What Was “Corban?”
Categories: Church of Christ Bulletin Articles, uncategorizedA querist asks, Can you please explain what “Corban” meant to the Jewish mind in Mark 7:11?
The text in Mark 7:11-13 (cf. Matthew 15:1-9) reads:
“But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban (that is, dedicated to the temple)”; “and you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, “making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.“
By Jewish tradition (not God’s law), one could declare his possessions “Corban” (dedicated to the temple), and therefore not subject to lien or other obligations. Some Jews took refuge in this human tradition as justification for neglecting their parents. One could say, “I can’t support my aged mother, for my money has been promised to God.”
But God had commanded them to “honor” their parents, as well as to support the temple (Exodus 20:12; cf. Ephesians 6:2). This supposedly noble gesture of dedicating possessions to God was destroyed by its use to escape obligations to parents. Jesus exposed their hypocrisy, referring to Isaiah 29:13:
“These people draw near to me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Matthew 15:8-9).
These Jewish religionists of the day could falsely accuse Jesus, and deliver him to Pilate for crucifixion, while remaining too “holy” to enter a Gentile judgment hall, “lest they should be defiled” before eating the Passover (John 18:28).
Modern “religious” counterparts abound today. One may give his contribution to the church so he feels no obligation toward a needy neighbor. Another excuses an ugly sectarian spirit because he piously “tells the truth.” In their zeal to fight what they believe to be the “fight of faith,” others may throw ethics to the wind and slander and malign their brethren. Brethren, God is not the author of such conduct (James 1:13-15).
It is Satan who convinces us we can pit one service for God against another — that we can “do evil that good may come” (Romans 3:8). We are not deceiving anyone (certainly not God – cf. Gal. 6:7) but ourselves when we brand our cause “Corban” (dedicated to God’s glory) and think this relieves us of the need to be honorable, considerate of others, and humbled in the realization of our own weaknesses (Gal. 6:1-3).
God commands us to war against sin and that war is not easy (2 Corinthians 10:3-6). Spiritual warfare is far more difficult than carnal battles, for we must control our own fleshly desires and love our enemy through the conflict (1 Corinthians 9:27; Matthew 5:44).
Saying we love them, as we violate God’s definition of love (1 Corinthians 13:4-6) is just more “Corban.”
God demands “clean hands” and a “pure heart” of those who stand before Him (Psalm 24:3-5).