The Life of Jesus

They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’

You have disregarded the commandment of God to keep the tradition of men.”

He went on to say, “You neatly set aside the command of God to maintain your own tradition.

For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Anyone who 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 devoted to God),

he is no longer permitted to do anything for his father or mother.

Thus you nullify the word of God by the tradition you have handed down. And you do so in many such matters.”

Once again Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “All of you, listen to Me and understand:

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.”

If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.

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.)

He continued: “What comes out of a man, that is what defiles him.

For from within the hearts of men come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery,

greed, wickedness, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, arrogance, and foolishness.

All these evils come from within, and these are what defile a man.”

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.”

“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “even the dogs under the table eat the children’s crumbs.”

Then Jesus told her, “Because of this answer, you may go. The demon has left your daughter.”

And she went home and found her child lying on the bed, and the demon was gone.

Then Jesus left the region of Tyre and went through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee and into the region of the Decapolis.