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.”