Why does Jesus tell the Pharisees this?

[MatthewG]

“Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.

Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.

For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.

When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.

And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.

Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”

He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.

And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men —the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.””
‭‭Mark‬ ‭7:1-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
​

Is there something dangerous about believing in the doctrines of men? Even placing men above God?

 

[EloyCraft]

“Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.

Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.

For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.

When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.

And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.

Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”

He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.

And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men —the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.””
‭‭Mark‬ ‭7:1-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
​

Is there something dangerous about believing in the doctrines of men? Even placing men above God?

The traditions or doctrines of men are meant to help people fulfill obligations to God. Sometimes situations or conditions people find themselves in are obstacles to fulfilling their duties to God. The man made additions are aids to fulfill God's requirements. When the obstacle is no longer a problem the tradition of men is no longer necessary.
The Scribes and Pharisees we're formulating their additions to the Law to be profitable for themselves. What's worse they wouldn't remove them when they weren't needed anymore. They wanted to keep making the money. To keep their unnecessary doctrine in place they would treat them as if they were as important as commands of God. It was all about not losing a steady stream of money or power.

 

[Desire Of All Nations]

The traditions or doctrines of men are meant to help people fulfill obligations to God. Sometimes situations or conditions people find themselves in are obstacles to fulfilling their duties to God. The man made additions are aids to fulfill God's requirements. When the obstacle is no longer a problem the tradition of men is no longer necessary.
The Scribes and Pharisees we're formulating their additions to the Law to be profitable for themselves. What's worse they wouldn't remove them when they weren't needed anymore. They wanted to keep making the money. To keep their unnecessary doctrine in place they would treat them as if they were as important as commands of God. It was all about not losing a steady stream of money or power.

That kind of rationale is dangerous. Not only does the Bible not support such a belief, God explicitly stated in the Law that nobody was to add anything to His instructions for any reason(Deut. 4:2, 12:32), especially man-made doctrines.

Furthermore, the Pharisees and other religious leaders' intentions were not selfish when they added man-made doctrines. The Pharisees recognized the fact that the Jews were routinely punished by God because of their habitually unfaithfulness towaeds His commandments, so they used the bolded rationale to keep the Jews within the boundaries of God's commandments. The problem however, is that it served to do the opposite because adding man-made doctrines to God's instructions only serve to contradict what is written and confuse people.

 

[amadeus]

“Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.

Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.

For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.

When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.

And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.

Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”

He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.

And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men —the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.””
‭‭Mark‬ ‭7:1-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
​

Is there something dangerous about believing in the doctrines of men? Even placing men above God?

There is something dangerous about walking through this time span of ours blindly! Is that what the unsaved man is doing? Should someone who has been saved still be blind?

"And he spake a parable unto them, Can the blind lead the blind? shall they not both fall into the ditch?" Luke 6:39


"Where there is no vision, the people perish..." Prov 29:18


"I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." Rev 3:18

 

[EloyCraft]

That kind of rationale is dangerous. Not only does the Bible not support such a belief, God explicitly stated in the Law that nobody was to add anything to His instructions for any reason(Deut. 4:2, 12:32), especially man-made doctrines.

I have to agree that the traditions Jesus defined as 'from men' weren't necessarily designed for profit. OTOH making profit was an issue Jesus had with them. I think it got that bad though.

 

[EloyCraft]

The problem however, is that it served to do the opposite because adding man-made doctrines to God's instructions only serve to contradict what is written and confuse people.

Jesus didn't teach that they shouldn't exist. He condemned their abuse.

 

[lforrest]

“Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.

Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.

For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.

When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.

And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.

Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”

He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.

And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men —the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.””
‭‭Mark‬ ‭7:1-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
​

Is there something dangerous about believing in the doctrines of men? Even placing men above God?

Yes. It appears Jesus is against the commandments of men when these conflict with God's commandments.

Additionally some of the commandments of God to the Israelites were deemed too much a burden to the Gentile believers. Such as circumcision.

 

[dev553344]

“Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem.

Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault.

For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the tradition of the elders.

When they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash.

And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.

Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?”

He answered and said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.

And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’

For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men —the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.””
‭‭Mark‬ ‭7:1-8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬
​

Is there something dangerous about believing in the doctrines of men? Even placing men above God?

He wasn't upset about washing hands and cups, he was upset at their accusing him of evil.

 

[EloyCraft]

The purpose for human tradition was to aid in fulfilling an obligation to God. These traditions begin as good supports that helped the Jews obey God. Over generations small industries cropped up around these man made traditions. I can imagine that ritual cleanliness may have been exaggerated for the sake of those selling things required for ritual cleanliness.

 

[Enoch111]

Is there something dangerous about believing in the doctrines of men? Even placing men above God?

Yes there is. Doctrines of men frequently contradict the Word of God, and create things which are not found in the Bible.

 

[MatthewG]

Thank you all taking time to share.