He answered and said to them, “And why do you disregard the commandments of God because of your traditions?”
Jesus, answering their accusation, directs their attention to a more serious issue: in order to keep their tradition, they break God’s commandment. The Pharisees demanded obedience to rules established by them (for example, washing hands), but in reality they placed their customs above God’s word. In this reply Jesus exposes their hypocrisy, showing that their traditional teachings not only add new burdens, but also hinder obedience to God. This verse emphasizes that a tradition does not need to be kept if it contradicts God’s word. Divine truth must never be made subordinate to human customs.