Tuesday, August 7, 2018

August 7, 2018


Choose the Greater


“For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother, and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death. 11 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God) - then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”  Mk. 7:10-13

In the Old Testament, a person would bring a “korban “– a sacrifice or offering to the Tabernacle.  Korban comes from the Hebrew root word, karav, meaning to draw near, come near, or approach.  So we have a picture of worshippers coming near to the presence of God by arriving at the Tabernacle with their sacrifice.  Once offered and accepted, the korban allowed for restoring man’s relationship with God and about rehabilitating man for right relationship with people.

Jesus refers to the abuse of the korban in Mark 7 in an exchange with the Pharisees.  The focus of the Pharisees was on the disciples’ practice of eating with unwashed hands.  Jesus takes the Pharisees to task by telling them they are hypocrites and focus on the things that are of secondary importance (clean hands), at the expense of ignoring things that are of primary importance to God.  He then makes His case in Mk. 7:10-13:

“For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and mother, and, ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death. 11 But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is Corban (that is, devoted to God) - then you no longer let them do anything for their father or mother. Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like that.”

Jesus is making it clear that the Pharisees are violating the commandment of honoring one’s parents by upholding the practice of korban – a gift given to God.  In practical terms, an Israelite’s parents who may be in need would not be provided for if the adult children give their money to God as a korban, an offering.  No money would be left for the care of the parents.  By the time of Jesus, a korban had come to mean withdrawing something from its intended use in order to offer it to God.

May our focus be on the greater, or primary matters in accordance with God’s laws written on our heart.

No comments:

Post a Comment