That Which Defiles
1 The Pharisees and some of
the
teachers
of the law
who had
come from
Jerusalem
gathered
around
Jesus
2 and
saw some
of his
disciples
eating
food with
hands that
were
defiled,
that is,
unwashed.
3 (The
Pharisees
and all
the Jews
do not eat
unless
they give
their
hands a
ceremonial
washing,
holding to
the
tradition
of the
elders.
4 When
they come
from the
marketplace
they do
not eat
unless
they wash.
And they
observe
many other
traditions,
such as
the
washing of
cups,
pitchers
and
kettles.)
5 So the Pharisees and
teachers
of the law
asked
Jesus,
“Why don’t
your
disciples
live
according
to the
tradition
of the
elders
instead of
eating
their food
with
defiled
hands?”
6 He replied, “Isaiah was
right when
he
prophesied
about you
hypocrites;
as it is
written:
“‘These people honor me
with their
lips,
but
their
hearts are
far from
me.
7 They
worship me
in vain;
their
teachings
are merely
human
rules.’
8 You have let go of the
commands
of God and
are
holding on
to human
traditions.”
9 And he continued, “You
have a
fine way
of setting
aside the
commands
of God in
order to
observe
your own
traditions!
10 For
Moses
said,
‘Honor
your
father and
mother,’
and,
‘Anyone
who curses
their
father or
mother is
to be put
to death.’
11 But you
say that
if anyone
declares
that what
might have
been used
to help
their
father or
mother is
Corban
(that is,
devoted to
God)—
12 then
you no
longer let
them do
anything
for their
father or
mother.
13 Thus
you
nullify
the word
of God by
your
tradition
that you
have
handed
down. And
you do
many
things
like
that.”
14 Again Jesus called the
crowd to
him and
said,
“Listen to
me,
everyone,
and
understand
this.
15>16 Nothing
outside a
person can
defile
them by
going into
them.
Rather, it
is what
comes out
of a
person
that
defiles
them.”
17 After he had left the
crowd and
entered
the house,
his
disciples
asked him
about this
parable.
18 “Are
you so
dull?” he
asked.
“Don’t you
see that
nothing
that
enters a
person
from the
outside
can defile
them?
19 For
it doesn’t
go into
their
heart but
into their
stomach,
and then
out of the
body.” (In
saying
this,
Jesus
declared
all foods
clean.)
20 He went on: “What comes
out of a
person is
what
defiles
them.
21 For
it is from
within,
out of a
person’s
heart,
that evil
thoughts
come—sexual
immorality,
theft,
murder,
22 adultery,
greed,
malice,
deceit,
lewdness,
envy,
slander,
arrogance
and folly.
23 All
these
evils come
from
inside and
defile a
person.”
Jesus Honors a
Syrophoenician
Woman’s
Faith
24 Jesus left that place
and went
to the
vicinity
of Tyre.
He entered
a house
and did
not want
anyone to
know it;
yet he
could not
keep his
presence
secret.
25 In
fact, as
soon as
she heard
about him,
a woman
whose
little
daughter
was
possessed
by an
impure
spirit
came and
fell at
his feet.
26 The
woman was
a Greek,
born in
Syrian
Phoenicia.
She begged
Jesus to
drive the
demon out
of her
daughter.
27 “First let the children
eat all
they
want,” he
told her,
“for it is
not right
to take
the
children’s
bread and
toss it to
the dogs.”
28 “Lord,” she replied,
“even the
dogs under
the table
eat the
children’s
crumbs.”
29 Then he told her, “For
such a
reply, you
may go;
the demon
has left
your
daughter.”
30 She went home and found
her child
lying on
the bed,
and the
demon
gone.
Jesus Heals a Deaf
and Mute
Man
31 Then Jesus left the
vicinity
of Tyre
and went
through
Sidon,
down to
the Sea of
Galilee
and into
the region
of the
Decapolis.
32 There
some
people
brought to
him a man
who was
deaf and
could
hardly
talk, and
they
begged
Jesus to
place his
hand on
him.
33 After he took him
aside,
away from
the crowd,
Jesus put
his
fingers
into the
man’s
ears. Then
he spit
and
touched
the man’s
tongue.
34 He
looked up
to heaven
and with a
deep sigh
said to
him,
“Ephphatha!”
(which
means “Be
opened!”).
35 At
this, the
man’s ears
were
opened,
his tongue
was
loosened
and he
began to
speak
plainly.
37 People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. “He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”