Matthew 15

1verseThen Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying,

2verse“Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat bread.”

3verseHe answered them, “Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition?

4verseFor God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’

5verseBut you say, ‘Whoever may tell his father or his mother, “Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God,”

6versehe shall not honor his father or mother.’ You have made the commandment of God void because of your tradition.

7verseYou hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,

8verse‘These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.

9verseAnd they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrine rules made by men.’”

10verseHe summoned the multitude, and said to them, “Hear, and understand.

11verseThat which enters into the mouth doesn’t defile the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”

12verseThen the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”

13verseBut he answered, “Every plant which my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted.

14verseLeave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”

15versePeter answered him, “Explain the parable to us.”

16verseSo Jesus said, “Do you also still not understand?

17verseDon’t you understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly and then out of the body?

18verseBut the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man.

19verseFor out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies.

20verseThese are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands doesn’t defile the man.”

21verseJesus went out from there and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon.

22verseBehold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders and cried, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, you son of David! My daughter is severely possessed by a demon!”

23verseBut he answered her not a word. His disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away; for she cries after us.”

24verseBut he answered, “I wasn’t sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

25verseBut she came and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, help me.”

26verseBut he answered, “It is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

27verseBut she said, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

28verseThen Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Be it done to you even as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

29verseJesus departed from there and came near to the sea of Galilee; and he went up on the mountain and sat there.

30verseGreat multitudes came to him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others, and they put them down at his feet. He healed them,

31verseso that the multitude wondered when they saw the mute speaking, the injured healed, the lame walking, and the blind seeing—and they glorified the God of Israel.

32verseJesus summoned his disciples and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have continued with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away fasting, or they might faint on the way.”

33verseThe disciples said to him, “Where could we get so many loaves in a deserted place as to satisfy so great a multitude?”

34verseJesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.”

35verseHe commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground;

36verseand he took the seven loaves and the fish. He gave thanks and broke them, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes.

37verseThey all ate and were filled. They took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over.

38verseThose who ate were four thousand men, in addition to women and children.

39verseThen he sent away the multitudes, got into the boat, and came into the borders of Magdala.