The Tradition of the Elders
3He answered them, “Why do you break God’s commandment because of your tradition?
4For God said:15:4 Other mss read commanded, saying Honor your father and your mother;15:4 Ex 20:12; Dt 5:1615:4 Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16; Eph 6:2 and, Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.15:4 Ex 21:17; Lv 20:915:4 Ex 21:17; Lv 20:9
5But you say, ‘Whoever tells his father or mother, “Whatever benefit you might have received from me is a gift committed to the temple,”
6he does not have to honor his father.’15:6 Other mss read then he does not have to honor his father or mother In this way, you have nullified the word of God15:6 Other mss read commandment because of your tradition.
7Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said:
but their heart is far from me.
9
They worship me in vain,
teaching as doctrines human commands.”
15:8–9
Is 29:13 LXX
15:8–9
Is 29:13; Ezk 33:31; Col 2:22; Ti 1:14
Defilement Is from Within
10Summoning the crowd, he told them, “Listen and understand:
12Then the disciples came up and told him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?”
17“Don’t you realize15:17 Other mss add yet that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated?15:17 Lit and goes out into the toilet
18But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a person.15:18 Mt 12:34; Jms 3:6
19For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies,15:19 Eph 4:31; Col 3:8; 1Tm 6:4 slander.15:19 Ex 20:13–16; Gl 5:19–21; Jms 2:4
20These are the things that defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person.”15:20 Mt 11:18; Mk 7:2,5; 1Co 6:9–10
A Gentile Mother’s Faith
21When Jesus left there,15:21–28 Mk 7:24–30 he withdrew to the area of Tyre and Sidon.15:21 Mt 11:21; Mk 7:24
25But she came, knelt before him, and said, “Lord, help me!”
27“Yes, Lord,” she said, “yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
28Then Jesus replied to her, “Woman, your faith is great. Let it be done for you as you want.” And from that moment15:28 Lit hour her daughter was healed.15:28 Mt 9:22; 17:18; Jn 4:52–53
Healing Many People
29Moving on from there,15:29–31 Mk 7:31–37 Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee.15:29 Mt 9:8; 18:8; Mk 9:43 He went up on a mountain and sat there,
30and large crowds came to him, including the lame, the blind, the crippled, those unable to speak, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he healed them.
Feeding of the Four Thousand
32Jesus called his disciples and said,15:32–39 Mt 14:14–21; Mk 8:1–10 “I have compassion on the crowd, because they’ve already stayed with me three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry, otherwise they might collapse on the way.”
34
“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked them.
“Seven,” they said, “and a few small fish.”
35After commanding the crowd to sit down on the ground,
36he took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds.15:36 Mt 26:27; Lk 22:17; Jn 6:11,23; Ac 27:35; Rm 14:6; 1Co 10:30
37They all ate and were satisfied. They collected the leftover pieces — seven large baskets full.
38Now there were four thousand men who had eaten, besides women and children.
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