Jews and Christians know that they are not free. But the call of Jesus for freedom from sin through reliance on him alone is too simple, indeed offensive to many who hear it. We have never been slaves to anyone. This exchange between Jesus and the defenders of a particular tradition goes on as long as the world exists. Pride in tradition is not evil.
Traditions have their place and significance.
But not as a means to achieve freedom from sin. Murphy's law, human perversion, playing God in the world are realities of daily life. A reality check of life clearly shows us what is wrong with the world and how easily one can become disappointed in government and other institutions which are to make things better. Humankind has been on an ego-trip from the beginning of time. History is full of the power of evil, of evidence that things go wrong, and that bad things happen to good people.