Book of Common Prayer

He puts them in fear with examples from the Old Testament, and exhorts them to lead godly lives. Of the Lord’s Supper.

10 Brethren, I would not want you to be ignorant of this: that our fathers were all under a cloud, and all passed through the sea, ² and were all baptized under Moses in the cloud and in the sea, ³ and did all eat of the same spiritual food, ⁴ and did all drink of the same spiritual drink. And they drank of that spiritual rock that followed them, which rock was Christ. ⁵ But in many of them, God had no delight. For they were overthrown in the wilderness. ⁶ These are examples for us, so that we will not lust after evil things like they did.

⁷ Neither be worshippers of images like some of them were, as it is written: The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up again to play. ⁸ Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed fornication, and in one day 23,000 were destroyed. ⁹ Neither let us tempt Christ as some of them did, and were destroyed by serpents. ¹⁰ Neither murmur as some of them murmured, and were destroyed by the destroyer.

¹¹ All these things happened to them for examples, and were written to make us mindful – we upon whom the ends of the world have come. ¹² Therefore let him who thinks he stands, take heed lest he fall.

¹³ No trial has taken you but such as follows the nature of man. But God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tried above your strength, but will in the midst of the trial make a way to escape out.

The disciples eat with unwashed hands. The commandment of God is transgressed by man’s precepts. Of the woman of Syro-Phoenicia. Of the Sabbath.

7 And the Pharisees came together to him, and some of the scribes who came from Jerusalem. ² And when they saw certain of his disciples eat bread with common hands (that is to say, with unwashed hands), they complained. ³ For the Pharisees and all the Jews, unless they wash their hands often, will not eat, observing the precepts of the elders. ⁴ And when they come from the market, unless they wash, they will not eat. And there are many other things that they have taken upon themselves to observe, such as the washing of cups and pitchers, and of copper pots, and of tables.

⁵ Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, Why do your disciples not walk according to the precepts of the elders, but eat bread with unwashed hands? ⁶ He answered and said to them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: This people honours me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. ⁷ In vain they worship me, teaching doctrines which are nothing but the commandments of men. ⁸ For you lay the commandment of God aside, and observe the precepts of men, such as the washing of pitchers and of cups. And many other suchlike things you do.

⁹ And he said to them, All too well do you cast aside the commandment of God to maintain your own precepts. ¹⁰ For Moses said, Honour your father and your mother, and whosoever curses father or mother, let him die for it. ¹¹ But you say a man should say to father or mother, Corban, which is, What you ask me for, to help you with, is dedicated to God. ¹² And so you no longer let him do anything for his father or his mother, ¹³ making the word of God of no effect through your own precepts, which you have established. And many such things you do.

¹⁴ And he called all the people to him and said to them, Hearken unto me, every one of you, and understand. ¹⁵ There is nothing outside a man that can defile him when it enters into him. But those things that proceed out of him are the things that defile a man. ¹⁶ If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.

¹⁷ And when he went indoors, away from the people, his disciples asked him about the similitude. ¹⁸ And he said to them, Are you also without understanding? Do you not yet perceive that whatever thing from without enters into a person, it cannot defile him, ¹⁹ because it enters not into his heart, but into the stomach, and goes out into the drain that carries away all foods?

²⁰ And he said, What defiles a man is that which comes out of a man. ²¹ For from within, namely out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts: adultery, fornication, murder, ²² theft, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, uncleanness, a wicked eye, slander, pride, foolishness. ²³ All these evil things come from within, and defile a person.