Matthew 15:1–20:34

Debate Over Tradition

Mark 7:1–23

15 Then athe scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying, 2 b“Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”

3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, c‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, d‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ 5 But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, e“Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”—6 then he need not honor his father 1or mother.’ Thus you have made the 2commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. 7 fHypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:

8 ‘These gpeople 3draw near to Me with their mouth,

And honor Me with their lips,

But their heart is far from Me.

9 And in vain they worship Me,

hTeaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ”

10 iWhen He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand: 11 jNot what goes into the mouth defiles a man; but what comes out of the mouth, this defiles a man.”

12 Then His disciples came and said to Him, “Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this saying?”

13 But He answered and said, k“Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted. 14 Let them alone. lThey are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”

15 mThen Peter answered and said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”

16 So Jesus said, n“Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not yet understand that owhatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated? 18 But pthose things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. 19 qFor out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. 20 These are the things which defile a man, but to eat with unwashed hands does not defile a man.”

Jesus Heals the Gentile Woman’s Daughter

Mark 7:24–30

21 rThen Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, sSon of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed.”

23 But He answered her not a word.

And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, “Send her away, for she cries out after us.”

24 But He answered and said, t“I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, help me!”

26 But He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little udogs.”

27 And she said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.”

28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, vgreat is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Jesus Heals Many

Mark 7:31–37

29 wJesus departed from there, xskirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there. 30 yThen great multitudes came to Him, having with them the lame, blind, mute, 4maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus’ zfeet, and He healed them. 31 So the multitude marveled when they saw the mute speaking, the 5maimed made whole, the lame walking, and the blind seeing; and they aglorified the God of Israel.

Jesus Feeds 4,000

Mark 8:1–10

32 bNow Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way.”

33 cThen His disciples said to Him, “Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?”

34 Jesus said to them, “How many loaves do you have?”

And they said, “Seven, and a few little fish.”

35 So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground. 36 And dHe took the seven loaves and the fish and egave thanks, broke them and gave them to His disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitude. 37 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left. 38 Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children. 39 fAnd He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of 6Magdala.

Debate Over a Sign from Heaven

Mark 8:11, 12

16 Then the aPharisees and Sadducees came, and testing Him asked that He would show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered and said to them, “When it is evening you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red’; 3 and in the morning, ‘It will be foul weather today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ 1Hypocrites! You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times. 4 bA wicked and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign shall be given to it except the sign of 2the prophet Jonah.” And He left them and departed.

Withdrawal of Jesus

Mark 8:13–21

5 Now cwhen His disciples had come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus said to them, d“Take heed and beware of the 3leaven of the Pharisees and the Sadducees.”

7 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “It is because we have taken no bread.”

8 But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, “O you of little faith, why do you reason among yourselves because you 4have brought no bread? 9 eDo you not yet understand, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand and how many baskets you took up? 10 fNor the seven loaves of the four thousand and how many large baskets you took up? 11 How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread?—but to beware of the 5leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees.” 12 Then they understood that He did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the 6doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

Revelation of the Person of the King

Mark 8:27–30; Luke 9:18–21

13 When Jesus came into the region of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, g“Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

14 So they said, h“Some say John the Baptist, some Elijah, and others Jeremiah or ione of the prophets.”

15 He said to them, “But who do jyou say that I am?”

16 Simon Peter answered and said, k“You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, lfor flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but mMy Father who is in heaven.

Revelation of the Church

18 And I also say to you that nyou are Peter, and oon this rock I will build My church, and pthe gates of Hades shall not 7prevail against it. 19 qAnd I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth 8will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

20 rThen He commanded His disciples that they should tell no one that He was Jesus the Christ.

Revelation of Jesus’ Death

Mark 8:31–33; Luke 9:22

21 From that time Jesus began sto show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised the third day.

22 Then Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, 9“Far be it from You, Lord; this shall not happen to You!”

23 But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, tSatan! uYou are 1an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men.”

Revelation of Jesus’ Reward

Mark 8:34–37; Luke 9:23–25

24 vThen Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and wfollow Me. 25 For xwhoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. 26 For what yprofit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul? Or zwhat will a man give in exchange for his soul?

The Prophecy of the Second Coming

Mark 8:38–9:1; Luke 9:26, 27

27 For athe Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father bwith His angels, cand then He will reward each according to his works. 28 Assuredly, I say to you, dthere are some standing here who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”

The Transfiguration

Mark 9:2–13; Luke 9:28–36; 2 Pet. 1:17, 18

17 Now aafter six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; 2 and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. 3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. 4 Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, 1let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

5 bWhile he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and suddenly a voice came out of the cloud, saying, c“This is My beloved Son, din whom I am well pleased. eHear Him!” 6 fAnd when the disciples heard it, they fell on their faces and were greatly afraid. 7 But Jesus came and gtouched them and said, “Arise, and do not be afraid.” 8 When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

9 Now as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead.”

10 And His disciples asked Him, saying, h“Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?”

11 Jesus answered and said to them, “Indeed, Elijah is coming 2first and will irestore all things. 12 jBut I say to you that Elijah has come already, and they kdid not know him but did to him whatever they wished. Likewise lthe Son of Man is also about to suffer at their hands.” 13 mThen the disciples understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist.

Instruction About Faith

Mark 9:14–29; Luke 9:37–42

14 nAnd when they had come to the multitude, a man came to Him, kneeling down to Him and saying, 15 “Lord, have …