Matthew 15

Tradition and Commandment

11Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus 2from Jerusalem and said, 2“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they 3do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” 3And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4For God said, ‘4Honor your father and mother,’ and, ‘5He who speaks evil of father or mother is to 6be put to death.’ 5But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been 7given to God,” 6he is not to honor his father or his mother8.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:8‘9This people honors Me with their lips, But their heart is far away from Me.9But in vain do they worship Me, Teaching as 10doctrines the precepts of men.’”

10After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand. 1111It is not what enters into the mouth that defiles the man, but what proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”

12Then the disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were 12offended when they heard this statement?” 13But He answered and said, “13Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted. 14Let them alone; 14they are blind guides 15of the blind. And 16if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

The Heart of Man

15Peter 17said to Him, “18Explain the parable to us.” 1619Jesus said, “Are you still lacking in understanding also? 17Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and is 20eliminated? 18But 21the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. 1922For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, 23fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders. 20These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”

The Syrophoenician Woman

2124Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of 25Tyre and 26Sidon. 22And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, 27Son of David; my daughter is cruelly 28demon-possessed.” 23But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting 29at us.” 24But He answered and said, “I was sent only to 30the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25But she came and 31began 32to bow down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26And He answered and said, “It is not 33good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27But she said, “Yes, Lord; 34but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” 28Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, 35your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed 36at once.

Healing Crowds

2937Departing from there, Jesus went along by 38the Sea of Galilee, and having gone up on the mountain, He was sitting there. 30And 39large crowds came to Him, bringing with them those who were lame, crippled, blind, mute, and many others, and they laid them down at His feet; and 40He healed them. 31So the crowd marveled as they saw the mute speaking, the crippled 41restored, and the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they 42glorified the God of Israel.

Four Thousand Fed

3243And Jesus called His disciples to Him, and said, “44I feel compassion for the 45people, because they 46have remained with Me now three days and have nothing to eat; and I do not want to send them away hungry, for they might faint on the way.” 33The disciples said to Him, “Where would we get so many loaves in this desolate place to satisfy such a large crowd?” 34And Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?” And they said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” 35And He directed the 47people to 48sit down on the ground; 36and He took the seven loaves and the fish; and 49giving thanks, He broke them and started giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 37And they all ate and were satisfied, and they picked up what was left over of the broken pieces, seven large 50baskets full. 38And those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.

39And sending away the crowds, Jesus got into 51the boat and came to the region of 52Magadan.