In Mark 7:1–13, Jesus confronts the Pharisees and scribes who have traveled from Jerusalem to investigate Him. Their concern wasn’t curiosity—it was opposition. They accused Jesus’ disciples of eating with “defiled hands,” not because of hygiene, but because they didn’t follow the “tradition of the elders,” an elaborate system of rules developed to safeguard ritual purity. These traditions went beyond God’s Word, taking commands originally given to priests and applying them broadly, turning good intentions into rigid regulations.

Jesus responds by quoting Isaiah: “This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.” The Pharisees’ problem wasn’t outward behavior—they were meticulous in keeping their rules—but their hearts weren’t aligned with God. Their devotion was empty because it sought the approval of man, not the glory of God. Traditions had shifted from being helpful guides to oppressive masters, distorting God’s character and replacing His Word with man-made commands.

Jesus drives the point home with an example: the practice of Corban. By declaring resources “devoted to God,” a person could withhold them from family obligations while still enjoying them personally. In effect, this tradition provided a loophole to neglect the clear command to honor father and mother. What looked like piety was actually hypocrisy. By elevating tradition above God’s law, they were not only distorting truth but also disobeying God directly.

This passage is a mirror for us. Like the Pharisees, we’re tempted to elevate personal traditions or convictions to the level of Scripture. Sometimes we excuse disobedience with spiritual-sounding loopholes, whether in how we serve our families, our church, or even in our worship preferences. Jesus exposes these tendencies not to condemn us but to call us back to genuine worship rooted in God’s truth. The good news is that He didn’t just confront the Pharisees—He went to the cross to cleanse our hearts. The only truly clean One gave His life for the unclean, so that our hearts might be made new.

Main Idea – God desires hearts shaped by truth, not empty religion shaped by tradition.

Study Questions

1. The Pharisees elevated the “tradition of the elders” to the same level of authority as God’s Word. What other passages warn against adding to or taking away from God’s Word? Why is this so dangerous?
2. Jesus says true worship comes from hearts shaped by God’s truth (Mark 7:6–8). How can our traditions lead us to empty religion that is not connected to a heart posture of worship?
3. What are some common traditions that you have seen or held tightly to that may have been elevated to a place of authority alongside of God’s Word? What have been the results of this?
4. Jesus exposes the practice of Corban (Mark 7:9–13) as a loophole that let people neglect God’s command to honor father and mother (Exodus 20:12). What “loopholes” might Christians today be tempted to create that excuse disobedience to God’s clear commands? How does the gospel free us to obey with joy rather than look for loopholes?
5. Read Romans 3:20–24 and Galatians 2:16. How do these passages clarify why traditions and rule-keeping can never make us righteous before God? How does Christ’s perfect obedience and sacrificial death for the “unclean” give us true cleansing?