THE PHARISEES AND SOME OF THE TEACHERS OF THE LAW WHO HAD COME FROM JERUSALEM GATHERED AROUND JESUS
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AND SAW SOME OF HIS DISCIPLES EATING FOOD WITH HANDS THAT WERE DEFILED, THAT IS, UNWASHED.
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(THE PHARISEES AND ALL THE JEWS DO NOT EAT UNLESS THEY GIVE THEIR HANDS A CEREMONIAL WASHING, HOLDING TO THE TRADITION OF THE ELDERS.
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WHEN THEY COME FROM THE MARKETPLACE THEY DO NOT EAT UNLESS THEY WASH. AND THEY OBSERVE MANY OTHER TRADITIONS, SUCH AS THE WASHING OF CUPS, PITCHERS AND KETTLES.)
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SO THE PHARISEES AND TEACHERS OF THE LAW ASKED JESUS, 'WHY DON'T YOUR DISCIPLES LIVE ACCORDING TO THE TRADITION OF THE ELDERS INSTEAD OF EATING THEIR FOOD WITH DEFILED HANDS?'
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HE REPLIED, 'ISAIAH WAS RIGHT WHEN HE PROPHESIED ABOUT YOU HYPOCRITES; AS IT IS WRITTEN: ''THESE PEOPLE HONOR ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEARTS ARE FAR FROM ME.
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THEY WORSHIP ME IN VAIN; THEIR TEACHINGS ARE MERELY HUMAN RULES.'
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YOU HAVE LET GO OF THE COMMANDS OF GOD AND ARE HOLDING ON TO HUMAN TRADITIONS.'
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AND HE CONTINUED, 'YOU HAVE A FINE WAY OF SETTING ASIDE THE COMMANDS OF GOD IN ORDER TO OBSERVE YOUR OWN TRADITIONS!
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FOR MOSES SAID, 'HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,' AND, 'ANYONE WHO CURSES THEIR FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.'
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BUT YOU SAY THAT IF ANYONE DECLARES THAT WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN USED TO HELP THEIR FATHER OR MOTHER IS CORBAN (THAT IS, DEVOTED TO GOD)--
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THEN YOU NO LONGER LET THEM DO ANYTHING FOR THEIR FATHER OR MOTHER.
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THUS YOU NULLIFY THE WORD OF GOD BY YOUR TRADITION THAT YOU HAVE HANDED DOWN. AND YOU DO MANY THINGS LIKE THAT.'
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AGAIN JESUS CALLED THE CROWD TO HIM AND SAID, 'LISTEN TO ME, EVERYONE, AND UNDERSTAND THIS.
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NOTHING OUTSIDE A PERSON CAN DEFILE THEM BY GOING INTO THEM. RATHER, IT IS WHAT COMES OUT OF A PERSON THAT DEFILES THEM.'
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AS JESUS WALKED BESIDE THE SEA OF GALILEE, HE SAW SIMON AND HIS BROTHER ANDREW CASTING A NET INTO THE LAKE, FOR THEY WERE FISHERMEN.
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AFTER HE HAD LEFT THE CROWD AND ENTERED THE HOUSE, HIS DISCIPLES ASKED HIM ABOUT THIS PARABLE.
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ARE YOU SO DULL?' HE ASKED. 'DON'T YOU SEE THAT NOTHING THAT ENTERS A PERSON FROM THE OUTSIDE CAN DEFILE THEM?
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FOR IT DOESN'T GO INTO THEIR HEART BUT INTO THEIR STOMACH, AND THEN OUT OF THE BODY.' (IN SAYING THIS, JESUS DECLARED ALL FOODS CLEAN.)
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HE WENT ON: 'WHAT COMES OUT OF A PERSON IS WHAT DEFILES THEM.
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FOR IT IS FROM WITHIN, OUT OF A PERSON'S HEART, THAT EVIL THOUGHTS COME--SEXUAL IMMORALITY, THEFT, MURDER,
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ADULTERY, GREED, MALICE, DECEIT, LEWDNESS, ENVY, SLANDER, ARROGANCE AND FOLLY.
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ALL THESE EVILS COME FROM INSIDE AND DEFILE A PERSON.'
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JESUS LEFT THAT PLACE AND WENT TO THE VICINITY OF TYRE. HE ENTERED A HOUSE AND DID NOT WANT ANYONE TO KNOW IT; YET HE COULD NOT KEEP HIS PRESENCE SECRET.
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IN FACT, AS SOON AS SHE HEARD ABOUT HIM, A WOMAN WHOSE LITTLE DAUGHTER WAS POSSESSED BY AN IMPURE SPIRIT CAME AND FELL AT HIS FEET.
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THE WOMAN WAS A GREEK, BORN IN SYRIAN PHOENICIA. SHE BEGGED JESUS TO DRIVE THE DEMON OUT OF HER DAUGHTER.
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FIRST LET THE CHILDREN EAT ALL THEY WANT,' HE TOLD HER, 'FOR IT IS NOT RIGHT TO TAKE THE CHILDREN'S BREAD AND TOSS IT TO THE DOGS.'
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LORD,' SHE REPLIED, 'EVEN THE DOGS UNDER THE TABLE EAT THE CHILDREN'S CRUMBS.'
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THEN HE TOLD HER, 'FOR SUCH A REPLY, YOU MAY GO; THE DEMON HAS LEFT YOUR DAUGHTER.'
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SHE WENT HOME AND FOUND HER CHILD LYING ON THE BED, AND THE DEMON GONE.
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THEN JESUS LEFT THE VICINITY OF TYRE AND WENT THROUGH SIDON, DOWN TO THE SEA OF GALILEE AND INTO THE REGION OF THE DECAPOLIS.
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THERE SOME PEOPLE BROUGHT TO HIM A MAN WHO WAS DEAF AND COULD HARDLY TALK, AND THEY BEGGED JESUS TO PLACE HIS HAND ON HIM.
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AFTER HE TOOK HIM ASIDE, AWAY FROM THE CROWD, JESUS PUT HIS FINGERS INTO THE MAN'S EARS. THEN HE SPIT AND TOUCHED THE MAN'S TONGUE.
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HE LOOKED UP TO HEAVEN AND WITH A DEEP SIGH SAID TO HIM, 'EPHPHATHA!' (WHICH MEANS 'BE OPENED!').
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AT THIS, THE MAN'S EARS WERE OPENED, HIS TONGUE WAS LOOSENED AND HE BEGAN TO SPEAK PLAINLY.
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JESUS COMMANDED THEM NOT TO TELL ANYONE. BUT THE MORE HE DID SO, THE MORE THEY KEPT TALKING ABOUT IT.
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People were overwhelmed with amazement. 'He has done everything well,' they said. 'He even makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.'