Conflict with the Pharisees over Tradition

1. Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying,
2. “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
3. But He answered and said to them, “Why do you also break the command of God because of your tradition?
4. For God said, ‘Honour your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil against father or mother, let him die.’
5. But you say, ‘Whoever says to father or mother, “Whatever I have that could help you is a gift to God,”
6. he is not obligated to honour his father.’ You have nullified the word of God because of your tradition.
7. Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
8. ‘This people honours Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.
9. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

True Defilement Comes from the Heart

10. And He called the crowd to Him and said to them, “Hear and understand.
11. Not what enters the mouth defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”
12. Then the disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”
13. But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted.
14. Leave them; they are blind guides. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
15. Then Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain to us this parable.”
16. And 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 expelled into the sewer?
18. But the things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.
19. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies.
20. These are the things which defile the man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”

The Faith of the Canaanite Woman

21. Then Jesus went out from there and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
22. And behold, a Canaanite woman came from that region and cried out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”
23. But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and begged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying 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 throw it to the little dogs.”
27. And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall 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 Feeds Four Thousand

29. And Jesus departed from there, and came near the Sea of Galilee. Then He went up on the mountain and sat there.
30. And great crowds came to Him, having with them lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others. They laid them at His feet, and He healed them.
31. So the crowd 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.

32. Then Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have continued with Me now three days, and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away fasting, lest they faint on the way.”
33. And the disciples said to Him, “Where could we get so much bread in the wilderness to satisfy such a crowd?”
34. Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.”
35. Then He commanded the crowd to sit down on the ground.
36. And He took the seven loaves and the fish, and gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowd.
37. So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over.
38. And those who ate were about four thousand men, besides women and children.
39. Then He sent the crowd away, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magadan.