Mark 7

Jesus Teaches about Inner Purity

7One day some Pharisees and teachers of religious law arrived from Jerusalem to see Jesus.G2532G4863G4314G846G5330G2532G5100G1122G2064G575G24142They noticed that some of his disciples failed to follow the Jewish ritual of hand washing before eating.G2532G1492G5100G846G3101G2068G740G2839G5123G449G5495G32013(The Jews, especially the Pharisees, do not eat until they have poured water over their cupped hands

, as required by their ancient traditions.G1063G5330G2532G3956G2453G3362G3538G5495G4435G2068G3756G2902G3862G42454Similarly, they don't eat anything from the market until they immerse their hands

in water. This is but one of many traditions they have clung to—such as their ceremonial washing of cups, pitchers, and kettles.)G2532G575G58G3362G907G2068G3756G2532G4183G243G2076G3739G3880G2902G909G4221G2532G3582G2532G5473G2532G28255So the Pharisees and teachers of religious law asked him, "Why don't your disciples follow our age-old tradition? They eat without first performing the hand-washing ceremony."G1899G5330G2532G1122G1905G846G1302G4043G3756G4675G3101G2596G3862G4245G235G2068G740G449G54956Jesus replied, "You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you, for he wrote, 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.G611G1161G2036G846G3754G2573G2268G4395G4012G5216G5273G5613G1125G3778G2992G5091G3165G5491G1161G846G2588G568G4206G575G17007Their worship is a farce, for they teach man-made ideas as commands from God.'

G1161G3155G4576G3165G1321G1319G1778G4448For you ignore God's law and substitute your own tradition."G1063G863G1785G2316G2902G3862G444G909G3582G2532G4221G2532G4183G243G5108G3946G41609Then he said, "You skillfully sidestep God's law in order to hold on to your own tradition.G2532G3004G846G2573G114G1785G2316G2443G5083G5216G386210For instance, Moses gave you this law from God: 'Honor your father and mother,'

and 'Anyone who speaks disrespectfully of father or mother must be put to death.'G1063G3475G2036G5091G4675G3962G2532G4675G3384G2532G2551G3962G2228G3384G5053G228811But you say it is all right for people to say to their parents, 'Sorry, I can't help you. For I have vowed to give to God what I would have given to you.'

G1161G5210G3004G1437G444G2036G3962G2228G3384G2878G3603G1435G1537G3739G1437G5623G170012In this way, you let them disregard their needy parents.G2532G863G846G3765G4160G3762G846G3962G2228G846G338413And so you cancel the word of God in order to hand down your own tradition. And this is only one example among many others."G208G3056G2316G208G5216G3862G3739G3860G2532G4183G5108G3946G416014Then Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. "All of you listen," he said, "and try to understand.G2532G4341G3956G3793G3004G846G191G3450G3956G2532G492015It's not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from your heart."G2076G3762G1855G444G3739G1531G1519G846G1410G2840G846G235G1607G575G846G1565G2076G2840G44416

G1536G2192G3775G191G19117Then Jesus went into a house to get away from the crowd, and his disciples asked him what he meant by the parable he had just used.G2532G3753G1525G1519G3624G575G3793G846G3101G1905G846G4012G385018"Don't you understand either?" he asked. "Can't you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you?G2532G3004G846G2075G5210G3779G801G2532G3539G3756G3539G3754G3956G1855G1531G1519G444G3756G1410G2840G84619Food doesn't go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer."

G3754G1531G3756G1519G846G2588G235G1519G2836G2532G1607G1519G856G2511G3956G103320And then he added, "It is what comes from inside that defiles you.G1161G3004G3754G1607G1537G444G1565G2840G44421For from within, out of a person's heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder,G1063G2081G1537G2588G444G1607G2556G1261G3430G4202G540822adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness.G2829G4124G4189G1388G766G4190G3788G988G5243G87723All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you."G3956G5023G4190G1607G2081G2532G2840G444

The Faith of a Gentile Woman

24Then Jesus left Galilee and went north to the region of Tyre

. He didn't want anyone to know which house he was staying in, but he couldn't keep it a secret.G2532G1564G450G565G1519G3181G5184G2532G4605G2532G1525G1519G3614G2309G3762G1097G2532G1410G3756G299025Right away a woman who had heard about him came and fell at his feet. Her little girl was possessed by an evil

spirit,G1063G1135G3739G846G2365G2192G169G4151G191G4012G846G2064G4363G4314G846G422826and she begged him to cast out the demon from her daughter. Since she was a Gentile, born in Syrian Phoenicia,G1161G1135G2258G1674G4949G1085G2532G2065G846G2443G1544G1140G1537G846G236427Jesus told her, "First I should feed the children—my own family, the Jews

. It isn't right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs."G1161G2424G2036G846G863G5043G4412G5526G1063G2076G3756G2570G2983G5043G740G2532G906G295228She replied, "That's true, Lord, but even the dogs under the table are allowed to eat the scraps from the children's plates."G1161G611G2532G3004G846G3483G2962G2532G1063G2952G5270G5132G2068G575G3813G558929"Good answer!" he said. "Now go home, for the demon has left your daughter."G2532G2036G846G1223G5126G3056G5217G1140G1831G1537G4675G236430And when she arrived home, she found her little girl lying quietly in bed, and the demon was gone.G2532G565G1519G846G3624G2147G1140G1831G2532G2364G906G1909G2825

Jesus Heals a Deaf Man

31Jesus left Tyre and went up to Sidon before going back to the Sea of Galilee and the region of the Ten Towns

.G2532G3825G1831G1537G3725G5184G2532G4605G2064G4314G2281G1056G303G3319G3725G117932A deaf man with a speech impediment was brought to him, and the people begged Jesus to lay his hands on the man to heal him.G2532G5342G846G2974G3424G2532G3870G846G2443G2007G5495G84633Jesus led him away from the crowd so they could be alone. He put his fingers into the man's ears. Then, spitting on his own fingers, he touched the man's tongue.G2532G618G846G2596G2398G575G3793G906G846G1147G1519G846G3775G2532G4429G680G846G110034Looking up to heaven, he sighed and said, "Ephphatha," which means, "Be opened!"G2532G308G1519G3772G4727G2532G3004G846G2188G3603G127235Instantly the man could hear perfectly, and his tongue was freed so he could speak plainly!G2532G2112G846G189G1272G2532G1199G846G1100G3089G2532G2980G372336Jesus told the crowd not to tell anyone, but the more he told them not to, the more they spread the news.G2532G1291G846G2443G2036G3367G1161G3745G846G1291G846G3123G4054G278437They were completely amazed and said again and again, "Everything he does is wonderful. He even makes the deaf to hear and gives speech to those who cannot speak."G2532G5249G1605G3004G4160G3956G2573G4160G2532G2974G191G2532G216G2980