Matthew 15

Tradition and the Command of God

1Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, 2“Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” 3Jesus answered them, “And why do you break God's commandment because of your tradition? 4For God said, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever speaks evil of father or mother must surely die.’ 5But you say, ‘If anyone tells father or mother, “Whatever benefit you might have received from me is a gift devoted to God,” 6that person does not need to honor their father.’ So you have nullified God's word because of your tradition. 7Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied rightly about you: 8‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me. 9They worship me in vain,
teaching human commands as doctrines.’”

What Defiles a Person

10Jesus called the crowd and said to them, “Listen and understand: 11it is not what enters the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth—this defiles a person.” 12Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?” 13He answered, “Every plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted. 14Leave them. They are blind guides of the blind. If one blind person guides another, both will fall into a pit.” 15Peter said to him, “Explain this parable to us.” 16Jesus said, “Are you still without understanding? 17Do you not see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then passes into the latrine? 18But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and these things defile a person. 19For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, and slanders. 20These are the things that defile a person. But eating with unwashed hands does not defile a person.”

A Canaanite Woman's Trust

21Jesus left there and withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22And look—a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely tormented by a demon.” 23But he did not answer her a word. His disciples came and urged him, “Send her away, because she keeps crying out after us.” 24He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25But she came, bowed before him, and said, “Lord, help me.” 26He answered, “It is not right to take the children's bread 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 happen for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that hour.

Jesus Heals Many

29Jesus left there, went along the Sea of Galilee, went up the mountain, and sat down. 30Large crowds came to him, bringing those who were lame, blind, disabled, unable to speak, and many others. They laid them at his feet, and he healed them. 31The crowd was amazed when they saw those unable to speak speaking, disabled people made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.

Jesus Feeds Four Thousand

32Jesus called his disciples and said, “I have compassion on the crowd, because they have stayed with me three days now and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.” 33The disciples asked him, “Where in this deserted place could we get enough bread to feed such a large crowd?” 34Jesus asked them, “How many loaves do you have?” They said, “Seven, and a few small fish.” 35He told the crowd to sit down on the ground. 36He took the seven loaves and the fish, gave thanks, broke them, and kept giving them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the crowds. 37Everyone ate and was satisfied. They picked up seven baskets full of the broken pieces left over. 38Those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39After dismissing the crowds, Jesus got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.