Jesus made no attempt to defend Himself or His disciples. He made no reference to the charges against Him, but proceeded to show the spirit that actuated these sticklers for human rites. He gave them an example of what they were repeatedly doing, and had done just before coming in search of Him. "Full well ye reject the commandment of God," He said, "that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honor 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 aught for his father or his mother." They set aside the fifth commandment as of 397 no consequence, but were very exact in carrying out the traditions of the elders. They taught the people that the devotion of their property to the temple was a duty more sacred than even the support of their parents; and that, however great the necessity, it was sacrilege to impart to father or mother any part of what had been thus consecrated. An undutiful child had only to pronounce the word "Corban" over his property, thus devoting it to God, and he could retain it for his own use during his lifetime, and after his death it was to be appropriated to the temple service. Thus he was at liberty, both in life and in death, to dishonor and defraud his parents, under cover of a pretended devotion to God.

Jesus gjorde ikke noget forsøg på at forsvare hverken sig selv eller sine disciple. Han kom ikke med nogen hentydning til beskyldningerne, men gav sig til at påvise, hvad det var for en ånd, som drev disse forsvarere af menneskelige ritualer. Han gav dem et eksempel på, hvad de bestandig gjorde, og hvad de netop havde gjort, lige før de kom for at søge efter ham. Han sagde: "Hvor smukt, at I ophæver Guds bud for at holde jeres egen overlevering! Thi Moses har sagt: Ær din fader og din moder, og: Den, der forbander fader eller moder, skal lide døden. Men I lærer Hvis en mand siger til sin fader eller sin moder: Det, du skulle have haft som hjælp fra mig, det skal være korban (det vil sige tempelgave), så tillader I ham ikke mere at understøtte sin fader eller moder dermed " De tilsidesatte det femte bud, som om det ikke havde nogen betydning; men de var meget nøjeregnende med at rette sig efter de ældstes overleveringer. De lærte folket, at det var en mere hellig pligt at skænke sin ejendom til templet end at understøtte sine forældre, og at det var helligbrøde at tildele fader eller moder noget af det, der var blevet helliget på denne måde, hvor meget de end trængte til det. En søn, som ikke var pligtopfyldende, behøvede blot at udtale ordet "korban" over sin ejendom og på den måde vie den til Gud. Han kunne derefter benytte den til eget brug hele sin levetid, og efter hans død ville den blive overdraget til tempeltjenesten. Således stod det ham frit for, både medens han levede og efter sin død, at vanære og bedrage sine forældre under påskud af en hyklet gudfrygtighed.