Defilement Comes from Within
1 Then Matt. 15:1–20the Pharisees and some of the scribes came together to Him, having come from Jerusalem. 2 Now when they saw some of His disciples eat bread with defiled, that is, with Matt. 15:20unwashed hands, they found fault. 3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their hands in a special way, holding the Mark 7:5, 8, 9, 13; Gal. 1:14; 1 Pet. 1:18tradition of the elders. 4 Whentheycome from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things which they have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and couches.
5 Matt. 15:2Then the Pharisees and scribes asked Him, "Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands?"
6 He answered and said to them, "Well did Isaiah prophesy of you Matt. 23:13–29hypocrites, as it is written:
Is. 29:13‘This people honors Me withtheirlips,
But their heart is far from Me.
7 And in vain they worship Me,
Teachingasdoctrines the commandments of men.’
8 For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do."
9 He said to them, "All too well Prov. 1:25; Is. 24:5; Jer. 7:23, 24you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.10 For Moses said, Ex. 20:12; Deut. 5:16; Matt. 15:4‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, Ex. 21:17; Lev. 20:9; Prov. 20:20‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’11 But you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, Matt. 15:5; 23:18"Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban"—’ (that is, a gift to God),12 then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother,13 making the word of God of no effect through your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do."
14 Matt. 15:10When He had called all the multitude to Himself, He said to them, "Hear Me, everyone, and Matt. 16:9, 11, 12understand:15 There is nothing that enters a man from outside which can defile him; but the things which come out of him, those are the things that Is. 59:3; (Heb. 12:15)defile a man.16 Matt. 11:15If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear!"
17 Matt. 15:15When He had entered a house away from the crowd, His disciples asked Him concerning the parable. 18 So He said to them, (Is. 28:9–11; 1 Cor. 3:2; Heb. 5:11–14)"Are you thus without understanding also? Do you not perceive that whatever enters a man from outside cannot defile him,19 because it does not enter his heart but his stomach, and is eliminated, thus purifying all foods?"20 And He said, Ps. 39:1; (Matt. 12:34–37; James 3:6)"What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.21 Gen. 6:5; 8:21; Prov. 6:18; Jer. 17:9; Matt. 15:19For from within, out of the heart of men, (Gal. 5:19–21)proceed evil thoughts, 2 Pet. 2:14adulteries, 1 Thess. 4:3fornications, murders,22 thefts, Luke 12:15covetousness, wickedness, Rom. 1:28, 29deceit, 1 Pet. 4:3lewdness, an evil eye, Rev. 2:9blasphemy, 1 John 2:16pride, foolishness.23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man."
A Gentile Shows Her Faith
24 Matt. 15:21From there He arose and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon. And He entered a house and wanted no one to know it, but He could not be Mark 2:1, 2hidden. 25 For a woman whose young daughter had an unclean spirit heard about Him, and she came and Mark 5:22; John 11:32; Rev. 1:17fell at His feet. 26 The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 But Jesus said to her, "Let the children be filled first, for it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs."
28 And she answered and said to Him, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs under the table eat from the children’s crumbs."
29 Then He said to her, "For this saying go your way; the demon has gone out of your daughter."
30 And when she had come to her house, she found the demon gone out, and her daughter lying on the bed.
Jesus Heals a Deaf-Mute
31 Matt. 15:29; Mark 15:37; Luke 23:46; 24:46; Acts 10:40; 1 Cor. 15:4Again, departing from the region of Tyre and Sidon, He came through the midst of the region of Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. 32 Then Matt. 9:32; Luke 11:14they brought to Him one who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech, and they begged Him to put His hand on him. 33 And He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and Mark 8:23; John 9:6He spat and touched his tongue. 34 Then, Mark 6:41; John 11:41; 17:1looking up to heaven, John 11:33, 38He sighed, and said to him, "Ephphatha," that is, "Be opened."
35 Is. 35:5, 6Immediately his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was loosed, and he spoke plainly. 36 Then Mark 5:43He commanded them that they should tell no one; but the more He commanded them, the more widely they proclaimed it.37 And they were Mark 6:51; 10:26astonished beyond measure, saying, "He has done all things well. He Matt. 12:22makes both the deaf to hear and the mute to speak."