Hmm,

What they cannot control, they will destroy.

Sounds like the left today. History does repeat itself.

Who is the left destroying today in our USA?

****

The division between Jesus and the Pharisees had never been anything less than a canyon. He came to speak the truth: they desired control. And one thing will always be true of controllers: what they cannot control, they will destroy.

While Jesus was still ministering in Galilee, an envoy of Pharisees traveled from Jerusalem to meet with Jesus on a matter of grave concern to them. They likely felt it was a mission of mercy in which they would redeem a wayward rabbi. Of course, people who seek control don’t see the world in terms of conformity with the truth or untruth but in terms of agreement with them.

Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread. Matthew 15:2

The body of strict traditions eventually supplanted the very Law it was intended to uphold. And by the time of Jesus, failure to observe this tradition was regarded as disobedience to the Law of God. Furthermore, this man-made religiosity became the means by which the Pharisees maintained the illusion of moral superiority. Ironically, their religious zeal put them at odds with God. Not only were they motivated by lust for power but their traditions very often violated the very Law they supposedly cherished.

³ He answered them,^[f] “And why do you disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? ⁴ For God said,^[g] ‘Honor your father and mother’^[h] and ‘Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.’^[i] 5 But you say, ‘If someone tells his father or mother, “Whatever help you would have received from me is given to God,”^[j] 6 he does not need to honor his father.’^[k] You have nullified the word of God on account of your tradition. ⁷ 

Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said, ⁸ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart^[l] is far from me, ⁹ and they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”^[m]10 Then he called the crowd to him and said,^[n] “Listen and understand.”         Matthew 15:3-9

The sword of truth has but one target: the heart. And when the heart of a hypocrite is pierced, it bleeds resentment…ultimately hatred. Jesus concludes his rebuke with a clarification.

Hear and understand: not what goes into the mouth defiles a man: but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles Man. Matthew 15:10-11

Source: Walk with Jesus, Charles R. Swindoll