Neville Goddard on Matthew 15:1-9 - Mystical Bible Interpretation

Read Matthew 15 in context

Scripture Focus

1Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying,

2Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread.

3But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?

4For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.

5But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me;

6And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.

7Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,

8This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

9But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Matthew 15:1-9

Biblical Context

The Pharisees confront Jesus about tradition and ritual washing. Jesus answers that true obedience comes from aligning with God's commandment in the heart, not outward forms.

Neville's Inner Vision

To hear these words is to watch a shift of consciousness. The scribes and Pharisees represent a state of mind clinging to form, a habit of worshiping with the mouth while the heart remains distant from the I AM that you are. The 'tradition of the elders' is only a mental rulebook; the real commandment—to honor the Source within you—begins when you refuse to barter your inner Father or your inner Mother for a convenient reputation. When you ask, 'Where is God?' the answer is, 'Right here, inside.' Your outer rites cannot reach the inner essence while you hold a belief that you are separate from the One Life. The remedy is practical: assume you are already keeping the true commandment in your heart; revise the sense of lack by feeling your unity with God; let your words reflect that truth and let your actions flow from it. In this inner alignment, worship becomes alive, not empty, and the inner heart becomes your altar.

Practice This Now

Close your eyes and place a hand on your chest. Silently affirm: I am the I AM, fully aligned with the inner Father and the life within me; feel the shift as the heart moves from lip service to living truth.