REFLECTIONS TODAY
What is clear here is that Jesus accepts the Law in the Decalogue (Ten Commandments) as binding. What God said to Moses holds. On the other hand, Jesus assails the oral tradition which renders the true aim of the Law void. One such case is the qorban.
As Mark explains it to his non-Jewish readers, qorban means “dedicated,” a gift given to God. People dedicate some things to God, reserving them for sacred use and withdrawing them from their intended use. In a hypothetical situation suggested by Jesus, the son declares his property qorban, legally excluding his parents from its use. Should he regret his decision, he must submit his case to the Pharisees and scribes for arbitration. In this case, to satisfy God’s legal claim, the experts of the Law tell him that his vow must be honored, thus not allowing him to help his parents in need. This tradition may be based on honoring one’s vow (Dt 30:2), but this should not be used to negate the greater commandment of honoring and supporting one’s parents in their old age. There is a saying in Latin, ubi maior, minor cessat. “Where the greater is there, the lesser ceases.” Before the greater commandment of honoring one’s parents and caring for them, the qorban becomes negligible.
Gospel • Mark 7:1-13
When the Pharisees with some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus, they observed that some of his disciples ate their meals with unclean, that is, unwashed, hands. (For the Pharisees and, in fact, all Jews, do not eat without carefully washing their hands, keeping the tradition of the elders. And on coming from the marketplace they do not eat without purifying themselves. And there are many other things that they have traditionally observed, the purification of cups and jugs and kettles and beds.) So the Pharisees and scribes questioned him, “Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?” He responded, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines human precepts. You disregard God’s commandment but cling to human tradition.” He went on to say, “How well you have set aside the commandment of God in order to uphold your tradition!
For Moses said, Honor your father and your mother, and Whoever curses father or mother shall die. Yet you say, ‘If someone says to father or mother, “Any support you might have had from me is qorban” ’ (meaning, dedicated to God), you allow him to do nothing more for his father or mother. You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on. And you do many such things.”
Source: “365 Days with the Lord 2026.” E-mail: publishing@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.
