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Matthew - ch 15 v 1 - 20
- Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem, saying,
- "Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don't wash their hands when they eat bread."
- He answered them, "Why do you also disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition?
- For God commanded, 'Honor your father and your mother,'1 and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him be put to death.'2
- But 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,"
- he shall not honor his father or mother.' You have made the commandment of God void because of your tradition.
- You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying,
- 'These people draw near to me with their mouth, and honor me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
- And in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine rules made by men.'"3
- He summoned the multitude, and said to them, "Hear, and understand.
- That which enters into the mouth doesn't defile the man; but that which proceeds out of the mouth, this defiles the man."
- Then the disciples came, and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard this saying?"
- But he answered, "Every plant which my heavenly Father didn't plant will be uprooted.
- Leave them alone. They are blind guides of the blind. If the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit."
- Peter answered him, "Explain the parable to us."
- So Jesus said, "Do you also still not understand?
- Don't you understand that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the belly, and then out of the body?
- But the things which proceed out of the mouth come out of the heart, and they defile the man.
- For out of the heart come forth evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual sins, thefts, false testimony, and blasphemies.
- These are the things which defile the man; but to eat with unwashed hands doesn't defile the man."
- Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 5:16
- Exodus 21:17; Leviticus 20:9
- Isaiah 29:13
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