The Tradition of the Elders
1 Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked,
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“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”
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Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?
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For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’
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But you say that if anyone says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’
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he need not honor his father or mother with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.
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You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you:
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‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.
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They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’ ”
What Defiles a Man
10 Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “Listen and understand.
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A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.”
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Then the disciples came to Him and said, “Are You aware that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”
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But Jesus replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by its roots.
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Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
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Peter said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”
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“Do you still not understand?” Jesus asked.
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“Do you not yet realize that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then is eliminated?
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But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man.
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For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.
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These are what defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile him.”