Christ condemns the hypocrisy of the Pharisees, because by keeping traditions they dishonor the commandments of God. He heals the daughter of the Syrophoenician woman, as well as a deaf and mute man.

1 The Pharisees and some scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus Christ. 2 And seeing that some of His disciples were eating bread with unclean hands, that is, unwashed, they criticized them. 3 For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat bread unless they have washed their hands well, because they keep the tradition of the elders. 4 And when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. And there are many other things they have received by tradition to keep: washings of cups, pitchers, copper vessels, and beds. 5 Then the Pharisees and the scribes asked Jesus, “Why do Your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but eat bread with unclean hands?” 6 Jesus answered and said to them, “Isaiah prophesied well about you hypocrites, saying, ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. 7 They worship Me in vain. They teach doctrines that are commandments of men” (Isa. 29:13). 8 For leaving the commandment of God, you keep the tradition of men, the washings of pitchers and cups, and you do many other things like these.” 9 And He said to them, “You do well to set aside the commandment of God, so that you may keep your tradition. 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ (Exodus 20:12. Deuteronomy 5:16), and also, ‘Whoever speaks evil of his father or mother, let him be condemned to death’ (Exodus 21:16. Leviticus 20:9). 11 But you say, ‘If someone says to his father or mother, ‘The help you would have received from me is Corban, that is, a gift to be given to God,’ 12 and you no longer allow him to do anything for his father or mother. 13 In this way you dishonor the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you also do many similar things.” 14 And calling all the crowd to Himself, He said to them, “Listen to Me, all of you, and understand. 15 Nothing that enters a person from outside can defile him, but what comes out of him, that defiles the person. 16 If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” 17 And when He had left the crowd and entered the house, His disciples asked Him about that parable. 18 Jesus said to them, “Are you also so foolish? Do you not understand that everything that enters a person from outside cannot defile him, 19 because it does not go into his heart, but into the stomach, and it goes out and cleanses all that was eaten.” 20 And He continued, “What comes out of a man is what defiles the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, 22 greed, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, evil envy, slander, arrogance, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come out from within and defile the person.” 24 And leaving from there, He came to the regions of Tyre and Sidon. Entering a house, He did not want anyone to know, yet He could not remain hidden. 25 For a woman whose daughter was suffering from an unclean spirit, when she heard about Him, came and fell at His feet. 26 Now the woman was a Gentile, a Syrophoenician by birth. She was begging Jesus to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 But Jesus said to her, “Let the children first be filled, because it is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 28 But the woman answered and said to Him, “Yes, Lord, but even the dogs are fed from the crumbs under the table.” 29 And Jesus said to her, “Because of this word of yours, go. the demon has come out of your daughter.” 30 And when she went to her house, she found the demon gone out, and the girl lying on the bed. 31 Leaving the regions of Tyre and Sidon, Jesus came again to the shore of the Sea of Galilee, within the regions of Decapolis. 32 And they brought to Him a deaf and mute man, and they begged Him to lay His hand on him. 33 And taking him aside from the crowd, He put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue. 34 And looking up to heaven, He sighed and said, “Ephphatha,” that is, “Be opened.” 35 At that moment his ears were opened, the bonds of his tongue fell away, and he spoke clearly. 36 And He commanded them to tell no one. But the more He commanded them, the more they spread it. 37 And being exceedingly astonished, they were saying, “He has done everything well, because He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”