Matthew 15:3-6

Q: In Matthew 15:3-6, what is Jesus talking about here? Were the Pharisees advocating not caring for your parents/loved ones in favor of supporting the church?

A: These verses refer to a practice among the Pharisees who had a tradition they called “Corban” (which is just the Hebrew/Aramaic word for an offering devoted to God. See the parallel in Mark 7:11 for this specific title.

The basic idea was that a person could make a special offering to God/ the temple that relieved a person of their responsibility to provide any financial assistance their parents might have needed.

It is one of the great examples Jesus latches onto to illustrate the hypocrisy of the Pharisees. Their own traditions had become more important to them than the commands of God.