1. One day, the Pharisees came to Jesus and said, "Why do Your disciples break the traditions of the elders? They do not even do ceremonial washings before they eat."
2. But He answered them, "And why do you transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?
3. For God commanded, 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'He who speaks evil of father or mother, let him surely die.'
4. But you say, 'If any one tells his father or his mother, What you would have gained from me is given to God, he need not honor his father.'
5. So, for the sake of your tradition, you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:,
'These people honor me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the precepts of men.'"
6. Then Jesus turned to His disciples and said, "Hear and understand: it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but rather what comes out of it that reveals the uncleanliness of a person."
7. The religious leaders then pressed Jesus, again asking for a sign to prove His authority to speak to them. They said to Him, "Tell us who You are, so that we may believe in You."
8. But He replied, "When it is evening, you say, 'It will be fair weather for the sky is red.' And in the morning you say, 'There will be a storm for the sky is red and it threatens us.'
9. "How is it that you can discern the weather from watching the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times?
10. "You examine the face of heaven and earth, but you have not come to know the one who is in your presence, and you do not know how to examine the present moment.
11. "An evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, and no sign will be given to it, except the Son of Man rising from the dead." And with that He left them and went away.
12. Then the disciples came to Him and said, "The Pharisees were greatly offended by what You said to them."
13. But Jesus said, "Every plant which My heavenly Father did not plant shall be uprooted.
14. "Let the Pharisees alone. They are blind guides leading the blind, and if a blind guide leads a blind person, both will fall into a pit."
15. Then Peter asked, "Jesus, explain the parable of 'eating' to us."
16. Jesus said, "Are you really lacking this understanding? Do you not know that everything that goes into the mouth passes into the stomach, and then is eliminated?
17. "But the things that come out of a person's mouth come from their heart, and it is that which is in the heart that defiles a person.
18. "For out of the heart comes all form of evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, lying and slander, covetousness, envy, pride, and foolishness.
19. "These are the things that defile a person, but to eat without ceremonial washing does no harm at all."
20. From there Jesus and His disciples came to a foreign town, and Jesus, trying not to be noticed, stayed in a house; but wherever He went the people soon found out.
21. Soon after, a woman from that region came to Him and began to cry out loudly, "Have mercy on me, Lord, for my daughter is cruelly possessed by a demon!"
22. But Jesus ignored her and went on His way, and His disciples came to Him and said, "Master, why do You not send her away for she continues to shout at us?"
23. He answered, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel."
24. But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying "Lord, help me, please."
25. Jesus said, "It is not right to take the children's food and give it to the dogs."
26. But the woman replied, "Yes, Lord, but even the dogs get to feed on the crumbs which fall from the children's table."
27. Then Jesus said to her, "O woman, your faith is great, and it shall be done for you as you wish," and her daughter was healed instantly.
28. While He was speaking to His disciples, someone came to Him and said, "Your mother and brothers are standing over there and wish to speak to You."
29. For they had come to take charge of Jesus, believing that He had lost his senses.
30. But Jesus answered saying, "Who is My mother, and who is my brother and sister?
31. "I tell you it is the one who does the will of My Father. Whosoever does the will of My Father is My mother and brother and sister, and they are the ones who will enter My Father's kingdom."
32. Then a woman said to Him, "Blessed is the womb that bore you!"
33. But He said to her, "Blessed are those who have heard the word of the Father and do it. For there will be days when you will say, 'Blessed are those who have never conceived.'"
34. When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the half-shekel tax went up to Peter and said, "Does not your teacher pay the tax?"
35. And Peter replied, "Yes, He does!"
36. And when Peter came to Jesus about it, Jesus spoke to Him first saying, "What do you think, Peter: from whom do the kings of the earth collect taxes? Do they collect it from their children or from strangers?"
37. Peter replied, "They collect it from strangers."
38. "Then the children of the king are exempt. However, we do not want to offend them, so go to the sea and throw out a hook, and take the first fish you catch, and when you open it's mouth you will find two gold coins. Give it to the temple for you and for Me."
39. And Peter went fishing that very day and found everything as Jesus said he would.
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