Matthew 15:2-20

2They said, ‘Our leaders in past times taught us the right way to do everything. But your disciples do not obey the things that our leaders taught us. They do not wash their hands in the right way before they eat a meal. Why is that?’

3Jesus replied, ‘God tells us the right way to obey him. But you refuse. Instead, you like to keep your own ideas.

4God's Law says: “You must love your father and mother and obey them.” God also said, “A person should die if he says bad things against his father or against his mother.”

5But you teach that a person may say to his father or to his mother, “I would have given gifts to help you. But I cannot do that because I have given them to God instead.”

6Then, you let that person give nothing to his parents. He does not have to help them. This shows that you have not obeyed what God says is right. Instead, you have obeyed your own ideas.

7You are hypocrites! What God's prophet Isaiah wrote about you long ago is true:

8God says, “These people say good things about me, but they do not really want to obey me.

9They say that I am great. But what they say has no purpose. They teach their own rules, which I did not give to them.” ’

10Jesus asked the crowd of people to come to him. He said to them, ‘Listen to me, so that you can understand my message.

11It is not food that goes into people's mouths that makes them unclean. Instead, what comes out of people's mouths is important. It may show that what is inside them is unclean.’

12Then Jesus' disciples went to him, and they said, ‘The Pharisees heard what you said. They did not agree with what you said. Do you know that?’

13Jesus replied, ‘Those Pharisees are like plants that my Father God did not put in the ground. Like a farmer, he will completely pull all those plants out of the ground.

14Do not listen to what the Pharisees say. They are blind, but they try to show people which way to go. A blind person cannot lead another blind person. If he does, then both of them will fall into a deep hole.’

15Peter said to Jesus, ‘Explain to us what you mean.’

16Jesus replied, ‘I am surprised that you still do not understand what I am saying.

17You should understand that food first goes into people's mouths. Then it goes into their stomach, and then it passes out of their body.

18The words that people speak come from their thoughts. It is what comes out of their mouths that makes them unclean.

19Evil thoughts come out from people's minds. As a result, they do wrong things. They murder people. They have sex with another man's wife. They have sex in other wrong ways. They rob people. They tell lies about other people. They insult people.

20It is these bad things that make people unclean. But if people eat food when they have not washed their hands in the right way, that will not make them unclean.’