Mat 15:1-28 | ESV | STEP | Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said ,

1 ^aThen Pharisees and ^bscribes came to Jesus ^cfrom Jerusalem and said, 2 ^d“Why do your disciples break ^ethe tradition of the elders? ^fFor they do not wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? 4 For God commanded, ^g‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ^h‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” ^{▼▼Or is an offering} 6 he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have ^jmade void the word ^{▼▼Some manuscripts law} of God. 7 ^lYou hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

8 ^m“‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
9 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as ⁿdoctrines the commandments of men.’”

What Defiles a Person

10 And he called the people to him and said to them, ^o“Hear and understand: 11 ^pit is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person.” 12 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Do you know that the Pharisees were ^qoffended when they heard this saying?” 13 He answered, ^r“Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted ^swill be rooted up. 14 Let them alone; ^tthey are blind guides. ^{▼▼Some manuscripts add of the blind} And ^vif the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” 15 But Peter said to him, ^w“Explain the parable to us.” 16 And he said, ^x“Are you also still without understanding? 17 Do you not see that ^ywhatever goes into the mouth passes into the stomach and is expelled? ^{▼▼Greek is expelled into the latrine} 18 But ^aawhat comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. 19 For out of the heart come ^abevil thoughts, ^acmurder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, ^adslander. 20 ^aeThese are what defile a person. But ^afto eat with unwashed hands does not defile anyone.”

The Faith of a Canaanite Woman

21 ^agAnd Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And behold, ^aha Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, ^ai“Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” 23 But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, ^aj“Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” 24 He answered, ^ak“I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and ^alknelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” 26 And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and ^amthrow it to the dogs.” 27 She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat ^anthe crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, ^aogreat is your faith! ^apBe it done for you as you desire.” ^aqAnd her daughter was ^arhealed instantly. ^{▼▼Greek from that hour}