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.