Matthew 15

The Tradition of the Elders

(Mark 7:1–13)

1ThenG5119 some PhariseesG5330 andG2532 scribesG1122 cameG4334 to JesusG2424 fromG575 JerusalemG2414 and askedG3004, 2“Why doG1223G5101 YourG4771 disciplesG3101 breakG3845 theG3588 traditionG3862 of theG3588 eldersG4245? They do not washG3756G3538 theirG846 handsG5495 beforeG3752 they eatG2068G740.”

3

Jesus repliedG611G2036G846, “AndG2532 whyG1223G5101 do youG4771 breakG3845 theG3588 commandG1785 of GodG2316 for the sake ofG1223 yourG4771 traditionG3862? 4ForG1063 GodG2316 saidG2036, ‘HonorG5091 your fatherG3962 andG2532 motherG3384’1 andG2532 ‘Anyone whoG3588 cursesG2551 his fatherG3962 orG2228 motherG3384 must be put to deathG2288G5053.’2 5ButG1161 youG4771 say thatG3004 if anyoneG3739G302 saysG2036 toG3588 his fatherG3962 orG2228 motherG3384, ‘WhateverG3739 you would have receivedG1437G5623 fromG1537 meG1473 is a gift devotedG1435 to God,’ 6he need not honorG3756G3361G5091 hisG846 fatherG3962 orG2228 motherG3384 with it.3 ThusG2532 you nullifyG208 theG3588 wordG3056 of GodG2316 for the sake ofG1223 yourG4771 traditionG3862. 7You hypocritesG5273! IsaiahG2268 prophesiedG4395 correctlyG2573 aboutG4012 youG4771:

10

What Defiles a Man

(Mark 7:14–23)

Jesus calledG4341 theG3588 crowdG3793 to Him and saidG2036, “ListenG191 andG2532 understandG4920. 11AG3588 manG444 is not defiledG2840G3756 by whatG3588 entersG1525G1519 his mouthG4750, butG235 by whatG3588 comesG1607 out ofG1537 it.”

12ThenG5119 theG3588 disciplesG3101 cameG4334 to HimG846 and saidG3004, “Are You awareG1492 thatG3754 theG3588 PhariseesG5330 were offendedG4624 when they heardG191 thisG3588?”

13ButG1161 Jesus repliedG611, “EveryG3956 plantG5451 thatG3739 MyG1473 heavenlyG3770 FatherG3962 has not plantedG3756G5452 will be pulled up by its rootsG1610. 14DisregardG863 themG846! They areG1510 blindG5185 guidesG3595.5 IfG1437 a blindG5185 man leadsG3594 a blindG5185 man, bothG297 will fallG4098 intoG1519 a pitG999.”

15

PeterG4074 saidG611G2036 to HimG846, “ExplainG5419 thisG3778 parableG3850 to usG1473.”

16“DoG1510 youG4771 stillG2532G188 not understandG801?” Jesus askedG2036. 17“Do you not yet realizeG3756G3539 thatG3754 whateverG3956 entersG1531G1519 theG3588 mouthG4750 goesG5562 intoG1519 theG3588 stomachG2836 and thenG2532 is eliminatedG1544G1519G856? 18ButG1161 the thingsG3588 that comeG1607 out ofG1537 theG3588 mouthG4750 comeG1831 fromG1537 theG3588 heartG2588, and these thingsG2548 defileG2840 aG3588 manG444. 19ForG1063 out ofG1537 theG3588 heartG2588 comeG1831 evilG4190 thoughtsG1261, murderG5408, adulteryG3430, sexual immoralityG4202, theftG2829, false testimonyG5577, and slanderG988. 20TheseG3778 areG1510 whatG3588 defileG2840 aG3588 manG444, butG1161 eatingG5315 with unwashedG449 handsG5495 does not defileG3756G2840 him.”

21

The Faith of the Canaanite Woman

(Mark 7:24–30)

LeavingG1831 that placeG1564, JesusG2424 withdrewG402 toG1519 theG3588 districtG3313 of TyreG5184 andG2532 SidonG4605. 22AndG2532G2400 a CanaaniteG5478 womanG1135 fromG575 thatG3588G1565 regionG3725 cameG1831 to Him, crying outG2896, “LordG2962, SonG5207 of DavidG1138, have mercy onG1653 meG1473! MyG1473 daughterG2364 is miserablyG2560 possessed by a demonG1139.”

23ButG1161 Jesus did not answerG3756G611 a wordG3056. SoG2532 HisG846 disciplesG3101 cameG4334 and urgedG2065 HimG846, “Send her awayG630G846, forG3754 she keeps crying outG2896 afterG3693 usG1473.”

24

He answeredG611G2036, “I was sentG3756G649 onlyG1487G3361 toG1519 theG3588 lostG622 sheepG4263 of the houseG3624 of IsraelG2474.”

25

The woman cameG2064 and knelt beforeG4352 HimG846. “LordG2962, helpG997 meG1473!” she saidG3004.

26ButG1161 Jesus repliedG611, “It isG1510 notG3756 rightG2570 to takeG2983 theG3588 children’sG5043 breadG740 andG2532 tossG906 it to theG3588 dogsG2952.”

27“YesG3483, LordG2962,” she saidG2036, “evenG2532 theG3588 dogsG29526 eatG2068 theG3588 crumbsG5589 that fallG4098 fromG575 theirG846 master’sG2962 tableG5132.”

28“OG5599 womanG1135,” JesusG2424 answeredG611G2036G846, “yourG4771 faithG4102 is greatG3173! Let it be doneG1096 for youG4771 asG5613 you desireG2309.” AndG2532 herG846 daughterG2364 was healedG2390 fromG575 thatG3588 veryG1565 hourG5610.

29

The Feeding of the Four Thousand

(2 Kings 4:42–44; Mark 8:1–10)

Moving onG3327 from thereG1564, JesusG2424 wentG2064 alongG3844 theG3588 SeaG2281 of GalileeG1056. ThenG2532 He went upG305 onG1519 a mountainG3735 and satG2521 downG1563. 30LargeG4183 crowdsG3793 cameG4334 to HimG846, bringingG2192G3326G1438 the lameG5560, the blindG5185, the crippledG2948, the muteG2974, andG2532 manyG4183 othersG2087, andG2532 laidG4496 themG846 atG3844 HisG846 feetG4228, andG2532 He healedG2323 themG846. 31TheG3588 crowdG3793 was amazedG2296 when they sawG991 the muteG2974 speakingG2980, the crippledG2948 restoredG5199, the lameG5560 walkingG4043, andG2532 the blindG5185 seeingG991. AndG2532 they glorifiedG1392 theG3588 GodG2316 of IsraelG2474.

32ThenG1161 JesusG2424 calledG4341 HisG846 disciplesG3101 to Him and saidG2036, “I have compassionG4697 forG1909 this crowdG3793, becauseG3754 they have already beenG4357G2235 with MeG1473 threeG5140 daysG2250 andG2532 haveG2192 nothingG3756 to eatG5315. I do not wantG3756G2309 to send them awayG630G846 hungryG3523, orG3361G4219 they may faintG1590 alongG1722 theG3588 wayG3598.”

33

TheG3588 disciplesG3101 repliedG3004, “WhereG4159 inG1722 this desolate placeG2047 could weG1473 find enoughG5118 breadG740 to feedG5620G5526 such a largeG5118 crowdG3793?”

34“How manyG4214 loavesG740 do you haveG2192?” JesusG2424 askedG3004.

“SevenG2033,” they repliedG2036, “andG2532 a fewG3641 small fishG2485.”

35AndG2532 He instructedG3853 theG3588 crowdG3793 to sit downG377 onG1909 theG3588 groundG1093. 36TakingG2983 theG3588 sevenG2033 loavesG740 andG2532 theG3588 fishG2486, He gave thanksG2168 and brokeG2806 them. ThenG2532 He gaveG1325 them toG3588 the disciplesG3101, andG1161 theG3588 disciplesG3101 gave them to theG3588 peopleG3793.

37

They allG3956 ateG5315 andG2532 were satisfiedG5526, andG2532 the disciples picked upG142 sevenG2033 basketfulsG4711G4134 of broken piecesG2801 thatG3588 were left overG4052. 38A total ofG3588G1161 four thousandG5070 menG435 wereG1510 fedG2068, besidesG5565 womenG1135 andG2532 childrenG3813.

39AfterG2532 Jesus had dismissedG630 theG3588 crowdsG3793, He got intoG1684G1519 theG3588 boatG4143 andG2532 wentG2064 toG1519 theG3588 regionG3725 of MagadanG3093.