Matthew 15:1-20
Read Matthew 15 in full →God’s Commandments, Man’s Traditions
15aThen some Pharisees and scribes *came to Jesus bfrom Jerusalem and said, 2“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they ado 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? 4“For God said, ‘aHonor your father and mother,’ and, ‘bHe who speaks evil of father or mother is to 1be put to death.’ 5“But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever you might benefit from me 1is given to God,” 6he need not 1honor his father.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition. 7“You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you:
8‘aThis people honors Me with their lips,But their heart is far away from Me.9‘But in vain do they worship Me,Teaching as adoctrines the commands of men.’”10After Jesus called the crowd to Him, He said to them, “Hear and understand. 11“aIt 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 1offended when they heard this statement?” 13But He answered and said, “aEvery plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted. 14“Let them alone; athey are blind guides 1of the blind. And bif a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
The Heart of Man
15Now Peter answered and said to Him, “aExplain the parable to us.” 16And 1Jesus said, “Are you still lacking in understanding also? 17“Do you not understand that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and goes into the sewer? 18“But athe things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man. 19“aFor out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false witness, slanders. 20“These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile the man.”