# Matthew 15 (New King James Version)
Defilement Comes from Within

##### Chapter 15
###### 1 Then the scribes and Pharisees who were from Jerusalem came to Jesus, saying,  
###### 2 "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,** **'Honor your father and your mother'; and,** **'He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.'**  
###### 5 **But you say, 'Whoever says to his father or mother,** **"Whatever profit you might have received from me _is_ a gift _to God_"--**  
###### 6 **then he need not honor his father** **or mother.' Thus you have made the** **commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.**  
###### 7 **Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying:**

###### 8 **'These** **people** **draw 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,**  
**Teaching _as_ doctrines the commandments of men.'** **"**

###### 10 When He had called the multitude to _Himself,_ He said to them, **"Hear and understand:**  
###### 11 **Not 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, **"Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.**  
###### 14 **Let them alone.** **They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch."**

###### 15 Then Peter answered and said to Him, "Explain this parable to us."

###### 16 So Jesus said, **"Are you also still without understanding?**  
###### 17 **Do you not yet understand that** **whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and is eliminated?**  
###### 18 **But** **those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man.**  
###### 19 **For 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."**A Gentile Shows Her Faith

###### 21 Then Jesus went out from there and departed to the region of Tyre and Sidon.  
###### 22 And behold, a woman of Canaan came from that region and cried out to Him, saying, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! My daughter is severely demon-possessed."

###### 23 But He answered her not a word.
And His disciples came and urged Him, saying, "Send her away, for she cries out after us."

###### 24 But He answered and said, **"I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."**

###### 25 Then she came and worshiped Him, saying, "Lord, help me!"

###### 26 But He answered and said, **"It is not good to take the children's bread and throw _it_ to the little** **dogs."**

###### 27 And she said, "Yes, Lord, yet even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their masters' table."

###### 28 Then Jesus answered and said to her, **"O woman,** **great _is_ your faith! Let it be to you as you desire."** And her daughter was healed from that very hour.Jesus Heals Great Multitudes

###### 29 Jesus departed from there, skirted the Sea of Galilee, and went up on the mountain and sat down there.  
###### 30 Then great multitudes came to Him, having with them _the_ lame, blind, mute, maimed, and many others; and they laid them down at Jesus' feet, and He healed them.  
###### 31 So the multitude marveled when they saw _the_ mute speaking, _the_ maimed made whole, _the_ lame walking, and _the_ blind seeing; and they glorified the God of Israel.Feeding the Four Thousand

###### 32 Now Jesus called His disciples to _Himself_ and said, **"I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way."**

###### 33 Then His disciples said to Him, "Where could we get enough bread in the wilderness to fill such a great multitude?"

###### 34 Jesus said to them, **"How many loaves do you have?"**
And they said, "Seven, and a few little fish."

###### 35 So He commanded the multitude to sit down on the ground.  
###### 36 And He took the seven loaves and the fish and gave thanks, broke _them_ and gave _them_ to His disciples; and the disciples _gave_ to the multitude.  
###### 37 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up seven large baskets full of the fragments that were left.  
###### 38 Now those who ate were four thousand men, besides women and children.  
###### 39 And He sent away the multitude, got into the boat, and came to the region of Magdala.