Old/New Testament

Christ defends his disciples, and rebukes the scribes and Pharisees for transgressing God’s commandments through their own precepts. What goes into the mouth does not defile a man. He delivers the Canaanite woman’s daughter, heals the multitude, and with seven loaves and a few little fishes feeds 4,000 men, as well as women and children.

15 Then scribes and Pharisees from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, ² Why do your disciples transgress the precepts of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread. ³ He answered and said to them, And why do you transgress the commandment of God through your precepts? ⁴ For God commanded, saying, Honour your father and mother, and, He who curses father or mother shall suffer death. ⁵ But you say every man should tell his father or mother, That which you desire of me, to help you with, is given for God – ⁶ and so he should not honour his father or mother. And thus you have made the commandment of God to be without effect, through your precepts. ⁷ Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, ⁸ This people draws near to me with their mouths, and honours me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. ⁹ And in vain they worship me, teaching doctrines which are nothing but men’s precepts. 

¹⁰ And he called the people to him and said to them, Hear and understand: ¹¹ that which goes into the mouth does not defile a man, but that which comes out of the mouth defiles a man.

¹² Then his disciples came and said to him, Do you perceive how the Pharisees are offended in hearing this saying? ¹³ He answered and said, All plants that my heavenly Father has not planted shall be plucked up by the roots. ¹⁴ Let them alone. They are the blind leaders of the blind. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into the ditch.

¹⁵ Then Peter answered and said to him, Explain the parable to us. ¹⁶ Jesus said, Are you still without understanding? ¹⁷ Do you not see that whatever goes in at the mouth descends down into the stomach, and is cast out into the drain? ¹⁸ But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile the person. ¹⁹ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, breaking of wedlock, whoredom, theft, bearing of false witness, slander. ²⁰ These are the things that defile a person. But to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a person.