If your want to know the future, study the past.

The Sin of Corban

Mark 7:7-9 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, [as] the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honour thy father and thy mother; and, Whoso curseth father or mother, let him die the death: But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. And ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother; Making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things do ye.

These words are rather strong. What traditions of men are held and which commandments of God are laid aside? Tradition is from paradosis which means 'giving up, giving over.. the act of giving up .. the surrender of cities' . Is Jesus upset because they wash their dishes? What doctrines and teachings are men being apart of and worshiping?

He tells you that Moses told you to honor your Father and Mother so that your days be long upon the land.

"Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee." Exodus 20:1

Jesus includes the idea of cursing Father and Mother but in the original Hebrew text we see the word qalal meaning to be of little account, be light.

"And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death." Exodus 21:17

Be of little account with what? With your Father and Mother? How are you slighting Father and Mother with the cry of Corban?

Corban was a sacrifice in Charity given to the temple in hopes that someone would be helped. It was a casting of your bread upon the water in Love and Charity so that it would, in Hope and Faith, come back to you. It was the exercise the spirit of God in love by us. It had always been a freewill offering to provide the daily bread for the deserving poor who fell on hard times.

But that is not what it had become in that time of Christ and the Pharisees or in this time of modern Christianity. It had become an accounted regulated donation or contribution given to the government temple so that when your parents were elderly or infirm or you became blind or cripple the temple would care for the needs of the poor. The Corban of the Pharisees had become like the Qurban of Rome with its free bread welfare system and its circuses for the entertainment to placate the masses. Their Corban lacked the voluntary nature of Charity to the needy and blessings of loving Honor to parents required in the early republic established by Moses. It was a neglect of their spiritually maturing responsibility to family and community. Men thought it was the responsibility of their government to take care of their family and the needy. They thought they were free of that responsibility but were trapped in a net that should have been for their welfare.

" Let their table become a snare before them: and [that which should have been] for [their] welfare, [let it become] a trap." Psalms 69:22

Those who practiced this were defying the teachings of Moses and the system of God and obviously also turning their back on the Way presented by Jesus. Any System that says we will care for your parents and you are free from that obligation is laying aside the commandment of God and in doing so they should know Full well they reject the commandment of God.

One should care for their parents not just because God says so and because your parents are in need but also because it will bless you and you shall live long upon the family land.

"And David saith, Let their table be made a snare, and a trap, and a stumblingblock, and a recompence unto them:" Romans 11:9

In the ancient and modern City State it has been common to set up temples with treasuries that care for the aged and infirm. This is a good idea for those without family to care for them. There was a tax paid to the common treasury to take care of the poor, aged and abandoned. There were even fees charged for the ownership or use of slaves and restrictions with penalties for those who dumped unneeded slaves and wards on the common welfare.

Originally Israel's civil power and responsibility was centered in the family and not in a central government. The wealth of the Nation was held by the families and managed by Fathers and Sons. The homes of the families [also called tents or tabernacles in the translated text] contained both kings and high priests. The King was the chief Elder of a family group and the princes were the Fathers of each household. The high priest was usually the eldest son or first born. But the first born of the Nation was the Levites because they stepped forward in faith answering the call of Moses to serve the Lord.

The people took care of most of the needs of the community within the families in ancient Israel. The Levites ministered to the tents of the tabernacles of the congregation. They received the sacrifices given freely by the people and those given as an offer of repentance. In turn they gave away those offerings within the scope of the daily ministration to the poor, needy orphans of society, those without sufficient family to care for themselves, or simply needing additional assistance.

"When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what [is] before thee: And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat." Proverbs 23:1-3

If people ate at the tables of these welfare states they were entangled again in the very bondage of Egypt from which God had delivered them. They were a rejection of God.

For a complete examination of what Corban was and how its ability to make the word of God to none effect see Corban.