"Why do your disciples not follow the tradition of the elders
but instead eat a meal with unclean hands?"
The Pharisees and scribes were not making this accusation because they were in that moment concerned about the holiness of the disciples of Jesus or whether or not they were thoroughly living out their Jewish identity. This critique about handwashing was really just a way to attempt to undermine the growing popularity of Jesus. Put another way, they wouldn't even really want Jesus's disciples to engage in the ritual washing, because if they had then they wouldn't have this grounds for criticism. They were quite happy to have this as an opportunity to make it appear as though Jesus was not as firmly committed to the way of holiness as themselves. This tradition of the elders may have once served as a source of spiritual renewal in the Jewish community. But at this point it seemed to be little more than a means by which the Pharisees sought to control and exert influence over the people. Even if Jesus did concede they could have smugly taken comfort in seeing him bow before the way they insisted things ought to be done.
You disregard God's commandment but cling to human tradition.
God's commandment called for individuals to love him with all of their heart, mind, and strength. But the human traditions of the Pharisees multiplied external signs of devotion in place of the commandment. It was a fact that it was easier to wash one's hands every time than to love God in the comprehensive way that the Shema demanded.
Jesus didn't have a problem with authentic religious tradition. In the Church he established Paul called for his listeners to "hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter" (see Second Thessalonians 2:15). And even before he established his Church he enjoined due deference to those who sat on the seat of Moses (see Matthew 23:2). The purpose of such authority must have been to provide an authoritative interpretation of the law of Moses. Such an extratextual interpretation could be nothing if not tradition. It was rather the case that Jesus wanted to ensure that people did not confuse tradition with faithfulness. He didn't want external performance to be a substitute for that faithful. Even merely human traditions were not necessarily evil, except when they were used to set aside the law of God and weaponized against the messiah God sent. Much less was Jesus saying that Jewish rituals had no value. He was instead saying that the value they did have was potentially lost when they regularly performed without involving the whole person.
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;
but the things that come out from within are what defile.
In a way we can be sympathetic with the Pharisees for resorting to their focus on external and performative adherence to the law. They were operating before Jesus arrived on the scene, before the grace was given that could turn hearts of stone to hearts of flesh. They therefore had to rigidly enforce certain behaviors in order to separate themselves from the nations, to keep away all apparently profane influences. The foods laws that prescribed what was required for external purity were meant to point to a need for internal holiness. And that holiness ought to have been found and recognized in Jesus himself. There should not have been a conflict between Jesus and the law that he himself had given. Rather, it should have been evident that he came to fulfill the law. Hearts that were meant to be clean, but lacked a means to achieve it, were now in the presence of the one who had the desire and the will to make it happen.
"From within people, from their hearts,
come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile."
Jesus wanted the Pharisees to recognize that they weren't evading true defilement merely by their correct ritual actions. They were checking the boxes of compliance and yet were still acting in hostility and opposition to the one whom they were meant to love above all things. If they could look at themselves and realize that there was this defilement in their hearts they would be in a better position to seek to do whatever was necessary to change. So too for us, for that matter. However much we multiple good Catholic actions, rosaries, chaplets, litanies, praying the Hours, novenas, or any number of other things which, on their own, are good, we do not grow closer to God unless our heart is actively involved and seeking to be transformed. There are assuredly rituals that we can't do without, such as attendance at weekly mass. But if our heart is not involved it is entirely possible that we will not avoid the defilements of which Jesus spoke.
The prophecy of Isaiah to which Jesus alluded did not end at condemnation. It went on to show how God himself would overcome the hardness of the hearts of his people.
For when his children see
the work of my hands in his midst,
They shall sanctify my name;
they shall sanctify the Holy One of Jacob,
be in awe of the God of Israel.s
Those who err in spirit shall acquire understanding,
those who find fault shall receive instruction (see Isaiah 29:23-24).
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