A group of Pharisees and some teachers of religion from Jerusalem came to Jesus. They asked Him,
Why do Your disciples transgress and violate the rules handed down by the elders of the past? For they do not practice [ceremonially] washing their hands before they eat.
He replied to them, And why also do you transgress and violate the commandment of God for the sake of the rules handed down to you by your forefathers (the elders)?
For God commanded, Honor your father and your mother, and, He who curses or reviles or speaks evil of or abuses or treats improperly his father or mother, let him surely come to his end by death.
But you say, If anyone tells his father or mother, What you would have gained from me [that is, the money and whatever I have that might be used for helping you] is already dedicated as a gift to God, then he is exempt and no longer under obligation to honor and help his father or his mother.
So for the sake of your tradition (the rules handed down by your forefathers), you have set aside the Word of God [depriving it of force and authority and making it of no effect].
You pretenders (hypocrites)! Admirably and truly did Isaiah prophesy of you when he said:
Here's the word of God: Those people may worship Me with the words, but their hearts far from Me.
Uselessly do they worship Me, for they teach as doctrines the commands of men.
And Jesus called the people to Him and said to them, Listen and grasp and comprehend this:
Goes into the mouth does not make him unclean, but only out of his mouth, that's what makes him unclean. "
Then the disciples came and said to Him, Do You know that the Pharisees were displeased and offended and indignant when they heard this saying?
Jesus replied: "Every plant not planted by my Father in heaven will be revoked by the roots.
No need to pay attention to the Pharisees that. They were leaders of the blind, and if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. "
Peter said, "Please explain the parable to us, sir!"
Jesus answered them, "Do you also do not understand?
everything that comes into the mouth down into the stomach and then dumped in the toilet?
But whatever comes out of the mouth comes from the heart, and this is what makes a man unclean and defiles [him].
For out of the heart come evil thoughts (reasonings and disputings and designs) such as murder, adultery, sexual vice, theft, false witnessing, slander, and irreverent speech.
The things that cause people to become impure, and not eating with unwashed hands. "
