Never, by word or deed, did Jesus lessen man's obligation to present gifts and offerings to God. It was Christ who gave all the directions of the law in regard to tithes and offerings. When on earth He commended the poor woman who gave her all to the temple treasury. But the apparent zeal for God on the part of the priests and rabbis was a pretense to cover their desire for self-aggrandizement. The people were deceived by them. They were bearing heavy burdens which God had not imposed. Even the disciples of Christ were not wholly free from the yoke that had been bound upon them by inherited prejudice and rabbinical authority. Now, by revealing the true spirit of the rabbis, Jesus sought to free from the bondage of tradition all who were really desirous of serving God.

Hverken ved ord eller handlinger formindskede Jesus nogensinde menneskers forpligtelse til at bringe Gud gaver eller ofre. Det var Kristus, som havde givet alle lovens forskrifter med hensyn til tiende og offergaver. Medens han var på jorden, roste han den fattige enke, som lagde alt, hvad hun ejede, i tempelblokken. Men præsternes og de skriftkloges tilsyneladende nidkærhed over for Gud var et hykleri, som skulle dække over deres trang til selvophøjelse. Folket lod sig narre af dem. De bar tunge byrder, som Gud ikke havde lagt på dem. Selv Kristi disciple var ikke helt frigjort fra det åg, som var blevet lagt på dem ved nedarvet fordom og de skriftkloges myndighed. Nu søgte Jesus ved at afsløre rabbinernes virkelige sindelag at befri alle dem, som virkelig ønskede at tjene Gud, fra overleveringernes trældom.