Matthew 15:1 (BSB)
Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked,

Matthew 15:2 (BSB)
“Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They do not wash their hands before they eat.”

Matthew 15:3 (BSB)
Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition?

Matthew 15:4 (BSB)
For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’

Matthew 15:5 (BSB)
But you say that if anyone says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is a gift devoted to God,’

Matthew 15:6 (BSB)
he need not honor his father or mother with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.

Matthew 15:7 (BSB)
You hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you:

Matthew 15:8 (BSB)
‘These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.

Matthew 15:9 (BSB)
They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men.’”

Matthew 15:10 (BSB)
Jesus called the crowd to Him and said, “Listen and understand.

Matthew 15:11 (BSB)
A man is not defiled by what enters his mouth, but by what comes out of it.”

Matthew 15:12 (BSB)
Then the disciples came to Him and said, “Are You aware that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?”

Matthew 15:13 (BSB)
But Jesus replied, “Every plant that My heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by its roots.

Matthew 15:14 (BSB)
Disregard them! They are blind guides. If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”

Matthew 15:15 (BSB)
Peter said to Him, “Explain this parable to us.”

Matthew 15:16 (BSB)
“Do you still not understand?” Jesus asked.

Matthew 15:17 (BSB)
“Do you not yet realize that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then is eliminated?

Matthew 15:18 (BSB)
But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man.

Matthew 15:19 (BSB)
For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander.

Matthew 15:20 (BSB)
These are what defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile him.”

Matthew 15:21 (BSB)
Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.

Matthew 15:22 (BSB)
And a Canaanite woman from that region came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.”

Matthew 15:23 (BSB)
But Jesus did not answer a word. So His disciples came and urged Him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

Matthew 15:24 (BSB)
He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

Matthew 15:25 (BSB)
The woman came and knelt before Him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

Matthew 15:26 (BSB)
But Jesus replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

Matthew 15:27 (BSB)
“Yes, Lord,” she said, “even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

Matthew 15:28 (BSB)
“O woman,” Jesus answered, “your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.

Matthew 15:29 (BSB)
Moving on from there, Jesus went along the Sea of Galilee. Then He went up on a mountain and sat down.

Matthew 15:30 (BSB)
Large crowds came to Him, bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled, the mute, and many others, and laid them at His feet, and He healed them.

Matthew 15:31 (BSB)
The crowd was amazed when they saw the mute speaking, the crippled restored, the lame walking, and the blind seeing. And they glorified the God of Israel.

Matthew 15:32 (BSB)
Then Jesus called His disciples to Him and said, “I have compassion for this crowd, because they have already been with Me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may faint along the way.”

Matthew 15:33 (BSB)
The disciples replied, “Where in this desolate place could we find enough bread to feed such a large crowd?”

Matthew 15:34 (BSB)
“How many loaves do you have?” Jesus asked. “Seven,” they replied, “and a few small fish.”

Matthew 15:35 (BSB)
And He instructed the crowd to sit down on the ground.

Matthew 15:36 (BSB)
Taking the seven loaves and the fish, He gave thanks and broke them. Then He gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people.

Matthew 15:37 (BSB)
They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.

Matthew 15:38 (BSB)
A total of four thousand men were fed, in addition to women and children.

Matthew 15:39 (BSB)
After Jesus had dismissed the crowds, He got into the boat and went to the region of Magadan.