Matthew 15
15
The Tradition of the Elders
1Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, 2“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands before they eat.” 3He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4For God said,#15.4 Other ancient authorities read commanded, saying ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’ 5But you say that whoever tells father or mother, ‘Whatever support you might have had from me is given to God,’#15.5 Or is an offering then that person need not honor the father.#15.5 Other ancient authorities add or the mother 6So, for the sake of your tradition, you make void the word#15.6 Other ancient authorities read law; others, commandment of God. 7You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you when he said:
8‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me;
9in vain do they worship me,
teaching human precepts as doctrines.’ ”
Things That Defile
10Then he called the crowd to him and said to them, “Listen and understand: 11it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but it is what comes out of the mouth that defiles.” 12Then the disciples approached and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard what you said?” 13He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind.#15.14 Other ancient authorities lack of the blind And if one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.” 15But Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” 16Then he said, “Are you also still without understanding? 17Do you not see that whatever goes into the mouth enters the stomach, and goes out into the sewer? 18But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this is what defiles. 19For out of the heart come evil intentions, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, slander. 20These are what defile a person, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile.”
The Canaanite Woman's Faith
21Jesus left that place and went away to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came out and started shouting, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is tormented by a demon.” 23But he did not answer her at all. And his disciples came and urged him, saying, “Send her away, for she keeps shouting after us.” 24He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26He answered, “It is not fair to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs.” 27She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table.” 28Then Jesus answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Let it be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed instantly.
Jesus Cures Many People
29After Jesus had left that place, he passed along the Sea of Galilee, and he went up the mountain, where he sat down. 30Great crowds came to him, bringing with them the lame, the maimed, the blind, the mute, and many others. They put them at his feet, and he cured them, 31so that the crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the maimed whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they praised the God of Israel.
Feeding the Four Thousand
32Then Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for the crowd, because they have been with me now for 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 are we to get enough bread in the desert to feed so great a crowd?” 34Jesus asked them, “How many loaves have you?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” 35Then ordering the crowd to sit down on the ground, 36he took the seven loaves and the fish; and after giving thanks he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37And all of them ate and were filled; and they took up the broken pieces left over, seven baskets full. 38Those who had eaten were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39After sending away the crowds, he got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.#15.39 Other ancient authorities read Magdala or Magdalan
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Matthew 15: NRSV
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New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1989 Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Matthew 15
15
The Tradition of the Elders
1Then # Mk 7:1-23 Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to Jesus and asked, # Mk 3:22; Jn 1:19 2“Why do Your disciples # Mt 10:1; 26:56; Mk 3:7; 16:20; Lk 6:13; Jn 12:16 break the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat! ” # Lit eat bread = eat a meal # Lk 11:38; Gl 1:14; Col 2:8; Heb 11:2
3He answered them, “And why do you break God’s commandment because of your tradition? 4For God said: # Other mss read commanded, saying
Honor your father and your mother; # Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16; Eph 6:2 # Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16 and,
The one who speaks evil of father or mother
must be put to death. # Ex 21:17; Lv 20:9 # 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.’ # Other mss read then he does not have to honor his father or mother In this way, you have revoked God’s word # Other mss read commandment because of your tradition. 7Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said:
8These people # Other mss add draw near to Me with their mouths, and honor Me with their lips,
but their heart is far from Me.
9They worship Me in vain,
teaching as doctrines the commands of men.” # Is 29:13; Ezk 33:31; Col 2:22; Ti 1:14 # Is 29:13 LXX
Defilement Is from Within
10Summoning the crowd, He told them, “Listen and understand: 11It’s not what goes into the mouth that defiles # Mt 15:18; Mk 7:15; Ac 21:28; Heb 9:13 a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.” # Ac 10:14-15; 1Tm 4:3
12Then the disciples came up and told Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard this statement? ”
13He replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted. # Is 60:21; 61:3; Jn 15:2; 1Co 3:9 14Leave them alone! They are blind guides. # Other mss add for the blind And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.” # Mal 2:8; Mt 23:16,24; Lk 6:39
15Then Peter replied to Him, “Explain this parable to us.” # Mt 13:36; Mk 7:17
16“Are even you still lacking in understanding? ” He # Other mss read Jesus asked. 17“Don’t you realize # Other mss add yet that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated? # Lit and goes out into the toilet 18But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a man. # Mt 12:34; Jms 3:6 19For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, # Eph 4:31; Col 3:8; 1Tm 6:4 blasphemies. # Ex 20:13-16; Gl 5:19-21; Jms 2:4 20These are the things that defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a man.” # Mt 11:18; Mk 7:2,5; 1Co 6:9-10
A Gentile Mother’s Faith
21When Jesus left there, # Mk 7:24-30 He withdrew to the area of Tyre and Sidon. # Mt 11:21; Mk 7:24 22Just then a Canaanite woman from that region came and kept crying out, # Other mss read and cried out to Him “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is cruelly tormented by a demon.” # Gn 10:15,19; Jdg 1:30-33; Mt 4:24; 9:27
23Yet He did not say a word to her. So His disciples # Mt 10:1; 26:56; Mk 3:7; 16:20; Lk 6:13; Jn 12:16 approached Him and urged Him, “Send her away because she cries out after us.” # Lit she is yelling behind us or after us
24He replied, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” # Mt 10:6,23; Jn 4:22; Rm 15:8
25But she came, knelt before Him, and said, “Lord, help me! ”
26He answered, “It isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to their dogs.” # Ex 22:31; 2Kg 9:10; Mt 8:2; Php 3:2
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 moment # Lit hour her daughter was cured. # Mt 9:22; 17:18; Jn 4:52-53
Healing Many People
29Moving on from there, # Mk 7:31-37 Jesus passed along the Sea of Galilee. # Mt 9:8; 18:8; Mk 9:43 He went up on a mountain and sat there, 30and large crowds came to Him, having with them the lame, the blind, the deformed, those unable to speak, and many others. They put them at His feet, and He healed them. 31So the crowd was amazed when they saw those unable to speak talking, the deformed restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. # Is 29:23; Lk 1:68; Ac 13:17 And they gave glory to the God of Israel.
Feeding 4,000
32Now Jesus summoned His disciples and said, # 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.”
33The disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in this desolate place # Mk 8:4; 2Co 11:26; Heb 11:38 to fill such a crowd? ”
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, and He gave thanks, broke them, and kept on giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. # Mt 26:27; Lk 22:17; Jn 6:11,23; Ac 27:35; Rm 14:6; 1Co 10:30 37They all ate and were filled. Then they collected the leftover pieces — seven large baskets full. 38Now those who ate were 4,000 men, besides women and children. 39After dismissing the crowds, He got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan. # Other mss read Magdala # Mk 3:9; 8:10
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