CHAPTER 7
Now
in holding
to the
tradition
of the
elders,
the
Pharisees
and
all
the
Jews
do not
eat
until
they wash
their
hands
ceremonially.
And
on returning from
the market,
they do not eat
unless
they wash.
And
there are
many
other
traditions for them
to observe,
including the washing
of cups,
pitchers,
kettles,
and
couches for dining.
So
the
Pharisees
and
scribes
questioned
Jesus:
“Why
do Your
disciples
not
live
according to
the
tradition
of the
elders?
Instead,
they eat
with defiled
hands."
Jesus answered
them,
“Isaiah
prophesied
correctly
about
you
hypocrites,
as
it is written:
‘These
people
honor
Me
with their
lips,
but
their
hearts
are
far
from
Me.
For
Moses
said,
‘Honor
your
father
and
your
mother,’
and,
‘Whoever
curses
his father
or
mother
must be put to death.’
But
you
say that
if
a man
says
to his
father
or
mother,
‘Whatever
you would have received
from
me
is Corban’
(that
is,
a gift committed to God),
Thus you nullify
the
word
of God
by
the
tradition
you have handed down.
And
you do
so
in many
such matters.”
Nothing
that enters
a
man
from the outside
can
defile
him;
but
the things
that come
out of
a
man,
these are
what
defile
him.”
After
Jesus had left
the
crowd
and gone into
the house,
His
disciples
inquired about
the
parable.
“Are
you
still
so
dull?”
He asked.
“Do you not understand?
Nothing
that
enters
a
man
from the outside
can
defile
him,
because
it does not enter
his
heart,
but
it goes into
the
stomach
and then
is eliminated.”
(Thus all
foods
are clean.)
For
from
within
the
hearts
of men
come
evil
thoughts,
sexual immorality,
theft,
murder,
adultery,
Jesus left
that place
and went
to
the
region
of Tyre.
Not wanting anyone
to know He was there,
He entered
a house,
but
was unable
to escape their notice.
Instead,
a woman
whose
little daughter
had
an unclean
spirit
soon
heard
about
Jesus,
and she came
and fell
at
His
feet.
Now
she was
a Greek
woman
of
Syrophoenician
origin,
and
she kept asking
Jesus
to drive
the
demon
out of
her
daughter.
“First
let
the
children
have their fill,”
He said.
“For
it is
not
right
to take
the
children’s
bread
and
toss it
to the
dogs.”
Then
Jesus left
the
region
of Tyre
and went
through
Sidon
to
the
Sea
of Galilee
and into
the
region
of the Decapolis.
Some people brought
to Him
a man who was deaf
and
hardly able to speak,
and
they begged
Jesus
to place
His
hand
on him.
So
Jesus took him
aside
privately,
away from
the
crowd,
and put
His
fingers
into
the man’s
ears.
Then
He spit
and touched
the man’s
tongue.
And
looking up
to
heaven,
He sighed deeply
and
said
to him,
“Ephphatha!”
(which
means,
“Be opened!”).
Immediately
the man’s
ears
were opened
and
his
tongue
was released,
and
he began to speak
plainly.
Jesus ordered
them
not to tell anyone.
But
the more
He
ordered
them,
the more widely
they proclaimed it.
The people were utterly astonished
and said,
“He has done
all things
well!
He makes
even
the
deaf
to hear
and
the
mute
to speak!”