Matthew 15:1-13

Tradition and Commandment

¹Then some Pharisees and scribes *came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, ²“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” ³And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves also break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? ⁴For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘The one who speaks evil of father or mother is to be put to death.’ ⁵But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,” ⁶he is not to honor his father or mother.’ And by this you have invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. ⁷You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy about you, by saying:

8‘This people honors Me with their lips,

But their heart is far away from Me.

9‘And in vain do they worship Me,

Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

¹⁰After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand! ¹¹It is not what enters the mouth that defiles the person, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles the person.”

¹²Then the disciples came and *said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?” ¹³But He answered and said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted.

The Heart of Mankind

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

Healing Crowds

Four Thousand Men Fed