And honors not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have you made the commandment of God void by your tradition.
All Commentaries on Matthew 15:6 Go To Matthew 15
John Chrysostom
AD 407
Observe, how they are taken in their own question. They say not, ‘Why do they transgress the Law of Moses?’ but, “the tradition of the elders;” whence it is manifest that the Priests had introduced many new things, although Moses had said, “Ye shall not add ought to the word which I set before you this day, neither shall ye take ought away from it;” and when they ought to have been set free from observances, then they bound themselves by many more; fearing lest any should take away their rule and power, they sought to increase the awe in which they were held, by setting themselves forth as legislators.
Christ made no excuse for them, but immediately brought a counter charge, hewing that he that sins in great things ought not to take offence at the slight sins of others. "He answered and said unto them, Why do yealso transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? "He says not that they do well to transgress that He may not give room for calumny; nor on the other hand does He condemn what the Apostles had done, that He may not sanction their traditions; nor again does He bring any charge directly against them of old, that they might not put Him from them as a calumniator; but He points His reproof against those who had come to Him; thus at the same time touching the elders who had laiddown such a tradition; saying,
