Matthew 15; Matthew 16; Matthew 17

Matthew 15

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

2 "Why do your disciples break the traditions of our ancestors? They do not wash their hands before they eat."

3 He answered them, "Why do you break the commandment of God because of your traditions?

4 For example, God said, 'Honor your father and your mother' and 'Whoever curses father or mother must be put to death.'

5 But you say that whoever tells his father or mother, 'I have given to God whatever support you might have received from me,'

6 does not have to honor his father. Because of your traditions you have destroyed the authority of God's word.

7 You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:

8 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.

9 Their worship of me is pointless, because their teachings are rules made by humans.'"

10 Then he called the crowd and said to them, "Listen and try to understand!

11 What goes into a person's mouth doesn't make him unclean. It's what comes out of the mouth that makes a person unclean."

12 Then the disciples came and said to him, "Do you realize that when the Pharisees heard your statement they were offended?"

13 He answered, "Any plant that my heavenly Father did not plant will be uprooted.

14 Leave them alone! They are blind leaders. When one blind person leads another, both will fall into the same pit."

15 Peter said to him, "Explain this illustration to us."

16 Jesus said, "Don't you understand yet?

17 Don't you know that whatever goes into the mouth goes into the stomach and then into a toilet?

18 But whatever goes out of the mouth comes from within, and that's what makes a person unclean.

19 Evil thoughts, murder, adultery, [other] sexual sins, stealing, lying, and cursing come from within.

20 These are the things that make a person unclean. But eating without washing one's hands doesn't make a person unclean."

21 Jesus left that place and went to the region of Tyre and Sidon.

22 A Canaanite woman from that territory came [to him] and began to shout, "Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David! My daughter is tormented by a demon."

23 But he did not answer her at all. Then his disciples came to him and urged him, "Send her away. She keeps shouting behind us."

24 Jesus responded, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the nation of Israel."

25 She came to him, bowed down, and said, "Lord, help me!"

26 Jesus replied, "It's not right to take the children's food and throw it to the dogs."

27 She said, "You're right, Lord. But even the dogs eat scraps that fall from their masters' tables."

28 Then Jesus answered her, "Woman, you have strong faith! What you wanted will be done for you." At that moment her daughter was cured.

29 Jesus moved on from there and went along the Sea of Galilee. Then he went up a mountain and sat there.

30 A large crowd came to him, bringing with them the lame, blind, disabled, those unable to talk, and many others. They laid them at his feet, and he cured them.

31 The crowd was amazed to see mute people talking, the disabled cured, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. So they praised the God of Israel.

32 Jesus called his disciples and said, "I feel sorry for the people. They have been with me three days now and have nothing to eat. I don't want to send them away hungry, or they may become exhausted on their way home."

33 His disciples asked him, "Where could we get enough bread to feed such a crowd in this place where no one lives?"

34 Jesus asked them, "How many loaves of bread do you have?" They answered, "Seven, and a few small fish."

35 He ordered the crowd to sit down on the ground.

36 He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks to God. Then he broke the bread and gave it to the disciples, and they gave the bread and fish to the people.

37 All of them ate as much as they wanted. The disciples picked up the leftover pieces and filled seven large baskets.

38 Four thousand men had eaten. (This number does not include the women and children who had eaten.)

39 After he sent the people on their way, Jesus stepped into the boat and came to the territory of Magadan.

Matthew 16

1 The Pharisees and Sadducees came to test Jesus. So they asked him to show them a miraculous sign from heaven.

2 He responded to them, "In the evening you say that the weather will be fine because the sky is red.

3 And in the morning you say that there will be a storm today because the sky is red and overcast. You can forecast the weather by judging the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

4 "Evil and unfaithful people look for a miraculous sign. But the only sign they will be given is that of Jonah." Then he left them standing there and went away.

5 The disciples had forgotten to take any bread along when they went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee.

6 Jesus said to them, "Be careful! Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!"

7 The disciples had been discussing among themselves that they had not taken any bread along.

8 Jesus knew about their conversation and asked, "Why are you discussing among yourselves that you don't have any bread? You have so little faith!

9 Don't you understand yet? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand and how many baskets you filled?

10 Don't you remember the seven loaves for the four thousand and how many large baskets you filled?

11 Why don't you understand that I wasn't talking to you about bread? Watch out for the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees!"

12 Then they understood that he didn't say to watch out for the yeast in bread, but to watch out for the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

13 When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?"

14 They answered, "Some say you are John the Baptizer, others Elijah, still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets."

15 He asked them, "But who do you say I am?"

16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God!"

17 Jesus replied, "Simon, son of Jonah, you are blessed! No human revealed this to you, but my Father in heaven revealed it to you.

18 You are Peter, and I can guarantee that on this rock I will build my church. And the gates of hell will not overpower it.

19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven. Whatever you imprison, God will imprison. And whatever you set free, God will set free."

20 Then he strictly ordered the disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.

21 From that time on Jesus began to inform his disciples that he had to go to Jerusalem. There he would have to suffer a lot because of the leaders, chief priests, and scribes. He would be killed, but on the third day he would be brought back to life.

22 Peter took him aside and objected to this. He said, "Heaven forbid, Lord! This must never happen to you!"

23 But Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get out of my way, Satan! You are tempting me to sin. You aren't thinking the way God thinks but the way humans think."

24 Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Those who want to come with me must say no to the things they want, pick up their crosses, and follow me.

25 Those who want to save their lives will lose them. But those who lose their lives for me will find them.

26 What good will it do for people to win the whole world and lose their lives? Or what will a person give in exchange for life?

27 The Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory. Then he will pay back each person based on what that person has done.

28 I can guarantee this truth: Some people who are standing here will not die until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."

Matthew 17

1 After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John (the brother of James) and led them up a high mountain where they could be alone.

2 Jesus' appearance changed in front of them. His face became as bright as the sun and his clothes as white as light.

3 Suddenly, Moses and Elijah appeared to them and were talking with Jesus.

4 Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it's good that we're here. If you want, I'll put up three tents here--one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah."

5 He was still speaking when a bright cloud overshadowed them. Then a voice came out of the cloud and said, "This is my Son, whom I love and with whom I am pleased. Listen to him!"

6 The disciples were terrified when they heard this and fell facedown on the ground.

7 But Jesus touched them and said, "Get up, and don't be afraid!"

8 As they raised their heads, they saw no one but Jesus.

9 On their way down the mountain, Jesus ordered them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen. Wait until the Son of Man has been brought back to life."

10 So the disciples asked him, "Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?"

11 Jesus answered, "Elijah is coming and will put everything in order again.

12 Actually, I can guarantee that Elijah has already come. Yet, people treated him as they pleased because they didn't recognize him. In the same way they're going to make the Son of Man suffer."

13 Then the disciples understood that he was talking about John the Baptizer.

14 When they came to a crowd, a man came up to Jesus, knelt in front of him,

15 and said, "Sir, have mercy on my son. He suffers from seizures. Often he falls into fire or water.

16 I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn't cure him."

17 Jesus replied, "You unbelieving and corrupt generation! How long must I be with you? How long must I put up with you? Bring him here to me!"

18 Jesus ordered the demon to come out of the boy. At that moment the boy was cured.

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and asked, "Why couldn't we force the demon out of the boy?"

20 He told them, "Because you have so little faith. I can guarantee this truth: If your faith is the size of a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

21

22 While they were traveling together in Galilee, Jesus told them, "The Son of Man will be betrayed and handed over to people.

23 They will kill him, but on the third day he will be brought back to life." Then the disciples became very sad.

24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter. They asked him, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?"

25 "Certainly," he answered. Peter went into the house. Before he could speak, Jesus asked him, "What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the world collect fees or taxes? Is it from their family members or from other people?"

26 "From other people," Peter answered. Jesus said to him, "Then the family members are exempt.

27 However, so that we don't create a scandal, go to the sea and throw in a hook. Take the first fish that you catch. Open its mouth, and you will find a coin. Give that coin to them for you and me."