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

13 When Jesus heard about John, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself. When the crowds learned this, they followed him on foot from the cities.

14 When Jesus arrived and saw a large crowd, he had compassion for them and healed those who were sick.

15 That evening his disciples came and said to him, "This is an isolated place and it's getting late. Send the crowds away so they can go into the villages and buy food for themselves."

16 But Jesus said to them, "There's no need to send them away. You give them something to eat."

17 They replied, "We have nothing here except five loaves of bread and two fish."

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

19 He ordered the crowds to sit down on the grass. He took the five loaves of bread and the two fish, looked up to heaven, blessed them and broke the loaves apart and gave them to his disciples. Then the disciples gave them to the crowds.

20 Everyone ate until they were full, and they filled twelve baskets with the leftovers.

21 About five thousand men plus women and children had eaten.

22 Right then, Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead to the other side of the lake while he dismissed the crowds.

23 When he sent them away, he went up onto a mountain by himself to pray. Evening came and he was alone.

24 Meanwhile, the boat, fighting a strong headwind, was being battered by the waves and was already far away from land.

25 Very early in the morning he came to his disciples, walking on the lake.

26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified and said, "It's a ghost!" They were so frightened they screamed.

27 Just then Jesus spoke to them, "Be encouraged! It's me. Don't be afraid."

28 Peter replied, "Lord, if it's you, order me to come to you on the water."

29 And Jesus said, "Come." Then Peter got out of the boat and was walking on the water toward Jesus.

30 But when Peter saw the strong wind, he became frightened. As he began to sink, he shouted, "Lord, rescue me!"

31 Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him, saying, "You man of weak faith! Why did you begin to have doubts?"

32 When they got into the boat, the wind settled down.

33 Then those in the boat worshipped Jesus and said, "You must be God's Son!"

34 When they had crossed the lake, they landed at Gennesaret.

35 When the people who lived in that place recognized him, they sent word throughout that whole region, and they brought to him everyone who was sick.

36 Then they begged him that they might just touch the edge of his clothes. Everyone who touched him was cured.

1 Then Pharisees and legal experts came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said,

2 "Why are your disciples breaking the elders' rules handed down to us? They don't ritually purify their hands by washing before they eat."

3 Jesus replied, "Why do you break the command of God by keeping the rules handed down to you?

4 For God said, Honor your father and your mother, and The person who speaks against father or mother will certainly be put to death.

5 But you say, ‘If you tell your father or mother, Everything I'm expected to contribute to you I'm giving to God as a gift, then you don't have to honor your father.'

6 So you do away with God's Law for the sake of the rules that have been handed down to you.

7 Hypocrites! Isaiah really knew what he was talking about when he prophesied about you,

8 This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me.

9 Their worship of me is empty since they teach instructions that are human rules."

10 Jesus called the crowd near and said to them, "Listen and understand.

11 It's not what goes into the mouth that contaminates a person in God's sight. It's what comes out of the mouth that contaminates the person."

12 Then the disciples came and said to him, "Do you know that the Pharisees were offended by what you just said?"

13 Jesus replied, "Every plant that my heavenly Father didn't plant will be pulled up.

14 Leave the Pharisees alone. They are blind people who are guides to blind people. But if a blind person leads another blind person, they will both fall into a ditch."

15 Then Peter spoke up, "Explain this riddle to us."

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

17 Don't you know that everything that goes into the mouth enters the stomach and goes out into the sewer?

18 But what goes out of the mouth comes from the heart. And that's what contaminates a person in God's sight.

19 Out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adultery, sexual sins, thefts, false testimonies, and insults.

20 These contaminate a person in God's sight. But eating without washing hands doesn't contaminate in God's sight."