Matthew 14:13-36; Matthew 15:1-20

13 When Jesus heard about it, He withdrew from there by boat to a remote place to be alone. When the crowds heard this, they followed Him on foot from the towns.

14 As He stepped ashore, He saw a huge crowd, felt compassion for them, and healed their sick.

15 When evening came, the disciples approached Him and said, "This place is a wilderness, and it is already late. Send the crowds away so they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves."

16 "They don't need to go away," Jesus told them. "You give them something to eat."

17 "But we only have five loaves and two fish here," they said to Him.

18 "Bring them here to Me," He said.

19 Then He commanded the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed them. He broke the loaves and gave them to the disciples, and the disciples [gave them] to the crowds.

20 Everyone ate and was filled. Then they picked up 12 baskets full of leftover pieces!

21 Now those who ate were about 5,000 men, besides women and children.

22 Immediately He made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of Him to the other side, while He dismissed the crowds.

23 After dismissing the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone.

24 But the boat was already over a mile from land, battered by the waves, because the wind was against them.

25 Around three in the morning, He came toward them walking on the sea.

26 When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified. "It's a ghost!" they said, and cried out in fear.

27 Immediately Jesus spoke to them. "Have courage! It is I. Don't be afraid."

28 "Lord, if it's You," Peter answered Him, "command me to come to You on the water."

29 "Come!" He said. And climbing out of the boat, Peter started walking on the water and came toward Jesus.

30 But when he saw the strength of the wind, he was afraid. And beginning to sink he cried out, "Lord, save me!"

31 Immediately Jesus reached out His hand, caught hold of him, and said to him, "You of little faith, why did you doubt?"

32 When they got into the boat, the wind ceased.

33 Then those in the boat worshiped Him and said, "Truly You are the Son of God!"

34 Once they crossed over, they came to land at Gennesaret.

35 When the men of that place recognized Him, they alerted the whole vicinity and brought to Him all who were sick.

36 They were begging Him that they might only touch the tassel on His robe. And as many as touched it were made perfectly well.

1 Then Pharisees and scribes came from Jerusalem to Jesus and asked,

2 "Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they don't wash their hands when they eat!"

3 He answered them, "And why do you break God's commandment because of your tradition?

4 For God said: Honor your father and your mother; and, The one who speaks evil of father or mother must be put to death.

5 But you say, 'Whoever tells his father or mother, "Whatever benefit you might have received from me is a gift [committed to the temple]"-

6 he does not have to honor his father.' In this way, you have revoked God's word because of your tradition.

7 Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said:

8 These people honor Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me.

9 They worship Me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commands of men. "

10 Summoning the crowd, He told them, "Listen and understand:

11 It's not what goes into the mouth that defiles a man, but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man."

12 Then the disciples came up and told Him, "Do You know that the Pharisees took offense when they heard this statement?"

13 He replied, "Every plant that My heavenly Father didn't plant will be uprooted.

14 Leave them alone! They are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both will fall into a pit."

15 Then Peter replied to Him, "Explain this parable to us."

16 "Are even you still lacking in understanding?" He asked.

17 "Don't you realize that whatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is eliminated?

18 But what comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this defiles a man.

19 For from the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, sexual immoralities, thefts, false testimonies, blasphemies.

20 These are the things that defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile a man."