The Tradition of the Elders
The Pharisees and some religious teachers who had traveled from Jerusalem came and gathered around Jesus. They noticed that some of his followers were eating their food with hands that were ceremonially unclean—meaning they hadn't washed them according to religious custom. The Pharisees and all the Jewish people followed the traditions passed down by their ancestors, which required them to wash their hands in a special ceremonial way before eating. When they returned from the marketplace, they would not eat until they had washed themselves. They also observed many other traditions, including the ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers, kettles, and dining couches. So the Pharisees and religious teachers asked Jesus, "Why don't your disciples follow the tradition of our ancestors? Why do they eat with ceremonially unclean hands?" Jesus replied, "Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites. As it is written in Scripture: 'These people honor me with their words, but their hearts are far away from me. Their worship means nothing to me because they teach human rules as if they were God's teachings.' You have abandoned God's commandments in order to hold onto human traditions." Jesus continued, "You cleverly set aside God's commands so you can keep your own traditions. Moses said, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and 'Anyone who speaks evil of their father or mother must be put to death.' But you teach that if someone says to their father or mother, 'Whatever help you might have received from me is Corban'—meaning it's a gift dedicated to God—then that person is no longer required to help their father or mother in any way. In this way, you cancel out God's word with the tradition you've passed down through the generations. And you do this same thing in many other matters as well."
What Defiles a Person
Jesus called the crowd back to him and spoke with authority. "Everyone, listen carefully and understand what I'm telling you," he said. "Nothing that goes into a person from the outside can make them spiritually unclean. But the things that come out of a person—those are what make them unclean." Later, when Jesus had left the crowd and went inside a house, his disciples asked him to explain what he meant by this teaching. Jesus responded with surprise in his voice, "Are you still not getting this? Don't you understand yet? Nothing that enters a person from the outside can make them spiritually unclean, because it doesn't go into their heart. Instead, it goes into their stomach and then passes out of their body." By saying this, Jesus was declaring that all foods are clean and acceptable. Jesus continued his explanation: "What comes out of a person—that's what makes them spiritually unclean. You see, from deep inside people's hearts come evil thoughts that lead to sexual sin, stealing, murder, unfaithfulness in marriage, greed, malicious actions, lying and deception, wild immoral behavior, jealousy, speaking evil about others, pride, and foolish choices. All of these evil things come from within a person's heart, and these are what truly make someone spiritually unclean."
The Syrophoenician Woman's Faith
Jesus left that place and traveled to the region around Tyre. He wanted to stay hidden, so he went into a house, hoping no one would know he was there. But he couldn't keep his presence secret. A woman soon heard that Jesus was nearby. Her young daughter was possessed by an evil spirit, and when she learned Jesus had come, she hurried to find him. She fell down at his feet, begging for help. This woman was Greek and came from the area of Syrophoenicia. She kept pleading with Jesus to force the demon out of her daughter. Jesus said to her, "First let the children eat all they want. It wouldn't be right to take the children's bread and throw it to the dogs." The woman answered, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs under the table get to eat the crumbs that fall from the children's meal." Jesus replied, "Because you said that, you can go home now. The demon has left your daughter." The woman went back to her house and found her child lying peacefully on the bed. The demon was completely gone.
Jesus Heals a Deaf and Mute Man
Jesus left the area around Tyre and traveled through Sidon to reach the Sea of Galilee, entering the region known as the Decapolis. There, some people brought him a man who could not hear and could barely speak. They pleaded with Jesus to place his hand on the man to heal him. Jesus took the deaf man away from the crowd to a private place. He put his fingers into the man's ears, then spat and touched the man's tongue with his saliva. Looking up toward heaven, Jesus breathed out a deep sigh and spoke to him, saying "Ephphatha," which means "Be opened." Right away, the man's ears opened and he could hear perfectly. His tongue was freed from whatever had bound it, and he began speaking clearly. Jesus told the people not to tell anyone what had happened. But the more he warned them to stay quiet, the more they spread the news everywhere. The people were completely amazed and said, "He does everything perfectly! He even makes deaf people hear and those who cannot speak talk clearly!"