There are two important traditions going on in today’s gospel. The first is the long standing tradition of the most important commandments: love God and love neighbor. But at the same time there are traditions that arose after the Torah. And Jesus is pointing out the primacy of the tradition he mentions: loving God and neighbor. No, it is not right to shield money for the Temple at the expense of caring for your parents. The law and faith in God is not firstly for external observance — it is for internal conversion.
It’s the inside that matters
Photo by Ashley Whitlatch on Unsplash