Matthew 15:1-8

1 Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem. They asked him,
2 "Why don't your followers obey the unwritten laws which have been handed down to us? They don't wash their hands before they eat."
3 Jesus answered, "And why do you refuse to obey God's command so that you can follow your own teachings?
4 God said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'Anyone who says cruel things to his father or mother must be put to death.'
5 But you say a person can tell his father or mother, 'I have something I could use to help you, but I have given it to God already.'
6 You teach that person not to honor his father or his mother. You rejected what God said for the sake of your own rules.
7 You are hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he said about you:
8 'These people show honor to me with words, but their hearts are far from me.
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.