For God commanded, saying, Honor your father and mother: and, He that curses father or mother, let him die the death.
All Commentaries on Matthew 15:4 Go To Matthew 15
John Chrysostom
AD 407
And He said not, the elders' tradition, but your own. And, ye say; again He said not, the elders say: in order to make His speech less galling. That is, because they wanted to prove the disciples transgressors of the law, He signifies that they themselves are doing so, but that these are free from blame. For of course that is not a law, which is enjoined by men (wherefore also He calls it a tradition), and especially by men that are transgressors of the law.
And since this had no shade of contrariety to the law, to command men to wash their hands, He brings forward another tradition, which is opposed to the law. And what He says is like this. They taught the young, under the garb of piety, to despise their fathers. How, and in what way? If one of their parents said to his child, Give me this sheep that you have, or this calf, or any such thing, they used to say, 'This is a gift to God, whereby you would be profited by me, and you can not have it.' And two evils hence arose: on the one hand they did not bring them to God, on the other they defrauded their parents under the name of the offering, alike insulting their parents for God's sake, and God for their parents' sake. But He does not say this at once, but first rehearses the law, by which He signifies His earnest desire that parents should be honored. For, honor, says He, your father and your mother, that you may live long upon the earth. And again, He that curses father or mother, let him die the death. Exodus 21:17
But He, omitting the first, the reward appointed for them that honor their parents, states that which is more awful, the punishment, I mean, threatened to such as dishonor them; desiring both to dismay them, and to conciliate such as have understanding; and He implies them to be for this worthy of death. For if he who dishonors them in word is punished, much more ye, who do so in deed, and who not only dishonor, but also teach it to others. You then who ought not so much as to live, how find ye fault with the disciples?
And what wonder is it, if you offer such insults to me, who am as yet unknown, when even to the Father you are found doing the like? For everywhere He both asserts and implies, that from Him they began with this their arrogance.
