Matthew 15
15
God’s Law and Human Traditions
(Mk. 7:1–23)
1Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus. They came from Jerusalem and asked him, 2“Why do your followers not obey the traditions we have from our great leaders who lived long ago? Your followers don’t wash their hands before they eat!”
3Jesus answered, “And why do you refuse to obey God’s command so that you can follow those traditions you have? 4God said, ‘You must respect your father and mother.’#Quote from Ex. 20:12; Deut. 5:16. And God also said, ‘Whoever says anything bad to their father or mother must be killed.’#Quote from Ex. 21:17. 5But you teach that a person can say to their father or mother, ‘I have something I could use to help you. But I will not use it for you. I will give it to God.’ 6You are teaching them not to respect their father. So you are teaching that it is not important to do what God said. You think it is more important to follow those traditions you have. 7You are hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he spoke for God about you:
8‘These people honor me with their words,
but I am not really important to them.
9Their worship of me is worthless.
The things they teach are only human rules.’” Isaiah 29:13
10Jesus called the people to him. He said, “Listen and understand what I am saying. 11It is not what people put in their mouth that makes them wrong.#15:11 wrong Literally, “unclean” or “not pure,” meaning unacceptable to God. Also in verse 18. It is what comes out of their mouth that makes them wrong.”
12Then the followers came to Jesus and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees are upset about what you said?”
13Jesus answered, “Every plant that my Father in heaven has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14Stay away from the Pharisees. They lead the people, but they are like blind men leading other blind men. And if a blind man leads another blind man, both of them will fall into a ditch.”
15Peter said, “Explain to us what you said earlier to the people.”
16Jesus said, “Do you still have trouble understanding? 17Surely you know that all the food that enters the mouth goes into the stomach. Then it goes out of the body. 18But the bad things people say with their mouth come from the way they think. And that’s what can make people wrong. 19All these bad things begin in the mind: evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual sins, stealing, lying, and insulting people. 20These are the things that make people wrong. Eating without washing their hands will never make people unacceptable to God.”
Jesus Helps a Non-Jewish Woman
(Mk. 7:24–30)
21Jesus went from there to the area of Tyre and Sidon. 22A Canaanite woman from that area came out and began shouting, “Lord, Son of David, please help me! My daughter has a demon inside her, and she is suffering very much.”
23But Jesus did not answer her. So the followers came to him and said, “Tell her to go away. She keeps crying out and will not leave us alone.”
24Jesus answered, “God sent me only to the lost people#15:24 people Literally, “sheep.” of Israel.”
25Then the woman came over to Jesus and bowed before him. She said, “Lord, help me!”
26He answered her with this saying: “It is not right to take the children’s bread and give it to the dogs.”
27The woman said, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the pieces of food that fall from their master’s table.”
28Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! You will get what you asked for.” And right then the woman’s daughter was healed.
Jesus Heals Many People
29Then Jesus went from there to the shore of Lake Galilee. He went up on a hill and sat down.
30A large crowd of people came to him. They brought many other sick people and put them before him. There were people who could not walk, people who were blind, crippled, or deaf, and many others. Jesus healed them all. 31People were amazed when they saw that those who could not speak were now able to speak. Crippled people were made strong. Those who could not walk were now able to walk. The blind were able to see. Everyone thanked the God of Israel for this.
Jesus Feeds More Than 4000
(Mk. 8:1–10)
32Jesus called his followers to him and said, “I feel sorry for these people. They have been with me three days, and now they have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away hungry. They might faint while going home.”
33The followers asked Jesus, “Where can we get enough bread to feed all these people? We are a long way from any town.”
34Jesus asked, “How many loaves of bread do you have?”
They answered, “We have seven loaves of bread and a few small fish.”
35Jesus told the people to sit on the ground. 36He took the seven loaves of bread and the fish. Then he gave thanks to God for the food. He broke the bread into pieces, which he gave to the followers, and they gave the food to the people. 37All the people ate until they were full. After this, the followers filled seven baskets with the pieces of food that were not eaten. 38There were about 4000 men there who ate. There were also some women and children. 39After they all ate, Jesus told the people they could go home. He got into the boat and went to the area of Magadan.
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© 1987, 2004 Bible League International
Matthew 15
15
1 Then Pharisees and scribes came to Yeshua from Jerusalem, saying, 2“Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat bread.”
3 He answered them, “Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’#Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16 and, ‘He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.’#Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9 5But you say, ‘Whoever may tell his father or his mother, “Whatever help you might otherwise have gotten from me is a gift devoted to God,” 6he shall not honor his father or mother.’ You have made the commandment of God void because of your tradition. 7You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,
8 ‘These people draw near to me with their mouth,
and honor me with their lips;
but their heart is far from me.
9 And they worship me in vain,
teaching as doctrine rules made by men.’” #
Isaiah 29:13
10 He summoned the multitude, and said to them, “Hear, and understand. 11That which enters into the mouth doesn’t defile the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man.”
12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”
13 But he answered, “Every plant which my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted. 14Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit.”
15 Peter answered him, “Explain the parable to us.”
16 So Yeshua said, “Do you also still not understand? 17Don’t you understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly and then out of the body? 18But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man. 19For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies. 20These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands doesn’t defile the man.”
21Yeshua went out from there and withdrew into the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22Behold, a Canaanite woman came out from those borders and cried, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, you son of David! My daughter is severely possessed by a demon!”
23 But he answered her not a word.
His disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away; for she cries after us.”
24 But he answered, “I wasn’t sent to anyone but the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
25 But she came and worshiped him, saying, “Lord, help me.”
26 But he answered, “It is not appropriate to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”
27 But she said, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”
28 Then Yeshua answered her, “Woman, great is your faith! Be it done to you even as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.
29Yeshua departed from there and came near to the sea of Galilee; and he went up on the mountain and sat there. 30Great multitudes came to him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others, and they put them down at his feet. He healed them, 31so that the multitude wondered when they saw the mute speaking, the injured healed, the lame walking, and the blind seeing—and they glorified the God of Israel.
32Yeshua summoned his disciples and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have continued with me now three days and have nothing to eat. I don’t want to send them away fasting, or they might faint on the way.”
33 The disciples said to him, “Where could we get so many loaves in a deserted place as to satisfy so great a multitude?”
34Yeshua said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”
They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.”
35 He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground; 36and he took the seven loaves and the fish. He gave thanks and broke them, and gave to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitudes. 37They all ate and were filled. They took up seven baskets full of the broken pieces that were left over. 38Those who ate were four thousand men, in addition to women and children. 39Then he sent away the multitudes, got into the boat, and came into the borders of Magdala.
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