What Defiles Is from the Heart

The Pharisees were that Jewish sect or part which laid utmost stress on the strictest outward observances of the law, including the traditions of man. In fact, many Pharisees and Scribes held traditional law over and above God’s law. Jesus exposes their self-righteousness as arrant hypocrites. The Pharisees and Scribes expected the disciples and Jesus to follow their ritual practices. Jesus quotes Isaiah to rebuke their hypocrisy and then gives them a concrete example of their false piety. He describes how they fail to follow the fourth commandment, “to honor your father and mother” so they can follow man-made observances.