Matthew 15
15
Jesus Challenges the Pharisees’ Traditions
(Mark 7:1–23)
1Then some Pharisees and experts in Moses’ Teachings came from Jerusalem to Jesus. They asked, 2“Why do your disciples break the traditions of our ancestors? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”
3He answered them, “Why do you break the commandment of God because of your traditions? 4For example, God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Whoever curses father or mother must be put to death.’ 5But you say that whoever tells his father or mother, ‘I have given to God whatever support you might have received from me,’ 6does not have to honor his father. Because of your traditions you have destroyed the authority of God’s word. 7You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8‘These people honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9Their worship of me is pointless,
because their teachings are rules made by humans.’ ”
10Then he called the crowd and said to them, “Listen and try to understand! 11What goes into a person’s mouth doesn’t make him unclean.#15:11 “Unclean” refers to anything that Moses’ Teachings say is not presentable to God. It’s what comes out of the mouth that makes a person unclean.”
12Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you realize that when the Pharisees heard your statement they were offended?”
13He answered, “Any plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 14Leave them alone! They are blind leaders. When one blind person leads another, both will fall into the same pit.”
15Peter said to him, “Explain this illustration to us.”
16Jesus said, “Don’t you understand yet? 17Don’t you know that whatever goes into the mouth goes into the stomach and then into a toilet? 18But whatever goes out of the mouth comes from within, and that’s what makes a person unclean. 19Evil thoughts, murder, adultery, ⌞other⌟ sexual sins, stealing, lying, and cursing come from within. 20These are the things that make a person unclean. But eating without washing one’s hands doesn’t make a person unclean.”
The Faith of a Canaanite Woman
(Mark 7:24–30)
21Jesus left that place and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.
22A Canaanite woman from that territory came ⌞to him⌟ and began to shout, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon.”
23But he did not answer her at all. Then his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away. She keeps shouting behind us.”
24Jesus responded, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel.”
25She came to him, bowed down, and said, “Lord, help me!”
26Jesus replied, “It’s not right to take the children’s food and throw it to the dogs.”
27She said, “You’re right, Lord. But even the dogs eat scraps that fall from their masters’ tables.”
28Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, you have strong faith! What you wanted will be done for you.” At that moment her daughter was cured.
29Jesus moved on from there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up a mountain and sat there.
30A large crowd came to him, bringing with them the lame, blind, disabled, those unable to talk, and many others. They laid them at his feet, and he cured them. 31The crowd was amazed to see mute people talking, the disabled cured, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. So they praised the God of Israel.
Jesus Feeds More Than Four Thousand
(Mark 8:1–10)
32Jesus called his disciples and said, “I feel sorry for the people. They have been with me three days now and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, or they may become exhausted on their way home.”
33His disciples asked him, “Where could we get enough bread to feed such a crowd in this place where no one lives?”
34Jesus asked them, “How many loaves of bread do you have?”
They answered, “Seven, and a few small fish.”
35He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks to God. Then he broke the bread and gave it to the disciples, and they gave the bread and fish to the people.
37All of them ate as much as they wanted. The disciples picked up the leftover pieces and filled seven large baskets. 38Four thousand men had eaten. (This number does not include the women and children who had eaten.)
39After he sent the people on their way, Jesus stepped into the boat and came to the territory of Magadan.
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Matthew 15: GW
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
Matthew 15
15
1 Then the scribes and the Pharisees came to him from Jerusalem, saying:
2 "Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread."
3 But responding, he said to them: "And why do you transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God said:
4 'Honor your father and mother,' and, 'Whoever will have cursed father or mother shall die a death.'
5 But you say: 'If anyone will have said to father or mother, "It is dedicated, so that whatever is from me will benefit you,"
6 then he shall not honor his father or his mother.' So have you nullified the commandment of God, for the sake of your tradition.
7 Hypocrites! How well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:
8 'This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
9 For in vain do they worship me, teaching the doctrines and commandments of men.' "
10 And having called the multitudes to him, he said to them: "Listen and understand.
11 A man is not defiled by what enters into the mouth, but by what proceeds from the mouth. This is what defiles a man."
12 Then his disciples drew near and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees, upon hearing this word, were offended?"
13 But in response he said: "Every plant which has not been planted by my heavenly Father shall be uprooted.
14 Leave them alone. They are blind, and they lead the blind. But if the blind are in charge of the blind, both will fall into the pit."
15 And responding, Peter said to him, "Explain this parable to us."
16 But he said: "Are you, even now, without understanding?
17 Do you not understand that everything that enters into the mouth goes into the gut, and is cast into the sewer?
18 But what proceeds from the mouth, goes forth from the heart, and those are the things that defile a man.
19 For from the heart go out evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies.
20 These are the things that defile a man. But to eat without washing hands does not defile a man."
21 And departing from there, Jesus withdrew into the areas of Tyre and Sidon.
22 And behold, a woman of Canaan, going out from those parts, cried out, saying to him: "Take pity on me, Lord, Son of David. My daughter is badly afflicted by a demon."
23 He did not say a word to her. And his disciples, drawing near, petitioned him, saying: "Dismiss her, for she is crying out after us."
24 And responding, he said, "I was not sent except to the sheep who have fallen away from the house of Israel."
25 But she approached and adored him, saying, "Lord, help me."
26 And responding, he said, "It is not good to take the bread of the children and cast it to the dogs."
27 But she said, "Yes, Lord, but the young dogs also eat from the crumbs that fall from the table of their masters."
28 Then Jesus, responding, said to her: "O woman, great is your faith. Let it be done for you just as you wish." And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
29 And when Jesus had passed from there, he arrived beside the sea of Galilee. And ascending onto a mountain, he sat down there.
30 And great multitudes came to him, having with them the mute, the blind, the lame, the disabled, and many others. And they cast them down at his feet, and he cured them,
31 so much so that the crowds wondered, seeing the mute speaking, the lame walking, the blind seeing. And they magnified the God of Israel.
32 And Jesus, calling together his disciples, said: "I have compassion on the crowds, because they have persevered with me now for three days, and they do not have anything to eat. And I am not willing to dismiss them, fasting, lest they faint along the way."
33 And the disciples said to him: "From where, then, in the desert, would we obtain enough bread to satisfy so a great multitude?"
34 And Jesus said to them, "How many loaves of bread do you have?" But they said, "Seven, and a few little fish."
35 And he instructed the crowds to recline upon the ground.
36 And taking the seven loaves and the fish, and giving thanks, he broke and gave to his disciples, and the disciples gave to the people.
37 And they all ate and were satisfied. And, from what was left over of the fragments, they took up seven full baskets.
38 But those who ate were four thousand men, plus children and women.
39 And having dismissed the crowd, he climbed into a boat. And he went into the coastal region of Magadan.
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