Out of the Heart

^[1] Then some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked, ^[2] “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don’t wash their hands before they eat!” ^[3] Jesus replied, “And why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? ^[4] For God said, ‘Honor your father and mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses their father or mother is to be put to death.’ ^[5] But you say that if anyone declares that what might have been used to help their father or mother is ‘devoted to God,’ ^[6] they are not to ‘honor their father or mother’ with it. Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. ^[7] You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: ^[8] “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. ^[9] They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.'” ^[10] Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. ^[11] What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.” ^[12] Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” ^[13] He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. ^[14] Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” ^[15] Peter said, “Explain the parable to us.” ^[16] “Are you still so dull?” Jesus asked them. ^[17] “Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? ^[18] But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. ^[19] For out of the heart come evil thoughts-murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. ^[20] These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them.”

Scripture taken from the THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION, NIV Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.