Demand by Pharisees for Conformity and Credentials

42. Concerning Traditions about Defilement

And there are gathered together unto Jesus the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which had come from Jerusalem, and had seen that some of his disciples ate their bread with defiled, that is, unwashen, hands.

For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands diligently, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders: and when they come from the marketplace, except they wash themselves, they eat not: and many other things there be, which they have received to hold, washing of cups, and pots, and brazen vessels.

And the Pharisees and the scribes ask Jesus, Why walk not thy disciples according to the tradition of the elders, but eat their bread with defiled hands?

And Jesus said unto them, Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,

This people honoreth me with their lips,

But their heart is far from me.

But in vain do they worship me,

Teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men.

Ye leave the commandment of God, and hold fast the tradition of men.

And he said unto them, Full well do ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your tradition. For Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother; and, He that speaketh evil of father or mother, let him die the death: but ye say, If a man shall say to his father or his mother, That wherewith thou mightest have been profited by me is Corban, that is to say, Given to God; ye no longer suffer him to do aught for his father or mother; making void the word of God by your tradition, which ye have delivered: and many such like things ye do.

And Jesus called to him the multitude, and said unto them, Hear me all of you, and understand: To eat with unwashen hands defileth not the man. There is nothing from without the man, that going into him can defile him: but the things which proceed out of the man are those that defile the man.

And when Jesus was entered into the house from the multitude, his disciples asked of him the parable. And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Perceive ye not, that whatsoever from without goeth into the man, it cannot defile him; because it goeth not into his heart.

And he said, That which proceedeth out of the man, that defileth the man. For from within, out of the heart of men, evil thoughts proceed, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, covetings, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, ailing, pride, foolishness: all these evil things proceed from within, and defile the man.

Then the disciples said unto Jesus, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, when they heard that saying? But Jesus answered and said, Every plant which my Father planted not, shall be rooted up. Let them alone: they are blind guides. And if the blind guide the blind, both shall fall into a pit.

43. Withdrawal Toward Tyre and Sidon

And from thence Jesus arose, and went away into the borders to Tyre and Sidon. And he entered into a house, and would have no man know it: and he could not be hid.

44. Return Journey through Decapolis

And again Jesus went out from the borders of Tyre and come through Sidon unto the sea of Galilee, through the midst of the borders of Decapolis.

45. Pharisees Demand Signs from Jesus

And the Pharisees came forth, and began to question with Jesus, seeking from him a sign from Heaven. And he sighed deeply in his spirit, and saith, Why doth this generation seek a sign? An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign.

Verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation. And he left them, and again entering into the boat departed to the other side.

46. The Leaven of the Pharisees

And Jesus charged his disciples, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod. And they reasoned, one with another, saying, We have no bread.

Jesus perceiving it saith unto them, Why reason ye, because ye have no bread? do ye not yet perceive, neither understand? have ye your heart hardened? Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not?

And he said unto them, Do ye not yet understand? How is it that ye do not perceive that I spake not to you concerning bread? But beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadducees.