth, this defileth a man.

  ^b 15 there is nothing from without a man, that going into him can defile him: but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man.

  17 And when he was entered into the house from the multitude,

  ^a 12 Then came the disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying?

plant which my heavenly Father hath planted not, shall be up rooted up. [God had planted the law with its doctrine: he had planted the Hebrew religion as given by Moses. He had not planted the tradition of the elders; so it, and the religion founded upon it, was doomed to be rooted up.]

  14 Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit. [This proverbial expression is found in the Sermon on the Mount.tfg.cgi?section=T#">Section There it taught that the disciple could expect to attain no higher felicity than his teacher. Here it teaches the lesson of patience, and is akin to the words of David, which begin, "Fret not thyself because of evil-doers" ( Psalms 37:1 Psalms 37:2 ). The words of Jesus are full of encouragement to those who adhere to the simple teachings of God; for they show that God guarantees that every error shall be uprooted, and that every teacher of error or false religion shall participate in the judgment which uproots, and shall fall into the pit of ruin; and his disciples, no matter how numerous, shall share his fate. In this particular instance, the destruction of Jerusalem was the pit. The Jewish leaders led their disciples into it, and God uprooted their system of tradition, that the pure gospel might be sowed in the room which they occupied.]

  15 And Peter answered and said unto him, Declare unto us the parable. [The word "parable" is used here in its looser sense to indicate an obscure saying.]   ^b his disciples asked of him the parable. [They asked what he meant by the words contained in the eleventh verse.

  18 And he saith {^a said,} ^b unto them, ^a Are ye even yet ^b so without understanding also? [It was to be expected that the multitude, swayed by the teaching of the Pharisees, would be slow to grasp what Jesus said about uncleanness; but the disciples, having been so long taught of him, and having felt free to eat with unwashed hands, should have been more quick of understanding.]

Perceive ye not, that whatsoever from without goeth into the man, it cannot defile him;

  19 because it goeth not into his heart, but ^a passeth into the {^b his} belly, and goeth out into

draught? ^b This he said, making all meats clean.

  20 And he said,

^a 18 But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the man. ^b That which proceedeth out of the man, that defileth the man.

  21 For from within, out of the heart of men, ^a come forth {^b proceed,} ^a evil thoughts, ^b fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,

  22; covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye

[an envious eye] ^a false witness, railings: {^b railing,} pride, foolishness:

  23 all these evil things proceed from within, and

  ^a 20 these are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashen hands, defileth not the man.

[Thus Jesus sets forth the simple doctrine that a man's moral and spiritual state is not dependent upon the symbolic cleanness of his physical diet, much less is it dependent on ceremonial observances in regard to things eaten, or the dishes from which they are eaten. Of course, Jesus did not mean at this time to abrogate the Mosaic law of legal uncleanness. These uncleannesses worked no spiritual defilement, but were merely typical of such; for the food in no way touched or affected the mind or soul, the fountains of spiritual life, but only the corporeal organs, which have no moral susceptibility. The Pharisees had erred in confusing legal and spiritual defilement, and had added error to error by multiplying the causes of defilement in their tradition. By thus showing that legal defilement was merely symbolic, Jesus classed it with all the other symbolism which was to be done away with when the gospel reality was fully ushered in ( Colossians 2:16 Colossians 2:17 ). In saying, therefore, that Jesus made all meats clean, Mark does not mean that Jesus then and there repealed the law. The declaration of such repeal came later ( Acts 10:14 Acts 10:15 ). He means that he there drew those distinctions and laid down those principles which supplanted the Mosaic law when the kingdom of God was ushered in on the day of Pentecost. Here was the fountain whence Paul drew all his teaching concerning things clean and unclean.]

  19 because it goeth not into his heart, but ^a passeth into the {^b his} belly, and goeth out into

  20 And he said,

^a 18 But the things which proceed out of the mouth come forth out of the heart; and they defile the man. ^b That which proceedeth out of the man, that defileth the man.

  21 For from within, out of the heart of men, ^a come forth {^b proceed,} ^a evil thoughts, ^b fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries,

  22; covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye

  23 all these evil things proceed from within, and

  ^a 20 these are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashen hands, defileth not the man.

* It was a whole year.--J. W. McG.