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7
The Tradition of the Elders
1 Then the Pharisees and some of the scribes gathered together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. 2 Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with ceremonially unclean, that is, with unwashed hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands with their fist, holding the tradition of the elders. 4 And coming from the marketplace, unless they bathe, they do not eat. And there are many other things which they have received by tradition, like the washing of cups and pitchers, copper vessels and couches.
5 Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but they eat bread with unwashed hands?”
6 And answering He said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy about you hypocrites, as it is written:
‘This people honors Me with their lips,
but their heart is far from Me.
7 And in vain they worship Me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8 For having left the commandment of God, you hold to the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other similar things you do.”
9 And He said to them, “Well do you set aside the commandment of God, so that you may keep your tradition. 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or to his mother, “Whatever you might be profited by me is Corban” ’—(that is, a gift), 12 then you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or his mother, 13 thus nullifying the word of God by your tradition which you have handed down. And many similar things you do.”
14 And having summoned all the crowd, He said to them, “Hear Me, all of you and understand: 15 There is nothing from outside a man, that entering into him, can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that defile a man. 16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!”
17 When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples were asking Him about the parable. 18 So He said to them, “Are you also without understanding? Do you not understand that everything entering a man from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not enter into his heart but into his stomach, and passes into the latrine, thus purifying all foods?” 20 And He said, “That which comes out of a man, that defiles a man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, come forth evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, arrogance, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.”
The Syro-Phoenician Woman's Faith
24 From there He arose and He went away into the region of Tyre and Sidon. And having entered into a house, He wanted no one to know it, but He was not able to escape notice. 25 For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and fell at His feet. 26 Now the woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by race, and she was asking Him to cast the demon out from her daughter. 27 But Jesus said to her, “Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children's bread and throw it to the little dogs.”
28 And she answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs underneath the table eat from the crumbs of the children.” 29 Then He said to her, “Because of this saying, go; the demon has gone out of your daughter.” 30 And going away to her house, she found the demon having gone out, and her daughter having been placed on the bed.
Jesus Heals a Deaf Man
31 Again, coming out from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He went to the Sea of Galilee, in the midst of the region of Decapolis. 32 Then they brought to Him a deaf man impeded in speech, and they begged Him that He would lay His hand upon him. 33 And when he had taken him aside from the crowd privately, He put His fingers in his ears, and having spit, He touched his tongue. 34 Then looking up into heaven, He sighed, and said to him, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.”
35 Immediately his ears were opened, and the bond of his tongue was loosed, and he was speaking correctly. 36 And He ordered them that they should tell no one; but the more He ordered them, the more exceedingly they would proclaim it. 37 And they were astonished beyond measure, saying, “He has done all things well. He makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

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© 2014 Dr. Paul W. Esposito