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15
The Tradition of the Elders
1 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem approached Jesus, saying, 2 “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands whenever they eat bread.”
3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God on account of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, with death let him die.’ 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “It is a gift to God, whatever profit you might have received from me”— 6 then by no means should he honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have invalidated the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying,
8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
and they honor Me with their lips,
but their heart is far away from Me.
9 And in vain they worship Me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”
10 And having summoned the crowd, He said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”
12 Then His disciples approached and said to Him, “You know that when the Pharisees heard this message they were offended?”
13 But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. And if the blind guides the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”
15 Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain to us this parable.”
16 So Jesus said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not yet understand that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach, and is cast out into a latrine? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”
The Canaanite Woman's Faith
21 And going out from there, Jesus withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a Canaanite woman coming forth from that region cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
23 But He answered her not a word.
And His disciples approached and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”
24 But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”
26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children's bread and to throw it to the little dogs.”
27 But she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat from the crumbs falling from their masters' table.”
28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Jesus Heals Many People
29 And moving on from there, Jesus came alongside the Sea of Galilee, and going up into a mountain, He sat down there. 30 And great crowds came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they put them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them. 31 So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.
Jesus Feeds Four Thousand
32 Now Jesus, having summoned His disciples, He said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have been remaining with Me three days, and they do not have anything to eat. And I do not desire to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”
33 Then His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get so many loaves of bread in this deserted place, so as to satisfy so great a crowd?”
34 Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”
And they said, “Seven, and a few small fish.”
35 So He commanded the crowds to recline on the ground. 36 And He took the seven loaves and the fish, and having given thanks, He broke them, and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the crowd. 37 So they all ate and were satisfied. And they took up what they had left of the fragments, seven hampers full. 38 Now those who ate were four thousand men, apart from women and children. 39 And having dismissed the crowds, He went up into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala.

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© 2014 Dr. Paul W. Esposito