Question 1

What is the “tradition of the elders” that Jesus is challenged about?

Accepted Answer

The “tradition of the elders” was a set of religious rules built up over time by Jewish leaders. These were not written in God’s law but were added as detailed customs, like special ways of washing hands before eating. The Pharisees treated these traditions as very important, sometimes even more than God’s clear commands. In this passage, they criticize Jesus’ disciples for not following the hand‑washing custom, showing that they cared more about outward rituals than about obedience from the heart to what God had actually commanded.

Question 2

Why does Jesus say the Pharisees make God’s commandment of none effect?

Accepted Answer

Jesus says they make God’s commandment “of none effect” because their tradition created a loophole that canceled out what God clearly said. God commanded children to honor their father and mother, which includes caring for them. But the Pharisees allowed a person to declare their goods as a gift devoted to God, so they no longer had to use those resources to help their parents. By upholding this rule, they encouraged people to ignore their real duty, so in practice God’s command was pushed aside and emptied of its force.

Question 3

What does it mean to honour father and mother in this passage?

Accepted Answer

In this passage, honoring father and mother is more than polite words. It means giving parents the respect, care, and practical help they need, especially when they are weak or in trouble. Jesus quotes both the call to honor parents and the warning against cursing them to show how serious this duty is. By allowing people to withhold support under a religious excuse, the Pharisees treated this command lightly. So honoring parents here clearly includes financial and practical support, not just speaking respectfully.

Question 4

Why does Jesus call the scribes and Pharisees hypocrites?

Accepted Answer

Jesus calls them hypocrites because they look very religious on the outside while their hearts do not truly love or obey God. They are careful about hand‑washing rules, but at the same time they set aside God’s clear commands. They honor God with their lips, saying the right words and doing religious acts, yet inside they are far from Him. By quoting Isaiah, Jesus shows that this is not a new problem. It is possible to be busy with religious activity and still be far from God when the heart and life do not match the words.

Question 5

What does it mean that their worship is “in vain”?

Accepted Answer

Their worship is “in vain” because it leads nowhere and brings no pleasure to God. They are teaching human rules as if they were God’s commands, and they focus on outward ceremonies instead of real obedience. When people put manmade traditions in the place of God’s word, they can sing, pray, and perform rituals, yet God calls it empty. True worship must come from the heart and be shaped by what God actually says. Without that, even very strict or impressive religious practices end up being useless before Him.

Question 6

What does “teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” mean?

Accepted Answer

“Teaching for doctrines the commandments of men” means presenting human rules and customs as if they were God’s own commands. In this passage, the religious leaders’ traditions about vows and washing are treated as binding and holy, even when they clash with God’s law. Instead of helping people obey God better, these manmade rules replace His word and confuse people about what really matters. Jesus warns that when human ideas are put on the same level as God’s truth, worship becomes twisted and loses its true purpose.

Question 7

What was happening when the scribes and Pharisees came from Jerusalem to Jesus?

Accepted Answer

The scribes and Pharisees had heard about Jesus’ teaching and miracles, including His recent works among the crowds. They came from Jerusalem, the religious center, to question Him and to challenge His authority. Instead of asking how to follow God more closely, they focused on a complaint about His disciples not washing their hands according to tradition. Their visit shows their growing opposition and their concern that Jesus did not fit into their system of rules, even though He was faithfully upholding God’s law.

Question 8

How does this passage warn us about religious tradition today?

Accepted Answer

This passage warns that any tradition, even one that looks very holy, is dangerous if it pushes aside what God clearly says. The Pharisees used religious language to excuse neglecting their parents. Today, people can still cling to church customs, cultural habits, or personal rules while ignoring what God commands about love, justice, mercy, and obedience from the heart. The lesson is not that all tradition is bad, but that every practice must be tested by God’s word, so that nothing cancels or weakens His commands.

Matthew 15:1

Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,

The Tradition of the Elders

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Matthew 15:1

Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,

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The Tradition of the Elders

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