Mark 7: 10 For Moses said, ``Honor your father and your mother,' and, ``He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.' 11 But you say: If a man says to his father or his mother, Whatever you would have been profited by me is now corban (that is, a gift to God), 12 Allow him to no longer do anything for his father or his mother. 13 Thus you deprive the word of God of its authority by your tradition which you have handed down. And many things similar to these you do.
[Part 2 of 2] By the verses above we see that the Pharisees and scribes were wrong not only in the worship of God, but even in the way they dealt with their parents. Concerning the matter of honoring father and mother, they invalidated the commandment of God through the keeping of their tradition. The word "corban" in verse 11 is from the Hebrew word qorban, an offering, a gift, signifying anything offered to God. This word is used a number of times in the first seven chapters of Leviticus, chapters that speak of the different kinds of offerings. Actually, the English word "offering" as used in Leviticus 1--7 is a translation of the Hebrew word qorban. The Lord rebuked the Pharisees and scribes for being wrong in the matter of honoring their parents and taking care of them. They actually taught others to neglect to honor their parents, and in so doing they invalidated the commandments of God. A person should spend a certain amount to take care of his parents. But according to the Pharisees and scribes, if that person made a corban to God, an offering to God, there was no need for him to take care of his parents. Regarding this tradition, the Lord Jesus strongly rebuked the Pharisees and scribes, telling them that they were invalidating the word of God by their tradition. He exposed them for not only cheating God, but also for cheating their parents. What a severe rebuke! By this rebuke the Pharisees and scribes were muzzled. (c) Living Stream Ministry.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of Mark, pp. 183-184. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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