Bible Verses About Tradition: Commandments of men

One Shabbat during that time, Yeshua was walking through some wheat fields. His talmidim were hungry, so they began picking heads of grain and eating them.

On seeing this, the P'rushim said to him, "Look! Your talmidim are violating Shabbat!"

But he said to them, "Haven't you ever read what David did when he and those with him were hungry?

He entered the House of God and ate the Bread of the Presence!" -- which was prohibited, both to him and to his companions; it is permitted only to the cohanim.

"Or haven't you read in the Torah that on Shabbat the cohanim profane Shabbat and yet are blameless?

I tell you, there is in this place something greater than the Temple!

If you knew what `I want compassion rather than animal-sacrifice' meant, you would not condemn the innocent.

For the Son of Man is Lord of Shabbat!"

"Why is it that your talmidim break the Tradition of the Elders? They don't do n'tilat-yadayim before they eat!"

He answered, "Indeed, why do you break the command of God by your tradition?

For God said, `Honor your father and mother,' and `Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.'

But you say, `If anyone says to his father or mother, "I have promised to give to God what I might have used to help you,"

then he is rid of his duty to honor his father or mother.' Thus by your tradition you make null and void the word of God!

(For the P'rushim, and indeed all the Judeans, holding fast to the Tradition of the Elders, do not eat unless they have given their hands a ceremonial washing.

Also, when they come from the marketplace they do not eat unless they have rinsed their hands up to the wrist; and they adhere to many other traditions, such as washing cups, pots and bronze vessels.)

The P'rushim and the Torah-teachers asked him, "Why don't your talmidim live in accordance with the Tradition of the Elders, but instead eat with ritually unclean hands?"

Yeshua answered them, "Yesha`yahu was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites -- as it is written, `These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me.

Their worship of me is useless, because they teach man-made rules as if they were doctrines.'

"You depart from God's command and hold onto human tradition. Indeed,"

he said to them, "you have made a fine art of departing from God's command in order to keep your tradition!

One Shabbat, while Yeshua was passing through some wheat fields, his talmidim began plucking the heads of grain, rubbing them between their hands and eating the seeds.

Some of the P'rushim said, "Why are you violating Shabbat?"

Yeshua answered them, "Haven't you ever read what David did when he and his companions were hungry?

He entered the House of God and took and ate the Bread of the Presence" -- which no one is permitted to eat but the cohanim.

"The Son of Man," he concluded, "is Lord of Shabbat."