The teachings of men and worship made vain

We are reading Matthew weekly and discussing our way through this gospel. Some of us are already discussing chapter 15.

Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, "Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."
(Mat 15:1-2)

Notice that "they came to Jesus from Jerusalem" Jesus did not seek out the Pharisees and scribes in order to straighten them out. He did not go to Jerusalem and jump in their business. He did not confront them. Jesus corrects them as they come out to confront Him. This fits with what we have read in Matt. 12:13-21 where Isaiah was quoted:

"BEHOLD, MY SERVANT WHOM I HAVE CHOSEN; MY BELOVED IN WHOM MY SOUL is WELL-PLEASED; I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT UPON HIM, AND HE SHALL PROCLAIM JUSTICE TO THE GENTILES. "HE WILL NOT QUARREL, NOR CRY OUT; NOR WILL ANYONE HEAR HIS VOICE IN THE STREETS. "A BATTERED REED HE WILL NOT BREAK OFF, AND A SMOLDERING WICK HE WILL NOT PUT OUT, UNTIL HE LEADS JUSTICE TO VICTORY. "AND IN HIS NAME THE GENTILES WILL HOPE."

The Pharisees and scribes had an agreed-upon-tradition handed down to them which they were certain made clear that which was not made clear enough in the Scriptures. At the point they want to confront Jesus for violating, not the word of God, but their tradition, Jesus informs them that this very thing makes their worship vain (empty, meaningless); that they are "...teaching for doctrines the precepts of men".

And He answered and said to them, "Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? "For God said, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,' and, 'HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.' "But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother, "Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God," he is not to honor his father or his mother.' And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. "You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: 'THIS PEOPLE HONORS ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR AWAY FROM ME. 'BUT IN VAIN DO THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE PRECEPTS OF MEN.'" (Mat 15:3-9)

We know that men teach, but when what we teach (and apparently try to enforce) are the precepts of men, our hearts are adrift.